Scrappy: Draco On Steroids! Its Panel Is Like Five Panels.

Mike Patey, of Draco fame, has released a lot of information lately on his latest and craziest project yet, a small taildragger called Scrappy that, true to its name, looks like the baddest little dude in town.

As you probably know, Draco, a complete reimagining of a Wilga, which included a turboprop, compound landing gear and completely redesigned airfoils, got wrecked last year. Everyone was okay, thank goodness. And Patey was already doing early work on Scrappy, so he pivoted directly in the direction of maximum awesomeness. It might be the guy's only gear!

Unlike Draco, Scrappy is a clean sheet design that's intended to win every STOL contest it will ever enter, though "clean sheet" might not be the best description. It's a one-off, off-the-cuff combination of a "trophy truck and Baja off-roader with wings," he says, and adds that if you might "think this thing is practical, this video is not for you." The name "Scrappy" came from Patey's notion that the plane would be built from stuff he had lying around, you know, scrap from other projects. Truth is, there's a ton of made from scratch stuff on it, and its design and engineering are way more Cal Tech than scrap yard. It's an impressive design. But nothing is too much. Nothing. 

The panel is a case in point. Think minimalist. Think steam gauges. Think old school. Now, flip that 180 degrees and you get Scrappy's panel, a conglomeration of coolness that stretches seemingly out the side windows and halfway out the wing. It starts around your shoelaces and ends up a foot above your David Clarks. This thing is insane.

Which is the whole point. Scrappy is all about the fun of doing something incredibly wild for the fun and experimentation of doing something wild that has wings.

Strap in and check it out! And thanks, Mike, for being you!