Looking for an airplane..

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jesse

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Jesse
I'm looking for an experimental two seater airplane. The requirements are:

  • Certified for IFR
  • Cruise at reasonable speeds on little fuel
  • IFR GPS
  • Short field
  • Safe
  • Low time engine
  • Aerobatic
  • Pressurized
  • Turbo'd
  • Approx. $15,000 price
Obviously, I might have to give in on some of the requirements. :) Any ideas?
 
jesse said:
I'm looking for an experimental two seater airplane. The requirements are:

  • Certified for IFR
  • Cruise at reasonable speeds on little fuel
  • IFR GPS
  • Short field
  • Safe
  • Low time engine
...

  • Approx. $15,000 price
Obviously, I might have to give in on some of the requirements. :) Any ideas?
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it hit me on the way to class. a 150 with a 250XL, and an SL30 with two CDI's.
 
Mustang II or RV 4 is about as close as you're going to get, and you'll still have to come up with more money and forget pressurization, about $30k should put you in a descent Mustang II. If you want pressurization, you'll have to add a zero and some to that to get a descent Lancair IVP.
 
I KNEW that Fly Baby thing was a ruse.

Pressurization? Get real. You don't need it anyway. Just get a good O2 system. People fly gliders in the flight levels all the time without pressurization and without HEATERS! At least you'll have a heater.

I've seen some deals on Thorp T18s and haven't heard a lot of horror stories about them.


jesse said:
I'm looking for an experimental two seater airplane. The requirements are:

  • Certified for IFR
  • Cruise at reasonable speeds on little fuel
  • IFR GPS
  • Short field
  • Safe
  • Low time engine
  • Aerobatic
  • Pressurized
  • Turbo'd
  • Approx. $15,000 price
Obviously, I might have to give in on some of the requirements. :) Any ideas?
Click to expand...
 
Jesse, Sadly 15K will not buy you much! And if you find something for 15K, no doubt it will require more $$$ to make it fly. Add in Insurance, tye-down, Annual,, and the $$$ add up quickly.

Might I suggest joining a club (if such exists in your area), buying a share of someone's airplane or create a partnership and buy something that meets the needs of the partnership. Any of these options allow some chance that you might find an aircraft that meets your needs / requirements.

Best of luck and keep us posted!
 
You forget that it has be a twin, amphibian and Light Sport.
 
wby0nder said:
I KNEW that Fly Baby thing was a ruse.
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If I found one for the right price that had an electrical system and lights I'd have no problem buying one.

wby0nder said:
Pressurization? Get real. You don't need it anyway. Just get a good O2 system. People fly gliders in the flight levels all the time without pressurization and without HEATERS! At least you'll have a heater.
Click to expand...
That was a joke. I'm willing to give in on my 'requirements'.

An RV-4 would be ideal but it appears that they're a $45,000 airplane. That is more then I'd want to spend. I'm thinking somewhere around $25,000. My real requirements are:

  • It has to be unique. If it is something like a C150 there better be something special about it.
  • It needs to be able to fly at night.
  • IFR would be really nice--but I can deal without
  • Speed would be nice--but I won't give up short field performance for it. I want to be able to operate safely on a 1,500ft strip or so.
  • $25,000 is a more realistic number.
 
wby0nder said:
I've seen some deals on Thorp T18s and haven't heard a lot of horror stories about them.
Click to expand...

Nice little airplanes - attention to detail can really boost the speed even on an O-290 - my brother has about 1500 hours on his. But most have been built a fair bit heavier than John Thorp (with no "e") intended. I would think twice about attempting aerobatics in one.
 
Have you considered a Sonerai? We were talking about it in Flashchat with Nick. It's a pretty neat design, and would fit your requirements pretty well, especially the cheap part. I'd say they're still pretty unique, too.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Have you considered a Sonerai? We were talking about it in Flashchat with Nick. It's a pretty neat design, and would fit your requirements pretty well, especially the cheap part. I'd say they're still pretty unique, too.
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Good call, Ted. The Sonerai II would fit his two-place, go-fast, short-field, "cool airplane" requirements:

http://www.greatplainsas.com/sonerai_ii.html
 
jesse said:
If I found one for the right price that had an electrical system and lights I'd have no problem buying one.


Depends on what you mean by electrical system? I have no generator but plan on hooking up the lights, adding a strobe and batteries for at least a couple hours of night lighting. Another battery and a transponder is doable. Some FBs with the bigger engines have full electrics. The weight cuts into useful load but they can be faster.

That was a joke. I'm willing to give in on my 'requirements'.

An RV-4 would be ideal but it appears that they're a $45,000 airplane. That is more then I'd want to spend. I'm thinking somewhere around $25,000. My real requirements are:

  • It has to be unique. If it is something like a C150 there better be something special about it.
  • It needs to be able to fly at night.
  • IFR would be really nice--but I can deal without
  • Speed would be nice--but I won't give up short field performance for it. I want to be able to operate safely on a 1,500ft strip or so.
  • $25,000 is a more realistic number.
If the single seat continues to be an option the RV3 is a killer machine. Also, should consider the MM1 midget mustang. At last the Mooney Mite is an incredible design. I've seen them with IFR cockpits. Very very unique and cool. Any of these fit your budget.
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Tristar said:
I found this one the other day. It lacks a few of those features but it's cool!
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Swept tails should just never be converted to tailwheels...those two things just doesn't go together.

FlyNE said:
Let me guess...there's a hanger open in Wichita. :yes:
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Yeah, some of them have hundreds of thousands of square feet...oh, never mind...I got it wrong...those are open factories.

:rolleyes2:
 
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I was going to mention the Long EZ too. My cropduster former F16 pal has one and says they are good solid machines.
 
Yea that's right I think.

How about this one? I think Kent has been dreaming about this:

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GLOBE SWIFT GC-1B • $34,500 • FOR SALE • New Slick mags, plugs, harness. OHC fuel pump and carb. Two com radios, VOR, x-ponder. Lyc 0-320 with Hartzell constant speed prop. New Cleveland wheels and discs. Last annual 8/08. TT 2000hrs, engine 600 SNEW. Runs good, average airframe. Flown regularly. $34,500 • Contact Dan Gidzinski, Owner - located Campbellsburg, KY USA • Telephone: 502 845-2777 • Posted November 10, 2008​


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CJones said:
I heard they were useless on short strips, though. Slicker than snail snot once in the air, but they eat up some concrete/asphalt (but not grass) to get airborne. Anyone with actual experience in them is welcome to tell me I'm wrong, though.
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They need about 1800-2000 feet at full gross weight.

the 0-320-150 horse are best, the 0-235-125 are a bit weak.

the Vari-EZ-0-200 we have here at OKH uses about 1800 getting in, and about 1000' getting out.

nice thing about the Vari-EZ is, he launches out with 33 gallons aboard, 1 person, his baggage in the back seat, climbs at full power to 10,000' trims level and reduces power to show 180 mph, (1800 RPM) and next stop KC for fuel
 
Dean said:
I am looking for the same requirements, and this is what I have come up with.

http://www.greatplainsas.com/sonerai_ii.html
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I was looking at those last night and they look like a hell of an airplane. That said, I really don't think you'd be able to make one IFR. There is no panel space for anything.

They also have very short legs--seriously lacking in fuel.
 
jesse said:
I was looking at those last night and they look like a hell of an airplane. That said, I really don't think you'd be able to make one IFR. There is no panel space for anything.

They also have very short legs--seriously lacking in fuel.
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There is one on barnstormers now that has 20 gal wing tanks and burns 4gph. Cruise is 140 mph, so I would say it would take you where you want to go. And yes, IFR is out. But other than that, it fits your bill pretty close. I am 6'3 and will fit in the 2L model.
 
Dean said:
I am looking for the same requirements, and this is what I have come up with. If you don't like the VW power, there are some out there with A-65 and 75's on them. You can find them on Barnstormers for under $15K.

http://www.greatplainsas.com/sonerai_ii.html
Click to expand...


That's a design that's been around for a long time, isn't it? Wasn't there an entry level air racing class that used them years ago? Or am I thinking of something else?


Trapper John
 
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