I'm thinking that "ejection seat" warning placard is about the same functionality as the chemtrails control unit.
Would a 360 be a good first plane to buy? They are relatively inexpensive and seem to have excellent performance.
Of course a proper check-out is assumed, given the high wing loading etc.
Depends if it has the small tail or later big tail. How much experience do you have? If you are a 100hr PP and are comfortable with navigation and all the rest and reasonably sharp, but only experienced with 152/172/PA-28... type planes, you could expect 10 hrs before you're comfortable in it. I would suggest you use an aerobatic instructor so you can safely explore the edges of the flight envelope and go beyond so you see how it reacts, and learn how to recover if you get there accidentally. They are not particularly difficult to control, but you are riding a thoroughbred, not a kids horse, and if you don't know how to treat it, it will get the better of you. The big tail tamed down some of the nastier points of personality though. It wasn't designed to excel at aerobatics, but it does the basics competently enough. Getting to the point of IFR competency is dependent on more factors than the plane, but it makes a decent IFR platform as it was designed to be an economical traveling machine, and it does excel at that. It's on my list of planes to own, just stick a BRS in it.
Thank you - useful information on the tail, I didn't know it came in two different configurations. I'm a 200 hr VFR pilot, 150 of those in a 172, the rest in the DA-40. I will add at least another 50 hours before buying (getting the IR among other things), and I don't mind a 10 hour check-out...training should be to proficiency, after all.
The intent is to use this as a two person XC machine until I can afford to build my own Glasair III (BRS definitely included). It seems to do that job really well.
Thats pretty funny right there. A wise old man told me once there is a little bit of truth in all good humor.BTW, you don't want a nice guy for your CFII, you want Satan.
Alright, I'm going to say it... a Lancair 320/360 is a terrible choice for a first plane for a low time pilot. It's a very high performance airplane with very sensitive controls and is quite a handful of a plane to safely fly unless you are very experienced with such a hotrod airplane. A buddy of mine has one, 360 small tail, the name painted on the sides is "The Bullet". And it flies like one.
I have some 1300 hours now, almost 400 in tailwheel RVs in which I'm completely comfortable and trying to fly the Lancair was a scary handful for me. A two axis autopilot is a must-have on this plane it is so twitchy. Landing it, you come down final at 100 mph, and over the fence at 90 and it's dropping like a rock. And it uses up most of our 3000' runway. I hate to think of an off-airport forced landing in the thing. A new, low-time pilot needs to finish learning how to fly airplanes in more forgiving aircraft before going off to kill himself in an exotic hotrod like a Lancair
How is cockpit space and seat comfort?
Is the 320 airframe mostly the same as the '360'?
Space is tight. Useful load is small.How is cockpit space and seat comfort?
Is the 320 airframe mostly the same as the '360'?
Would a 360 be a good first plane to buy? They are relatively inexpensive and seem to have excellent performance.
Of course a proper check-out is assumed, given the high wing loading etc.
Alright, I'm going to say it... a Lancair 320/360 is a terrible choice for a first plane for a low time pilot. It's a very high performance airplane with very sensitive controls and is quite a handful of a plane to safely fly unless you are very experienced with such a hotrod airplane. A buddy of mine has one, 360 small tail, the name painted on the sides is "The Bullet". And it flies like one.
I have some 1300 hours now, almost 400 in tailwheel RVs in which I'm completely comfortable and trying to fly the Lancair was a scary handful for me. A two axis autopilot is a must-have on this plane it is so twitchy. Landing it, you come down final at 100 mph, and over the fence at 90 and it's dropping like a rock. And it uses up most of our 3000' runway. I hate to think of an off-airport forced landing in the thing. A new, low-time pilot needs to finish learning how to fly airplanes in more forgiving aircraft before going off to kill himself in an exotic hotrod like a Lancair
How is cockpit space and seat comfort?
Is the 320 airframe mostly the same as the '360'?
Yup, bunn warmers with little buttons in the panel to activate pilot or copilot side. It also has an effective cabin heat unlike the Lancairs heat which is so ineffective I don't bother turning it on. I put heated glove liners in the Lancair.You have heated seats? I'm jealous...
Yup, bunn warmers with little buttons in the panel to activate pilot or copilot side. It also has an effective cabin heat unlike the Lancairs heat which is so ineffective I don't bother turning it on. I put heated glove liners in the Lancair.
Yup, bunn warmers with little buttons in the panel to activate pilot or copilot side. It also has an effective cabin heat unlike the Lancairs heat which is so ineffective I don't bother turning it on. I put heated glove liners in the Lancair.
You have heated seats? I'm jealous...
BTW, you don't want a nice guy for your CFII, you want Satan.
Would you be interested in hot water heat? I was going to develop an STC on my 310 using a heat exchange coill of copper nickel tubing wrapped snug around the exhaust and wrapped with heat wrap tape and use two heater cores, one in the cabin to provide heat, and one in the nose to throttle the temp and replace the Janitrol heater with an equivalent round tank with enough coolant to equal the weight of the heater. Then the loop circulates through belt driven coolant pump off the back of the engine.
Thanks guys - a lot of useful information here.
How about a really hot redhead instead?
If she is a **** hot corporate pilot with 15,000 hours+ PIC in biz jets, gets in the plane with a riding crop and tells you to pull your penis out through your zipper and lay it in your lap, then proceeds to smack it sharply with the riding crop every time you bust spec or start making fixation errors; then yes, she is your instructor.
I think I'd much rather prefer electric heated seats than getting my junk horse-whipped by a redheaded dominatrix on a cold day, especially while flying my plane. Maybe I'm just getting old, but the heated seats in my Audi are really soothing and comfy in the wintertime. I've often thought about putting seat heaters in my RV6, but I'd need to upgrade the 35 amp alternator to handle them.
Like climbing into an MGB. You have adequate room to be comfortable, but not much more, but that's just fine because the fit is a nice one.
hmm, I like to fidget - you know - shift about a bit, change positions over long flights. Not sure fighter seating would suit. Does the seat recline?
It is always reclined
I guess what I mean is, can the seat be adjusted in flight? I don't like being at the same angle/height/fore-aftness. Or is it bolted down and fixed in position?
How about if you were sitting in a heated seat getting your junk horse whipped?
The seat is typically a relatively thin cushion on top of a composite structure. The wing spar is under the lower third of your femur, your bottom is just above the belly skin, there is a composite skin at a 45 degree or so angle from your bottom to the top of a structural member at the tip of the seat back so it is not adjustable. It is quite comfortable though.I guess what I mean is, can the seat be adjusted in flight? I don't like being at the same angle/height/fore-aftness. Or is it bolted down and fixed in position?
I think I'd much rather prefer electric heated seats than getting my junk horse-whipped by a redheaded dominatrix on a cold day, especially while flying my plane. Maybe I'm just getting old, but the heated seats in my Audi are really soothing and comfy in the wintertime. I've often thought about putting seat heaters in my RV6, but I'd need to upgrade the 35 amp alternator to handle them.