Ray LeGrande Sr. is a Certified WASP II Pilot.
Our goal is to produce the WR35 Airframe and the WR19-7 Fanjet engine with modern engineering that is 30 years more advanced than 1982.
Scott Watson: is a designer of mechanical and electrical transportation systems, always pushing the limits of technology in new and unusual ways, Being able to see the connections between applications and building the Widget that makes all the various technologies work is his specialty.
The machine shops and 3D printing services assist in creating low cost plastic prototypes of the engine which is allowing mechanical issues to be resolved prior to production of the aluminum and titanium engine components.
Efficiency is the goal and this is being achieved with due diligence and attention to detail.
Sam Williams (deceased) was the original designer of the WASP II concept, the US ARMY declined to accept the radical design, some people said it would not get off the ground or it would crash.
The WASP II worked as designed and it never crashed, One person said the regular Pilots saw the WASP II as a threat to their flight pay.
Due to the advances in manufacturing ability, We are currently manufacturing parts in the Seattle area machine shops, The original WASP II is on display at, The Museum of Flight located in Seattle Washington, We have the technical manuals and the ability to build the parts and assemble them.
In closing, thirty years have passed since Ray LeGrande Sr. flew the WASP II, We are building four and giving him the chance to teach us how to fly.
If you want to read the original newspaper articles from the public display presented by the US ARMY at Fort Benning GA, Here is the link to the archives, Scott Watson contacted the Bayonet Newspaper and requested the 1982 archives be updated and posted on line.
http://www.benning.army.mil/library/content/Virtual/Bayonet/index.htm
First Article
June 11, 1982
Go to Volume 40
Number 38
Page one
then go to page 26.
Second Article
June 18, 1982
Volume 40.
Number 39.
Page one.
Popular Science wrote a concise article about the WASP II which is located on page 67 of this link:
http://books.google.com/books…
We have the technology, The will and the time, We are building the 2012 WASP at this time, The campaign is:
"I WANT ONE".
Respectfully, Ray LeGrande Sr. and Scott Watson
Websites
"Freedom is to take off from your driveway and fly wherever you want.
No more traffic jams"
We are in the process of converting the 2D blueprints into a 3D CAD file for the purpose of developing parts using the latest in 3D printing, which will allow us to fabricate parts to build a complete airframe and engine.
Terry L. Metzgar has pointed out the need for developing a more streamlined fairing which will provide more efficient aerodynamics for greater range and a higher top speed.
A 5 AXIS mill reduces the cost of manufacturing the engine components by 30% over the traditional machine shop, Due to the engine being 26 inches long and 14 inches in diameter the materials are not the major expense, It is the 166 hours of machine time that are required to machine the parts.
The CAD programming allows a level of precision and speed which reduces the cost and man hours to produce each part.
We know that the WASP II works and is simple to use, Someone said,
"Give it to the people and see what they do with it"
So what would you do with a vertical take off and landing WASP?
We are building them, You tell us what it is good for, I think it would make a nice camera platform for use in the production of Hollywood films or delivering Red Cross medications to remote locations, For the price of one helicopter fourteen WASP units can be built, They require 3 hours of training to fly.
We have the technology and the blueprints
"I WANT ONE" is the campaign.
Enjoy watching the video and slide show.People in the past have wondered why a major corporation did not develop this WASP II (We still don't know).
The landing on Mars using a vertical thrust platform which delivered a 1 ton = 2200 pounds Mars rover, Proves we have the technology to build the WASP II and it was done in 1974, Imagine what 30 years of jet engine technology will allow us to achieve now. I know 40% increase in thrust is possible because this has already happened.
The risk to the pilots is minimal due to the parachute which is located in the nose of the WASP II, 3 hours of training is required for basic operations.
Sincerely, Ray LeGrande Sr and Scott Watson.
