A few years ago, I was struck by inspiration. I would scrounge, and plan, and wait, and build myself an ultralight from things other people had thrown away.
Sure I have no knowledge of engineering, welding, aerodynamics or numerous other necessary things. But I refused to let that stand in my way. There were other difficulties and the project was put on hold.
Then I realized that I had been so fixated on the idea of a trike-style machine, I had missed the obvious. If I instead built a backpack mount for the engine, fuel tank, and propeller, I wouldn't need any lower structure. The project just got smaller, lighter and a lot easier.
But, I still have many questions. Are there any common materials suitable for making the canopy? Is a glider-style canopy with frame best suited for this kind of thing? Or do I want to go with rectangular chute design? I've bookmarked sites for casting aluminum and for machining a 2 stroke aluminum engine. Is there any household item suitable for melting down for this purpose?
Any other advice you can offer is much appreciated.