Return-Path: Sender: "Marvin Kaye" To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 21:18:06 -0500 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from [24.93.47.40] (HELO ms-smtp-01-eri0.texas.rr.com) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.2.8) with ESMTP id 622106 for lml@lancaironline.net; Tue, 25 Jan 2005 20:55:12 -0500 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=24.93.47.40; envelope-from=jeff@boxybutgood.com Received: from [192.168.11.12] (cs6669237-93.austin.rr.com [66.69.237.93]) by ms-smtp-01-eri0.texas.rr.com (8.12.10/8.12.7) with ESMTP id j0Q1sdYm004659 for ; Tue, 25 Jan 2005 19:54:40 -0600 (CST) X-Original-Message-ID: <41F6F853.3060307@boxybutgood.com> X-Original-Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 19:54:27 -0600 From: Jeff Meininger User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 0.9 (X11/20041127) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Original-To: Lancair Mailing List Subject: Re: [LML] Lancair Stalls References: In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Virus-Scanned: Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine Peter Van Arsdale wrote: > Lancairs are not forgiving airplanes and it's unlikely they ever will > be. Couple that with the existence of low experience and/or > capabilities, we wind up having to many tragic losses. > > If someone has a need to do radical maneuvers or aerobatics buy a Pitts. Can someone with decent capabilities, low experience, but dedication and respect for the plane fly a Legacy safely given adequate transition training? As a potential builder, it's hard for me to tell. The marketing material makes it sound like a plane I could fly safely. The Sport Aviation article and the CAFE report mention very light stick forces, but do not indicate that the plane is unstable or evil. Just perhaps a little touchy. I want to build a go-somewhere machine. I do not want to do radical maneuvers or aerobatics. I just want to travel long distances in short periods of time. The RV-7 is on my radar. It seems like it might be a much better match for the mere mortal pilot. Sometimes it seems like everyone and their dog has built one, and that's reassuring. It has well regarded handling characteristics; people have even accomplished their primary flight training in an RV. It's an easy choice because it has proven itself well in it's role. The Legacy is mighty tempting, though. 240 knots is wicked fast. That speed would enable me to really get where I wanted to go. But with such light stick forces and fast roll rates, how good of an IFR platform can it be? I mean, what if I sneeze or something? It seems like an outstanding plane for racing at Reno, but I have more of a boring point-A-to-point-B kind of mission. There aren't hundreds of completed legacies with hundreds of novice hobbyist pilots vouching for it as an XC machine, so it's a harder choice to make. As a would-be builder who wants to go fast, I wonder what it takes to fly the Legacy. If a pilot was comfortable in a Mooney, how big a step would it be to the Legacy? I'll get myself over to HQ and get the demo flight in N199L one day. I know that will answer some of my questions.