PIREP: Czech Sportcruiser

Tarheel Pilot

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Jan 1, 2007
Messages
603
Display Name

Display name:
Tarheel Pilot
Today I went up in a Czech Sportcruiser (my first experience in a LSA), and I have to say that aircraft was fun! The first thing I noticed right off the bat was very good visibility. The bubble canopy allowed me to see in every direction except right behind me. The only downside with the canopy was how hot it was inside, even if you had the rammed air AC going, it was still hot in the canopy.

I sat in the Sportcruiser before this flight and ended up buying one of those seat cushions from Sporty's and I gotta say, it made a huge difference! It allowed me to get a better view out of the aircraft and I gotta say, in the cruiser you want to look outside. :D

The flight characteristic is a bit different, very responsive, you only need to use a light touch to get it to do what you want it to do, and in all honesty the only time I pitched it up more than 10 degrees was on the initial climb out.

The Dynon D180 system was easy to read and I only had to glance at my PFD and Engine Monitor Display to get all the information that I needed. All the other time, I was looking out of the canopy.

Had to re-learn landing because when I would fly the Piper Cherokees, you have to flare out at 50 feet above the runway. In the Cruiser, my instructor told me to fly the aircraft down to the runway and let ground effect do the work for you, flaring wasn't needed.

I would definitely fly the Sportcruiser again (and actually plan on doing it) because it is a fun little aircraft that introduces a new way of flying and it'll sharpen those sticks and rudder skills because you feel every little bump in the aircraft.

Czech Sportcruiser: 5 Stars.
 
Last edited:
Yep, I have about 25 hours in the Flight Design CTLS and love the visibility and the sportiness. Low-mass aircraft are different than Cessna's, that is for sure but my Arrow lands almost the same way as the CTLS. No lie. :D
 
A friend gave me a ride, and it is an awesome airplane! Interesting engine.
 
A friend gave me a ride, and it is an awesome airplane! Interesting engine.

Yea, what was interesting about this flight was the fact that before I flew this aircraft I've learned two things. 1.) Don't ever count on the fuel gauges to be accurate, always keep a track of how much fuel you have via hours. 2.) There's a cruise RPM, a descent RPM and when landing you have this whole procedure that deals with flaps, speed, etc.

In the cruiser, it was more about keeping the GPH at 5 and actually using the fuel gauge to determine which fuel tank has more fuel. Actually had to reign the engine back a whole lot to get it down to the 95, 85 and 75 for landing.

Because my instructor told me to not use flaps (for take off or landing) I had to do the whole thing a lot different, but I still managed to get the aircraft down and it's reusable for the next pilot! :rofl:
 
I remember when I was getting checked out in the SportCruiser and the Remos.

"What the (*&&^%**& do you mean by 5500 RPM!!!!!"
 
I remember when I was getting checked out in the SportCruiser and the Remos.

"What the (*&&^%**& do you mean by 5500 RPM!!!!!"

HA, TBH, the only time I paid attention to the RPM was the run up and when I needed to pull back the throttle for 5gph cruise.
 
Today I went up in a Czech Sportcruiser (my first experience in a LSA), and I have to say that aircraft was fun! The first thing I noticed right off the bat was very good visibility. The bubble canopy allowed me to see in every direction except right behind me. The only downside with the canopy was how hot it was inside, even if you had the rammed air AC going, it was still hot in the canopy.

I sat in the Sportcruiser before this flight and ended up buying one of those seat cushions from Sporty's and I gotta say, it made a huge difference! It allowed me to get a better view out of the aircraft and I gotta say, in the cruiser you want to look outside. :D

The flight characteristic is a bit different, very responsive, you only need to use a light touch to get it to do what you want it to do, and in all honesty the only time I pitched it up more than 10 degrees was on the initial climb out.

The Dynon D180 system was easy to read and I only had to glance at my PFD and Engine Monitor Display to get all the information that I needed. All the other time, I was looking out of the canopy.

Had to re-learn landing because when I would fly the Piper Cherokees, you have to flare out at 50 feet above the runway. In the Cruiser, my instructor told me to fly the aircraft down to the runway and let ground effect do the work for you, flaring wasn't needed.

I would definitely fly the Sportcruiser again (and actually plan on doing it) because it is a fun little aircraft that introduces a new way of flying and it'll sharpen those sticks and rudder skills because you feel every little bump in the aircraft.

Czech Sportcruiser: 5 Stars.

Do you have a link to a website or photo of this aircraft?

Several years ago I visited Clyde Valley airport outside Morganton, NC,
and was shown an LSA of eastern european origin that the man I spoke with was getting certified. It looked very interesting - but I haven't been back, and never heard from the guy, either, tho I did leave my contact info. I'm wondering if it is the same plane.

Dave
 
Do you have a link to a website or photo of this aircraft?

Several years ago I visited Clyde Valley airport outside Morganton, NC,
and was shown an LSA of eastern european origin that the man I spoke with was getting certified. It looked very interesting - but I haven't been back, and never heard from the guy, either, tho I did leave my contact info. I'm wondering if it is the same plane.

Dave

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CZAW_SportCruiser
 
I've flown the Piper version. Other than how sexy it looks (everyone comes over to see it), the most interesting thing I found was the width. I wanted to take it to a Colorado Pilots Association golf fly-in and was trying to figure out how to get the clubs into it. Turns out that, even with the driver in the bag, it fit horizontally right behind the seats. Not the fastest of the LSAs but great fun to fly.
 
I have perhaps 25 hours in a sportcruiser and agree with you thoughts on it. The thing I would add is due to the extremely light weight of the plane it's much more susceptible to gusts. For cruising around the local area I think it's a great plane. Not sure if I would like to go 3 or 4 hundred miles in it but that is a rare flight for me so I'd say it meets the 80% rule.
 
I have perhaps 25 hours in a sportcruiser and agree with you thoughts on it. The thing I would add is due to the extremely light weight of the plane it's much more susceptible to gusts. For cruising around the local area I think it's a great plane. Not sure if I would like to go 3 or 4 hundred miles in it but that is a rare flight for me so I'd say it meets the 80% rule.

I used to rent a CTLS from a dealer in Miami that routinely flies his personal CTLS on sales business all through the Caribbean; Jamaica, Puerto Rico, etc. He loves it.
 
I have perhaps 25 hours in a sportcruiser and agree with you thoughts on it. The thing I would add is due to the extremely light weight of the plane it's much more susceptible to gusts. For cruising around the local area I think it's a great plane. Not sure if I would like to go 3 or 4 hundred miles in it but that is a rare flight for me so I'd say it meets the 80% rule.

I started out flying light planes cross country so it's no big deal to me. As far as gusts go the lighter weight allows for faster adjustment on landing. Certainly, my RV-10 is certainly more comfortable, but I would much rather fly the RV-12. It's just more fun. :D



The Rotax 912 series engines are amazing for light aircraft. The reliability is now beyond question for the US market, and the economy is amazing at 4-5 GPM burning car gas. Electronic ignition, auto spark plugs, self adjust mixture controls, less work load!

And now fuel injection!
http://www.flyingmag.com/news/rotax-launches-fuel-injected-912-engine
 
I have perhaps 25 hours in a sportcruiser and agree with you thoughts on it. The thing I would add is due to the extremely light weight of the plane it's much more susceptible to gusts. For cruising around the local area I think it's a great plane. Not sure if I would like to go 3 or 4 hundred miles in it but that is a rare flight for me so I'd say it meets the 80% rule.

One of the reason I went up in the Cruiser is because LSA's seem to meet about 90% of my mission. I mean the Cherokees and Warriors are great aircrafts, but about 99% of the time, I'm flying by myself, so I started looking into LSA's which led me to taking flights in a Cruiser.

For cross country flights, I'll be honest, most of my flights will happen in the southeast with the occasional flights to AirVenture or to other aviation related destination on this side of The Rockies, so I have no problem sitting in one of these aircrafts for 3 to 4 hours.

As for the crosswind landings, I've actually had better control on my crosswind landing in the Cruiser than I ever did with the Pipers. I don't know why, but after getting used to the aircraft and to the fact that it's a very agile and only requiring very light touches on the controls, flying the Cruiser felt second nature to me. I ended up having no problem pointing the Cruiser down the runway in a direct crosswind.

However, I will agree that you feel every little bump and gust in the bird, which isn't a bad thing.

I started out flying light planes cross country so it's no big deal to me. As far as gusts go the lighter weight allows for faster adjustment on landing. Certainly, my RV-10 is certainly more comfortable, but I would much rather fly the RV-12. It's just more fun. :D



The Rotax 912 series engines are amazing for light aircraft. The reliability is now beyond question for the US market, and the economy is amazing at 4-5 GPM burning car gas. Electronic ignition, auto spark plugs, self adjust mixture controls, less work load!

And now fuel injection!
http://www.flyingmag.com/news/rotax-launches-fuel-injected-912-engine

Ahh the RV-12, I have been oggling at that aircraft for awhile now and hopefully soon I'll be able to start a homebuilt project (RV-12 so far is at the top of my list). My only complaint about the RV-12 is that you can't switch out the 912ULS with the 912iS because the iS is heavier than the ULS. Other than that, from what I hear, it's a very solid aircraft that's fun to fly and you can get the same RV grin in the RV-12 that you can get in any RVs.
 
You could build the RV-12 as an E-AB LSA and put the fuel injected Rotax on it, no problem. Van's won't endorse it due to the S-LSA having carbs. But asEAB you can put any engine on you want. Many have, even an 0-200 which is much heavier than the fuel injected 912.

The RV-12 is a fantastic flying machine. Relatively easy and fast to build. 700-800 hours. :D

http://geicodevelopment.com/rv_12
 
Last edited:
You could build the RV-12 as an E-AB LSA and put the fuel injected Rotax on it, no problem. Van's won't endorse it due to the S-LSA having carbs. But asEAB you can put any engine on you want. Many have, even an 0-200 which is much heavier than the fuel injected 912.

The RV-12 is a fantastic flying machine. Relatively easy and fast to build. 700-800 hours. :D

That's my plan so far. :D
 
That's my plan so far. :D

Building and flying an airplane is one of the most challenging and rewarding things I have ever done. If I sell mine I will build another one for sure. Very rewarding and a self discovery process for sure.

Pm me if you have any questions about the building process. I would be glad to answer any questions I can or refer you to others if needed.

Visit the Vans Air Force web site. Great bunch over there too.
 
This one gives you a good idea of the visibility in the CTLS. Almost helicopter-like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLZ6utou6PE

The CFI that I flew with just brought a $160,000 CTLS home. He thinks it will rent for $118 per hour. The only reason I'd be tempted is:

This towered airport is 10 mins from BF's house
I like the leaseback owner (CFI)
I like the flight school
It would be my first "glass cockpit" and first "brand new" plane
 
The CFI that I flew with just brought a $160,000 CTLS home. He thinks it will rent for $118 per hour. The only reason I'd be tempted is:

This towered airport is 10 mins from BF's house
I like the leaseback owner (CFI)
I like the flight school
It would be my first "glass cockpit" and first "brand new" plane

That is a fair price. I was paying $100 then they raised it to $106. The dealer just closed his flight school and rental operation and sold those planes. He is just going to just sell them now.

There is a Skycatcher on my field that rents for $124, I think, so $118 is not bad.

They are really sweet airplanes and a blast to fly. You will need some transition training for the glass, the Rotax, and the low-mass.

Low mass means they lose momentum and speed very quickly when you round out so you round out between 2 - 5 feet off the runway depending on how much flap you are using and quickly flare. Most folk do not use more than 15d flaps for that reason.

Make sure you google the transition syllabus and manual and study them to save some time on the transition. I did and my transition ground and air took half the normal time.

edit: here is the syllabus

http://flightdesignusa.com/wp-content/documents/CTLS-Syllabus.pdf
 
Last edited:
That is a fair price. I was paying $100 then they raised it to $106. The dealer just closed his flight school and rental operation and sold those planes. He is just going to just sell them now.

There is a Skycatcher on my field that rents for $124 i think so $118 is not bad.

They are really sweet airplanes and a blast to fly. You will need some transition traning for the glass, the Rotax, and the low-mass.

Low mass means they lose momentum and speed very quickly when you round out so you round out between 2 - 5 feet off the runway depending on how much flap you are using and quick flare. Most folk do not use more than 15d flaps for that reason.

Make sure you google the transition syllabus and manual and study them to save some time on the transition. I did and my transition ground and air took half the normal time.

Thank you. Right now I'm going to focus on my cheaper planes but I will one day fly the CTLS if only for fun / lesson. I think he said it is an "intro price" however.
 
Thank you. Right now I'm going to focus on my cheaper planes but I will one day fly the CTLS if only for fun / lesson. I think he said it is an "intro price" however.

Hmm, can't see it as being worth much more as it only burns 4 gph. The folks that rent the Skycatcher here are on the high side generally.
 
Hmm, can't see it as being worth much more as it only burns 4 gph. The folks that rent the Skycatcher here are on the high side generally.

Not really. There's another flight school, 2-5 LSAs, Skycatchers, Tecnams, all $125 PLUS fuel surcharge. kSTS is just costly.
 
Not really. There's another flight school, 2-5 LSAs, Skycatchers, Tecnams, all $125 PLUS fuel surcharge. kSTS is just costly.

Pricey :yesnod:

All the more reason I like the Luscombe. Costs me about $35/hour wet and that includes paying the owner hourly maintenance expense plus fuel. :D
 
What power rubber band does it use?


:D
 
As for the crosswind landings, I've actually had better control on my crosswind landing in the Cruiser than I ever did with the Pipers. I don't know why, but after getting used to the aircraft and to the fact that it's a very agile and only requiring very light touches on the controls, flying the Cruiser felt second nature to me. I ended up having no problem pointing the Cruiser down the runway in a direct crosswind.

I didn't feel like I'd really learned to fly until I learned to fly a light sport (CT). HAVING to use the rudder and other controls, just makes me feel like I'm really in control.
 
Here is my fav LSA. Saw it at the LSA Expo in Sebring and again at Sun 'n Fun:

http://www.fk-lightplanes.com/

21.jpg


7.jpg
 
Back
Top