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These CT airplanes are weird looking little buggers. Aren't they the ones that look like a flying egg? I probably wouldn't be interested, since they are the highest price of all of the new LSAs, and are totally composite. Give me metal and rivets, or tube and fabric - something a mechanic at the average FBO can fix when it gets dinged. Anyway, interesting about how they bounce around so in turbulence. I flew the Tecnam a year ago in October, on a relatively warm day in the Atlanta area - no unusual issues with the low level convective turbulence that I remember. On a side note, it's interesting how Coupe prices have shot up in relation to Cubs and Champs. The tailwheel classics have held pretty steady, while Coupes have climbed. Coupes are more civilized for the average pilot who wants tricycle gear, electrics, etc. You still "get what you pay for". Jerry E. -----Original Message----- From: DONALD BOWEN [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 9:47 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [email protected] Subject: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Re: [COUPERS-TECH] LSA ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- Interesting input on the CTSW, Hartmut. Actually, I flew the 2005 version; the 2006 won't be available here in USA until April. I believe these airplanes are built in the Ukraine, then assembled, tested, and disassembled/boxed in Germany. I note that ROTAX has manufactured over 200,000 engines, and the 100hp 912S gets excellent reviews. There are well over 400 CTSWs flying, since introduced in 1997. Yes, the airplane is light @ 698lbs including the ballistic parachute, and carries 34 gals of fuel, etc, up to the max gw of 1320 lb. Most of the (newer) LSA candidates are about the same weight. Those that are not, e.g., the THORPEDO, carry less fuel and have lesser range and performance. For sure, I'm not an expert, and I'm not "selling" these birds, so let's keep the discussion going. Hartmut wrote: >>>>3. Visibility is wonderful - to the front. There is no rear visibility >>>>at all. And is a high wing plane with it's downsides on visibility. I >>>>don't want to start another high wing versus low wing discussion, but >>>>the fact is that you can not check what's behind you. I couldn't see above me or behind me in my MAULE, nor can I see below me or directly behind me in my ALON. There is a window above/behind the pilot and co-pilot seats in the CTSW, which allows some overhead visability, and turning one's head and looking out of the side windows, aft of the MLG gives a partial view to the rear. One thing for sure, the CTSW speed at max continuous rpm is 139 mph, so none of our 'Coupes will be overrunning a CTSW. Don Bowen [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----Original Message Follows---- From: "Hartmut Beil" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "DONALD BOWEN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> CC: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [COUPERS-TECH] LSA Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 10:59:40 +0100 Don. Good article about the new LSA planes. One comment to the CTSW. I believe that is a German creation, targeted at the Ultralight market here and adjusted to LSA specifications. I had the opportunity to check out such plane here in Germany. It was owned by a flight instructor and he honestly spoke about the advantages and disadvantages of the plane. Advantages are: 1. It is a lightweight, but very sturdy fiberglass/carbon construction that is giving a safety advantage in cases of flipping over etc. 2. The Rotax engine is good in gas usage and cheaply to maintain. 3. Seating and visibility are really wonderful Disadvantages are: 1. It is lightweight, that makes the plane very sensitive to the smallest turbulence. That Instructor came with a friend of mine for a visit to my airport. They might have had a 2 hour flight, maybe less that was mostly flown at around 1000-2000 feet. Yes Germany is mostly flat. My friend had a "soft" stomach after that flight. When it came to fly back, my friend was visibly nervous and started sweating when he climbed in into that cockpit. I am sure that this experience did not make another pilot out of him and I never received a final report on how the flight back was. It must have been horror for him. Since he was flying on a summer afternoon. The instructor and owner admitted that this plane is letting you feel every bump in the air. He also named this fact as the biggest disadvantage of that plane. 2. The 4-stroke geared Rotax engines are disliked by many who own them. There are many things on that engine that are mediocre to my standards and that are just plane bad in everyone's opinion. One fellow pilot on my airport that owns a Zodiac with a Rotax told me that due to the weird configuration of the engine-prop gear, his controllable pitch prop was simply torn into pieces. In idle, the gear has some slack that allows the prop to go back and forth and not every prop is built to withstand that. The engine oil return is done by using the engine blowby pressure. That pressure pushes the oil back into it's container - can't call that a sump really- and then the oil pump takes from there. This approach works or does not I have been told. The fact that it might not work some time and the engine runs out of oil pressure while sitting in oil sounds like a joke to me. The engine is water cooled. That alone creates a problem of additional parts that might break ( one burst hose and you are due ). Then the regulation of the water temperature has it's problems I was told. And there had been at least 5 more items he explained that were not in favor of a Rotax. 3. Visibility is wonderful - to the front. There is no rear visibility at all. And is a high wing plane with it's downsides on visibility. I don't want to start another high wing versus low wing discussion, but the fact is that you can not check what's behind you. That's it folks. Have a wonderful X-mas. Hartmut, Berlin - Germany ----- Original Message ----- From: "DONALD BOWEN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Cc: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 1:26 AM Subject: [COUPERS-TECH] LSA >----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any >advice in this forum.]---- > > >I'm a bit out of touch since I haven't received any TECH or FLYIN inputs >in the past several weeks. >Today. I cancdelled my subscriptions to both and immediately renewed - >problem solved. >I note a lot of inputs on SLSA aircraft. I, too, am interested, but not for >right now - my ALON is performing excellently, as it should, considering >the moneyI have invested in it I do not presently have any health problems >that would preclue passing a FAA physical. >I attended the recent AOPA EXPO at Tampa several weeks back. I visited the >LSA display area and looked at the 16 or more candidates. Most were >unexciting and very expensive. Entry and egress for senior citizens is >demanding to say the least. However, one candidate caught my eye; the >Flight Design CTSW 2006. I climbed into it and looked around the cockpit, >as I did for half a dozen other models. I followed up several weeks later >by visiting LOCKWOOD AVIATION , the local (Florida) dealer at Sebring, FL. >They also are the ROTEX overhaul facility for this area. I did have the >opportunity to fly the CTSW. I really liked it! I'm not sure what my >bladder would do with the 1000 nm range (!) w/ auto fuel consumption @ 4.8 >gph. But, I sure liked the outstanding visability, and the standard >configuration inculsion ot the rocket-launcched ballistic parachute system. >Think about it! >I'm 6'3" @ 210 lbs, and there is plenty of room in the coclkpit for two >of the same size. >Yes, the CTSW is expensive, particularly if you choose all the "bells and >whistles" such as th 3 blade prop ,the digital cockpit displays, etc. but >it is only marginally more costly than most of the old/tired design >competitors. >Try their website (good video and pics): www.flightdesignusa.com > > Don Bowen >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >=========================================================================== === >To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm >Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers-tech/ > > > > ============================================================================ == To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/ ============================================================================== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/
