Return-Path: Received: from pete.nit.disa.mil ([192.207.74.160]) by truman.olsusa.com (Post.Office MTA v3.1.2 release (PO203-101c) ID# 0-44819U2500L250S0) with SMTP id AAA18548 for ; Wed, 14 Oct 1998 16:17:15 -0400 Received: from localhost by pete.nit.disa.mil (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id NAA15891; Wed, 14 Oct 1998 13:16:36 -0700 Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1998 13:16:36 -0700 (MST) From: To: lancair.list@olsusa.com Subject: hello and introduction Message-ID: X-Mailing-List: lancair.list@olsusa.com Mime-Version: 1.0 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> << Lancair Builders' Mail List >> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> hello, i am a student pilot and prospective lancair builder. i had expected to build an RV-4 as soon as my house (w/ garage) is built, but i'm having second thoughts after seeing the lancairs at copperstate. in particular, i was very impressed with the 320/360 when i saw it up close. however, i have a number of concerns still that i'd like to hear how others have addressed... please reply to me directly and not clutter the list. (btw, i'm subscribed in digest mode). concerns: my big concern is that i live in tucson, arizona. i'm not worried about an aluminum airplane corroding here because we basically have no humidity; but i am concerned about a composite decaying or decomposing. i was told that i need to use UV-blocking paint and keep the plane hangared if i go composite. first, do i need to do both, or would UV-blocking paint be sufficient protection? second, is the UV-blocking paint available in all colors, or limited? is it available as a base to mix with other pigments? is it more expensive or harder to find than regular paint? is it simply the primer coat? is it at all hazardous (my daughter is 16 months old) to work with/around? i was also told that the build time for a first-time builder would be around 1500 hours. i was a bit suspicious of that number; it sounds a bit quick. how realistic is it for someone who has never done this kind of work before? has anyone here actually flown both the RV-4 and the 320/360? how do they compare? how cramped is the cockpit for use longer than the few minutes i sat in it at copperstate? with a passenger? if you're over 6' tall? (the stick did seem a little off-center to me as well...) the info pack from lancair doesn't go into detail in some areas... like, is there an emergency gear deployment system if the regular system fails? how is the pilot warned if he is about to land with the gear up? are the flaps powered or manual? what options are there (the info pack says forward tilting canopy - what's the normal canopy do?, larger wheels, canopy latch, and wing tip extensions w/ fuel tanks)? finally (and perhaps most importantly) can anyone put me in contact with a builder working on one in or near tucson? i'd really like to get a feel for the work (and perhaps i can help a little). any and all replies are appreciated... -D-