I was watching a video of David from Team MiniMAX being interviewed at Oshkosh. There was a brief mention of a side-by-side 2-place plane that was built back in the 80's at MiniMAX. There's mention starting at about 4:10 in this video.

  https://www.google.com/search?.....SiI,st:0  

If I caught it correctly there might only be one in existence? Do any of you who might have been around MiniMAX planes since the beginning recall anything about it? It would be interesting to learn more about it.

Lynn
















it would be cool

I was a parts supplier to TEAM at the time, and delivered the fiberglass parts I made. I got to see the airplane that you mentioned under construction. It was my understanding that Wayne Ison decided that it was going to be heaver then they were hoping for, and therefor it was never completed. I will try to check with someone who I know, who may know more about this airplane.

Thanks. I'm curious about a lot of things and the existence of a 2-place, mid-wing MiniMAX really caught my attention. I look forward to any information you can un-earth.

Lynn

That's been almost 40 years ago, and I've sleepted many times since then, but I believe what I saw was a high wing airplane?

Such a cool airplane. I think I heard that Team Mini-Max no longer has the rights to the design and the owner does not want to sell. Total shame. Video below. I think there might be another thread somewhere in this site with some more data.  I think it had a rotax 582.  

TA3 - old team minimax two seater -
https://youtu.be/BBQX5vS4hdA?si=fMjX5WMYswN5wp3v

Cool video content, even thought the video quality is not great. A MiniMAX fly-in....how cool!

I just wish there was someone with a photographic memory that saw the TA3 MiniMAX in person and remembered some finer points of how the plane was built. Even knowing what the wingspan was would be a good start.

Lynn

A plane with similiar outline was the pottier coccinelle.drawings were available from RSA france about 20 years ago.it had similiar shape to the Cygnet SF2a but was all wood construction.there is some detail on wikipedia under pottier P130 coccinnele.listening closely to the video someone can be heard saying"has the same wing span but wider".the performance appears quite good but looks like only single pilot.

Looks like the Pottier P130 Cocinelle bears a striking resemblance to the ARV Super2, which flew a few years before the Cocinelle, in 1985.

Both are 2 seat side by side, shoulder wing, forward swept rectangular wing, although the Super2 was all aluminium construction.

I see you can get plans, etc, for the Cocinelle for $55. Worth a look, Lynn?


Bruce

The Ragwing Rag-A-Bond is basically a two-seat Hi-Max. I think it even uses the same wing rib as the Mini-Max.

      Cy V
                   you may be right.the RW8/RW11 plan set also has the PT2S drawings besides the Ragabond drawings..primary trainer2 ? the PT2S could be said to resemble a Himax.Long ago/ and before appearence of PT2S there was an article in EAA Experimenter magazine by a builder who built a Himax version he called a Pauperplane.it was powered by a VW 1835cc engine.but the video posted above showing the TA3 is amazing.It flies very well.I wonder why it was abandoned?Certainly not because of any design deficiency or lack of performance i am sure.

So, was the Pauperplane a side-by-side modified version of the HiMAX?

Lynn

  Indeed it was.Designer Daniel Squire. very little detail about structure in article i have.its dated somewhere in 1993.he does mention its 16 inches wider and 18 inches stretch at the back.engine was Zenoah G50 initially later changed to vw 1835cc.

Thanks for the photos of the side-by-side modified HiMAX. Depending on the plans he was working from, 16" wider would likely be a 38" or 40" wide fuselage. Somehow the 18" fuselage stretch doesn't look that noticeable. Wonder if the wing sections were widened any from the normal 139" wings? At 139" each and with a 40" wide fuselage the wingspan would have only been around 26.5'. I would guess at that wingspan wing loading in would have been flirting with 7# per Sq. Ft.. Any mention of empty or gross weight?

Lynn

Lynn
                 The issue of experimentar with description of zenoah powered pauperplane is august 1992.the engine is zenoah G50.He says it flies as good as the Himax.empty weight= 430lbs.pilot=200lbs.fuel=10 gallons. t/o run=300 ft.roc=500'/min.top speed=70mph.55_60mph@5000rpm.stall=30 mph.this is with pilot only.no figures given with passenger ! the vw powere version is described in january 94 issue. GW=555lbs. max=85mph. cruise=70-75mph. t/o run= 600ft. climb=500'/min @55mph. stall=35. fuel=16 gallons. fuselage xtended furthe by 6 inches to balance engine.again no mention about the passenger!prop= 54x28 and 58x27.I think it needs the tandem airbike wing.

Thanks for the additional info and specs. At this point I'll just say, "Maybe, someday" but for now I've decided to keep my life simple and build another ultralight MiniMAX. Just not wanting to add the stress and extra work of a plane that will have to be inspected and registered. I'd prefer not to deal with the FAA now.

Maybe someone having seen the 2-place plane will decide to build one. That would be nice.

Lynn