This early version had a cage loop made up of a section of 15mm plumbers PVC flexible tubing.

Sam Rose - Tech. Consultant

Hi All, to the right is a new video (27th June 2023) where I ponder the idea of how I would re-create a new Eggmotor; drawing on years of hindsight and wisdom. I point out four main areas where I believe I would be able to improve upon as long as there is a healthy financial budget to back me up. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys could add your opinions and thoughts in the comments section below the video of improvements I may have missed or just some interesting chit-chat would be nice :)

My book is available to buy from the retailers below.

Developments by Bailey Aviation back in 2010 meant that even more thrust was available from the plucky little four stroke. Bespoke reduction drives, engine mount kits, carburettor and exhaust systems took the Eggmotor into the next phase of viable paramotor design and performance.

Please Note: I will not accept responsibility for the quality of your own creation, nor for it’s use. You, as the builder/pilot are solely responsible for your own actions regarding the construction and use of any machine built and/or flown with the aid of information gathered from this web site.

Some kits and parts are still available from Bailey Aviation. Click here to visit: Bailey Aviation

The engine you need in order to follow the technical information on this web site is a Honda GX200 6.5hp or a cheaper Far Eastern clone version with a 3/4 inch diameter parallel Q-shaft output shaft.

Ebay is a good source for new Honda or clone GX200 engines. Expect to pay in the region £90 - £120 for a clone engine and much more for a genuine Honda. You'll need a minimum of 13hp worth of modifications if going for the direct drive version or as little as 12hp if you decide on the reduction drive option i.e. Bailey Egg conversion.

Our early development was based on the direct drive principle. Initial experimentation and test flights were conducted with a 34" propeller and then a larger 36" propeller. Now with the aid of a Bailey Egg reduction kit, our latest prototype (see video below) now provides roughly 20% more thrust compared to the old direct drive machine. The Bailey Egg reduction kit has a ratio of 2.65:1 and is ideal for turning a 130cm diameter propeller to achieve around 50kg(110lb) thrust with a mere 12-13hp at 6500rpm.

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To finish the engine off you'll also need a hub (direct drive version only) to couple the propeller to the engine. Zero Error have them available.

A high hang point harness gives you the simplest set up to fabricate and use. An APCO harness is the type that we used and we found it more than adequate.

N.B. While hang-testing the prototype I could feel the engine pulling down more on my right side due to the engine weight being offset. To compensate for this, the harness eye-bolt on the cylinder side is closer to the edge of the frame by about 1 inch (25mm) compared to the other side.

Those of you heading for reduction drive will need to look into your options available to you regarding a suitable frame/cage.

Here is a pdf file for the early basic frame and cage design for the 34" propeller sized Eggmotor.

The hand-held throttle unit will allow you to alter the power/rpm during you flight. This in turn will control your pitch, so with no power applied you will slowly descend at the wing’s glide ratio. At full power you will climb and at somewhere in the middle you can maintain level flight. The addition of a kill switch allows you to stop the engine within a couple of seconds.

It should be fairly easy to fabricate with a bicycle brake lever, brake cable, push-to-make button and some wiring.

An easy method to connect at the engine end is to modify the standard throttle lever and utilize it as a bracket for the cable end. Strip the throttle lever assembly down and cut the lever along the line as shown in the first picture. Then mount it onto the fuel tank bracket as shown on the second picture using a spare screw/bolt. You will need a cable adjuster to thread through the other hole in your make-shift bracket in order to fit the cable through. You maybe required to open up the hole a little bit in order to fit the adjuster. I've used a cheap brass one and fitted a locking nut to the other side. It is just a matter of fixing the inner cable to the 'J' shaped governor arm as close to the end (near throttle rod/spring) as possible. If you fix it too close to the governor arm pivot point then the throttle will be difficult to actuate due to lack of leverage. I used a small nut/bolt set up threaded through one of the many holes in the governor arm and basically 'pinched' the inner cable in place.

The last item in this section is hooking up the kill switch circuit, this is quite a simple operation. Just attach one wire to ideally the engine or the chassis (ensuring a good earth). Then fit the other wire from the kill switch to the spare connector where the low-oil sensor wire was fitted (see picture). You might want to fit a bullet/bulb type connector to the end of the wire to ensure a snug fitting connection or you could snip the low-oil sensor connector off and either solder or 'choccy-block' them together.

Rob Shaw - Chief Developer

Greater detail into my passion behind the project along with interesting anedotes can be found in my book 'The Chronicles Of Egg'. Also, my new book 'Do-It-Yourself Flying Machine' will give you an almost indepth fabrication guide to building your own Eggmotor. Both are available to purchase from my publisher (Lulu.com). The introduction page has more links for both Amazon, Lulu.com and ebook purchase options.

Sam and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have helped, advised and generally been supportive of our endeavours since the start of the Egg project back in 2007.

Please Note: I will not accept responsibility for the quality of your own creation, nor for it’s use. You, as the builder/pilot are solely responsible for your own actions regarding the construction and use of any machine built and/or flown with the aid of information gathered from this web site.