Colin and Netters, Thank You for a very correct/true and objective email, everything you say is like it is and glad to see someone not a wimp and tell us like it is. Happy Flying! Adrian
Colin & Bev Rainey wrote: > Bob Stone and netters > > First off I don't think Jeanette neglects her business, I think that she > has an active life and that she takes care of the obvious customers and those > that are shopping sometimes don't receive the sales pitching that some other > kit plane people have folks doing, which is why your plans cost what they do > from Jeanette, instead of 25-50 thousand dollars for a kit only to get the > plane you want. > > Secondly. There is some misunderstanding that an aircraft cannot be a > high performance aircraft just because it is under 200 hp output from its > engine. This is merely a mandatory figure supported by the FAA, not an > assessment of the industry. The Italian Cri Cri is a high performance > airplane, but has twin 40hp 2 cycle engines to power it. A friend of mine > flew me in his T-18 with a IO-360 with constant speed prop, which by > definition is not high performance, yet at a power setting of 23in and > 2300rpms, what would only deliver 120knots in the Piper Arrow, we were > scooting along at 165knots. I did a barrel roll at 145knots and never moved > the stick more than 1/2 to the side. We did a loop and never pulled back and > pushed forward more than 3/4of an inch. This aircraft was as sensitive as > the Schweizer helicopter that I flew, but it was wonderful. Large control > surfaces mean safety at slow speeds because you never run out of authority if > you are within the CG envel ope. The KR attracts alot of people who want to fly cheap, but since they are on the lower end of the aviation economy, they also have the least number of hours. This by default limits their experience to spam can trainers made to be trimmed hands off and left alone putting around at 85-95 knots. I have even flown some C172s that had engine upgrades to 180 & 200 hp and when you went for 75% cruise and pushed them up to 120-125knot cruise you could not achieve a trimmed for hands off flight. You were putting small inputs in all the time, just like I hear the KR pilots talk about. Last year I made 2 trips to Atlanta from Sanford in a Mooney 20J, 200hp plane. This little hotrod flew at 160KTAS at 8000feet, and indicated 150. And let me tell you, it needed little inputs throughout the entire flight. There was no taking your hands off for long periods of time. My point is if that is what you want, you are interested in the wrong type of airplanes all together. Go by a li ttle C152 or C172 and cruise at 50-60% power and have fun. If more is what you are after build the plane of choice, GO GET ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATE TRAINING and go fly! Do not expect your private training to have all your answers for these breed of airplanes. And do not expect the low hour CFI at the local FBO to have any experience appropriate to your needs either. You need a seasoned pro with more than 4 planes in his logbook. > > Lastly. Have you netters been reading Mark L's posts? He is investing > in himself. He is going out and getting current and proficient in as many > planes as he can that are like the KR. But just as important he is getting > up in the air. It takes more than just the legal 3 take offs and landings in > 90 days to stay safe. I have only had 20 -30 hours a month in the last 2 > months and I am beginning to feel rusty. How many have you logged? You > don't want to log just enough to feel the anxiety go away, you want to log > enough to be able to quit thinking about the right thing to do, and just do > it so that you can fly the plane, think about other planes around you and God > forbid, plan on where you are going to land if you lose an engine. Not a > flight goes by when I am not planning on where to land if I lose my engine, > all the way through the flight. It is just habit. Do you do this? Do you > practice engine out glides to the runway where you have to plan on making it > bec ause you will only get one shot? The KR is like any other plane, it is only dangerous, or unforgiving, or overly sensitive to those lacking the proper understanding of how it truly works and what its limits are. You have the choices, go make good ones....see you at the Gathering..... > > Colin & Bev Rainey > KR2(td) N96TA > Sanford, FL > [email protected] > http://kr-builder.org/Colin/index.html > _______________________________________ > to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to [email protected] > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > > . > -- Adrian VE6AFY Mailto:[email protected] http://www.spots.ab.ca/~cartera
