Glasair III owner here - intoduction

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toddsanderson

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Todd Sanderson
Glasair III owner here - introduction

Hello folks.

Just an introduction. My name is Todd and I am an aircraft addict:)

Anyway, I bought a Glasair III a few months ago and have been enjoying it. Just finished a 2000 NM trip with my wife. Looking forward to share information about the aircraft with anyone that may be interested. Will post some pics as soon as I am granted full access.
 
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There goes the neighborhood. ;)

Your glasair antics have had me thinking seriously about E-AB lately. I'm living vicariously through your posts about it.
 
Welcome aboard! Plan on getting a III someday if I could just get rid of my I first.
 
schmookeeg said:
There goes the neighborhood. ;)

Your glasair antics have had me thinking seriously about E-AB lately. I'm living vicariously through your posts about it.
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Oh no, LOL!!! It's Brannigan! It's a small world my friend:)

Yes, the G3 is incredible. Just did a trip with my wife. 900 NM each way. Averaged 215 knots TAS both ways using 65 gallons there and 71 gallons back. Had 80 lbs of bags and full fuel. Incredible machine. Nothing like shooting a GPS approach at 245 knots indicated.
 
Velocity173 said:
Welcome aboard! Plan on getting a III someday if I could just get rid of my I first.
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Thank you. I owned a Velocity RG "elite" back in 1994. I think I had the 3rd dual door Velocity flying at the time. Very efficient aircraft and so dirt simple to fly. The Swings were great people to work with.
 
toddsanderson said:
Thank you. I owned a Velocity RG "elite" back in 1994. I think I had the 3rd dual door Velocity flying at the time. Very efficient aircraft and so dirt simple to fly. The Swings were great people to work with.
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Yeah I've got a 173 RG as well. Unfortunately a "top lid." Besides the pain of getting in and out, it's the most comfortable aircraft I've ever flown. Super stable once trimmed at cruise.
 
Velocity173 said:
Yeah I've got a 173 RG as well. Unfortunately a "top lid." Besides the pain of getting in and out, it's the most comfortable aircraft I've ever flown. Super stable once trimmed at cruise.
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Yep, saw that in your user ID and saw your avatar picture. Mine was the smaller wing standard "elite." Very stable in the air. My only complaint with the plane was baggage room. It was a two person and bags airplane just due to lack of space to put things. Other than that, it was a good flying machine.
 
Glasair III. My dream plane since I started flying. I owned a Glasair IFT, built and now fly a Glastar, and am nearly finished building my Glasair III.
 

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Here are some pics of our trip from IN to FL. 71 gallons of fuel, 75 pounds of bags and two adults. I bought these bags as they fit perfectly behind the seats (no comments about the look of the bags Brannigan!) They are 28"x14"x16". Had room for one more. Had enough bags for a 7-day cruise for two people.
 

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Todd Copeland said:
Glasair III. My dream plane since I started flying. I owned a Glasair IFT, built and now fly a Glastar, and am nearly finished building my Glasair III.
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Nice Panel. You will like the Garmin G3X!
 
Wow best looking glasair I've ever seen


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
lol those are stylish. I travel with a hardcase I call "fruit salad", so no stones here.

The glasair or venture are on my short list of "let's try these..." -- the numbers are just too good to pass up. Both of them make my commuter S35 look like a 150. :D
 
schmookeeg said:
lol those are stylish. I travel with a hardcase I call "fruit salad", so no stones here.

The glasair or venture are on my short list of "let's try these..." -- the numbers are just too good to pass up. Both of them make my commuter S35 look like a 150. :D
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I was considering the Glasair, Lancair Legacy, and the SX-300.

My first requirement was interior room. I wanted a wide cabin with baggage space. The Glasair was slightly bigger than the Legacy and quite a bit bigger than the SX-300.

My next requirement was a Lycoming engine. I have replaced too many $1500 starter adapters and $800 gear driven alternators along with cracked cylinders on the Continentals. 95% of the Legacys are Continentals.

Finally, I wanted an airplane simple in design, fast, good looking, and a rugged gear system. I also wanted to buy one that was still supported. With a +9 -6 design G load and examples of the G3 doing 400 MPH at Reno I decided on the Glasair. Also, not one Glasair has ever broken up in flight. With a 295 knot VNE and 245 knot Green arc I was confident in the airframe.

I am really happy with my choice. It is just one of them airplanes that just feel "right." You point it in the direction you want to go and it does it. 2000 FPM climbs are easily achieved up to 6-7k ft and then 1500 to 10k and 1000 to 13k without a problem also.

I'm looking for a better prop right now. My current prop is for a PA32 and speeds over 210 knots indicated causes the prop to hit it's high RPM limit stop. The blades are also not optimized for the speeds I fly. I'm going to look at the Simitar along with MT.
 
At Reno the word was clear this year. The MT is not a fast prop! Go with the Simitar, looks AWSOME too!
 
I think the Glasair swinging that prop was putting out 700HP. You may be right, but I wonder why Hartzell did not recommend that prop?
 
Great looking Plane Todd. It will make it easy to attend all those POA fly ins.:D
 
Todd- first off, Welcome to PoA! Good to have you here.

Secondly, I cannot believe that, in all the time I have read your posts at That Other Board, I never saw a picture of you. I envisioned you as a crusty old guy. Guess I was wrong.

Sure wish I had something as fast and fun as a GlasAir, but I have to suffer on with a mere Bonanza. :D

Wait, I heard something at the door... Just a minute.

My wife says there are two guys named "Jeff" at the door, and they're swinging a baseball bat... :yikes:
 
toddsanderson said:
I think the Glasair swinging that prop was putting out 700HP. You may be right, but I wonder why Hartzell did not recommend that prop?
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There are guys swinging that prop with stock engines at Reno too. A lot of them. Are you saying hartzel didn't recomend the Simitar to you? They have had a purpose designed blade for the Glasair III since its inception. As for the MT, the Reno guys (read as speed obsessed) do not have MT props. I didn't see a single one this year and I heard MT mentioned in conversations and the consensus was that they are slow but quiet props.
 
SCCutler said:
Todd- first off, Welcome to PoA! Good to have you here.

Secondly, I cannot believe that, in all the time I have read your posts at That Other Board, I never saw a picture of you. I envisioned you as a crusty old guy. Guess I was wrong.

Sure wish I had something as fast and fun as a GlasAir, but I have to suffer on with a mere Bonanza. :D

Wait, I heard something at the door... Just a minute.

My wife says there are two guys named "Jeff" at the door, and they're swinging a baseball bat... :yikes:
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Oh my gosh - Cutler and Brannigan!!!:yikes:

I don't think my heart can take this:rofl:
 
Todd Copeland said:
There are guys swinging that prop with stock engines at Reno too. A lot of them. Are you saying hartzel didn't recomend the Simitar to you? They have had a purpose designed blade for the Glasair III since its inception. As for the MT, the Reno guys (read as speed obsessed) do not have MT props. I didn't see a single one this year and I heard MT mentioned in conversations and the consensus was that they are slow but quiet props.
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Ok, I figured it out. They told me I needed an F7361 blade and did not say it was a Scimitar. I just looked it up and it is a Scimitar. I'm now thinking it would probably be cheaper to simply buy a complete new prop and sell my prop to a PA32 driver. My prop only has 375 hours, but it is 14 years old, so it should have an overhaul. The blades are perfect. I asked them to quote it both ways.
 
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toddsanderson said:
Oh my gosh - Cutler and Brannigan!!!:yikes:

I don't think my heart can take this:rofl:
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Feel the love, Todd, feel the love!

And, if you want to laugh heartily, just watch for posts by "Six Papa Charlie."

Not as tightly-bound here, but a pretty nice community. And (for whatever it might be worth), Pilots of America is owned by a non-profit corporation which exists solely for the purpose of maintaining the online community.
 
:stirpot:I will try to behave Spike

Thanks for the hospitality guys:yes:
 
Yet another airplane I want
 
There's another guy on this forum that you know as well, Todd.
 
KRyan said:
There's another guy on this forum that you know as well, Todd.
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Ok, now I am being stalked by my prop guy!!!:rofl:

Tell the sales department to get me a quote before I pull the trigger on a new MT sitting in stock and ready to ship!:yikes:
 
It's interesting to see different people visit various boards. Did enjoy the posts about the new Glasair on BT...
 
brian];1580056 said:
It's interesting to see different people visit various boards. Did enjoy the posts about the new Glasair on BT...
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A Google search for Glasair III brought me to this site, so I thought it would be a good place to learn and share.

Now I see you have a "Spin Zone" which I am trying to stay away from. It will be the end of me:D
 
Ugh... I try to stay out of politics - but sometimes get sucked in by a good topic on BT that ends up being a closed thread.

After a few decades of my wife being in politics, all I can say is that I would rather be flying ...
 
toddsanderson said:
A Google search for Glasair III brought me to this site, so I thought it would be a good place to learn and share.

Now I see you have a "Spin Zone" which I am trying to stay away from. It will be the end of me:D
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Haha. The spin zone here isn't the dainty tea-and-cucumber-sandwiches affair that the old BT politics thread was... it's a brawl, and quite entertaining.

I will say that despite the amusement value, I haven't yet had one of my own opinions threatened by the posted vitriol. But sometimes it's comfortable to read others' viewpoints in the form of lobbed tomatoes, even if to reinforce my own ideas either for or against them.
 
Congrats on the plane, you are in for a wild ride with that kind of utility!

Way to get the party started with a 2000nm trip!
 
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