hindsight2020
Final Approach
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- Apr 3, 2010
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hindsight2020
Did a search, didn't found much other than you'll die instantly flying these things. Figured we all have an expiration date so decided to ask the question anyways. BLUF: How's the fit of these things for a 5'9 170# dude and the occasional female on the right seat (smaller than me, this time around.. 
) ?
Trying to narrow my list for my eventual jump into the experimental 2 seater market and out the tentacles of certified aviation. The "mission" is currently flown on a pa28-161 and is as always has been: 90% is 400-430nm trip one way, solo. IFR cape'd a requisite. 10% is 2 on board with bags for a weekend destination, range irrelevant (passenger wants his/her potty break, %itch %itch %itch lol). 50K is probably the cap for acquisition budget. (Does not account for avionics upgrade, but the initial purchase must be IFR caped)
Never flown the Lancairs. The 235 and Glasair I's would probably be the closest to my acquisition budget. Anybody care to comment on the fit of these things? The tightest I've flown in is the C-150 I used to own. By comparison, I've flown in an RV-9 once and did some instruction in an early europa xs . From I what recall both were adequate in terms of seating position and shoulder clearance. I could tolerate C-150 cabin fits IF the thing gets me 430nm away in less than 3 hours. If it's smaller than that then no way. The alternative is 4.5 hours of handflying a warrior in the shmag behind precessing gyros from Wilbur's century for some perspective, but I digress.
Lastly, much of the info available online is for heavily modified Lancairs. What's a real world TAS one can expect out of a stock Lanc 235 with the standard O-235 4 banger? Anything slower than 150KTAS is not really worth going through the sell/buy hassle out of my -161, going by my back-of-the-napkin XC planning math. Any comments on the Glasair Is as far as fit and TAS? Would be willing to eat mx/insurance cost for the retract glasair if the speed is there.
Any feedback is appreciated. I'm still trying to see if I can find someone with access to these exp two seaters and try and sit in one of them. Thanks!
) ?Trying to narrow my list for my eventual jump into the experimental 2 seater market and out the tentacles of certified aviation. The "mission" is currently flown on a pa28-161 and is as always has been: 90% is 400-430nm trip one way, solo. IFR cape'd a requisite. 10% is 2 on board with bags for a weekend destination, range irrelevant (passenger wants his/her potty break, %itch %itch %itch lol). 50K is probably the cap for acquisition budget. (Does not account for avionics upgrade, but the initial purchase must be IFR caped)
Never flown the Lancairs. The 235 and Glasair I's would probably be the closest to my acquisition budget. Anybody care to comment on the fit of these things? The tightest I've flown in is the C-150 I used to own. By comparison, I've flown in an RV-9 once and did some instruction in an early europa xs . From I what recall both were adequate in terms of seating position and shoulder clearance. I could tolerate C-150 cabin fits IF the thing gets me 430nm away in less than 3 hours. If it's smaller than that then no way. The alternative is 4.5 hours of handflying a warrior in the shmag behind precessing gyros from Wilbur's century for some perspective, but I digress.
Lastly, much of the info available online is for heavily modified Lancairs. What's a real world TAS one can expect out of a stock Lanc 235 with the standard O-235 4 banger? Anything slower than 150KTAS is not really worth going through the sell/buy hassle out of my -161, going by my back-of-the-napkin XC planning math. Any comments on the Glasair Is as far as fit and TAS? Would be willing to eat mx/insurance cost for the retract glasair if the speed is there.
Any feedback is appreciated. I'm still trying to see if I can find someone with access to these exp two seaters and try and sit in one of them. Thanks!
