Guernsey Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Hi Guys, for those of you who have been following my threads I had mentioned that my Son-in-law and I were visiting Gary Morgan to view his Sierra and compare it with a Jabiru 230 with a view to purchasing one or the other (factory built). It was a hard decision, high wing or low wing plus of course performance etc. My son-in-law is just learning to fly whereas I have flown many types over 40 yrs. There are many pros and cons as to which is best, high or low wing, I like both for different reasons. I like high wings for touring purposes however when we sat in the 6 cyclinder Sierra the gauge on the instrument panel which depicts the age of the pilot, immediately spun backwards and settled on 18 yrs. Wow!! I had always wanted to be a Spitfire pilot and after flying it my dreams were realised.My Son-in-law felt the same so the deal was done.:thumb_up: Whilst Jabiru didn't get the aircraft sale they did get the engine sale and the money stays in Australia. The aircraft does EVERYTHING that Gary says it will do, and as I said to Gary "It is not as good as I thought it would be, it is much better than I thought it would be. I could write many pages on the subject of our trip, the aircraft and Gary's hospitality but I may be taking up too much space so If you want more, let me know. From the two South Australian Morgan Spitfire Pilots. P.S. The aircraft will be based at Gawler but we can still do fast hops to Taree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathew Ker Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Congratulations Guernsey, Great news regarding your purchase. We'll look forward to your trip reports and impressions after living with the Sierra for more than just a test flight. Cheers, Mathew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 Thanks Mathew, We actually did about four hours between us and will not have the aircraft until built which should be in April sometime. We also did around 10 hours of hangar talk and aircraft build inspections and I managed to get up close and personal with Katie whilst Gary was off flying. We started off by chatting, then touching, moving on to gentle massage and eventually rolling around the floor together....she certainly was a very friendly charles cavalier dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenchhidu Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 What a mighty fine choise. Are you getting the 100 or the new sierra 200? Chris Kent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 High Chris, The 100 don't need full certification as required for a flying school. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slartibartfast Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Big congrats on the selection Guernsey. Now you know what I'm always on about. You haven't flown the Sierra until you've had Katie licking your neck while landing. Looking forward to seeing it airborne. Cheers, Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgwilson Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Excellent choice :clap2:as you can see from my Avatar. Mine too but I will be building a 100 from a kit probably starting in April if the rain ever stops & I manage to actually move to my new place at Corindi Beach. I have been flying for over 30 years & trained on high wing (C150 & C172) but after moving on to the PA 28 181 Cherokee Archer, have been a convert to low wing ever since although have flown both types over that time-frame. With the straight & level nose down attitude of the Sierra, visibility is superb and in turns unbeatable. Brilliant performance, great handling with thumb & forefinger lightweight controls, superb low speed handling and excellent stall warning buffet, the strength of the airframe, derig to a trailer in 10 minutes etc etc gets my vote every time. There are many doubters out in RFland as to Jab 3300 engines most of whom don't own one, though there are many more who do, but say nothing and rarely have problems. I will be installing a 3300. Did you fly 5172, or 7468 with flaps & are you getting flaps installed? I am still undecided on this as flaps really only provide a steeper approach but the disc brakes on 7468 provide real stopping power. A bit like you I dreamed of flying a spitfire as a kid & maybe this was part of my becoming a Sierra convert. Most likely once I get flying I will be based out of South Grafton or perhaps Coffs & I am sure we will catch up somewhere. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 Thanks Ross for your comments, we can all rave about what a fantastic aeroplane the Sierra is but as you would know there are always doubters but as Gary says they need to get their bums into one to be convinced. We looked at all the rave reviews, Morgan Aeroworks advertising and comments on these forums and were really hoping that the aircraft matched the hype and it certainly did. As I said to Gary "It is slightly better than perfect for us". Thanks also Kevin (good name, same as my Son-in-law) your post is exactly what we would have said but I didn't want to make the article too long.Regarding you comments on the Jab engine I totaly agree. It would appear that most negative comments relate to engine cooling, there is a solution, just remove the engine entirely and Gary Morgan has a bolt-on unit which fixes the problem; it is called a Morgan Sierra. Sorry all you Jabiru owners I don't mean to offend as I do have a weird sense of humour and I do like Jabs, but having said that, engine cooling does seem better in the Sierra. We will be fitting the 3300. I flew 7468 and Kevin flew 7468 and 7634 (Sierra 200 with 4 cyl Jab) both very good aircraft. I am used to flying all sorts of flapless GA and recreational such as L4 Piper Cub, Drifter, Winton Swing Wing, Tyro,Supa Pups Mk2 and Mk4 where flaps would not be necessary however the airfield I use most is Truro Flats which has high trees at the ends of our shortest runways so the steeper approach would be handy. At the moment in the Supa Pup I sideslip quite steeply but would prefer not to especially if trying to get into a small paddock in an emergency. As you state, the stopping power with the disk brakes and the low stall speed is quite exceptional so you may not need them. I just think that it would be great to land shorter than a Savanah or a Foxbat, go much faster in the cruise and hover with power into a 30 knot wind. Talking about Spitfires, did you notice the 50mm Morgan canons mounted under the wings??? Gary tells me they are aileron balance horns....sorry Gary on our Sierra they will be canons. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgwilson Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Boy what a day so far. 200mm of rain last night, pool full of mud due to drains not coping & getting clogged with leaf litter & sand & so the big cleanup. I'd sooner be flying or Sierra building or telling lies about flying than all of that. I agree flaps are preferable to sideslipping for a steep approach especially when its crosswind or just plain rough. Garry doesn't reckon they're needed though. Most of my GA flying was done using them. I did like the handbrake style of the Archer (manual but very positive) & often used 2 notches when fully loaded on takeoff on short grass strips, not to mention landing. This was in NZ & the grass was invariably green & often needed a mow. Hey Queensland is like that now & currently floats would be a definite advantage. On my 2 flights in the Sierra so far I found getting her down the quite interesting. 65 knots in the approach seemed so slow after tearing about at 130 knots. I asked Garry in the flight in 7468 "How much flap should I use" & he flicked the switch & said "that's about right" so I said "is that about 10 degrees" & he said "Dunno look out the window, it's probably about that". Then the landing with the ASI only reading around 25 knots I was amazed. What colour scheme have you chosen? WWII camouflage sounds good especially with the canons installed. Cheers Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 A desicion on colour has not yet been made and of course that will be up to Kevin, however, as a matter of interest my L4J Piper Cub was painted in WW11 camouflage with the American Star on the side. I chose the rego as VH-LFJ (LFJ = L Four J ) and my squadron No. 45 on the side which was my age at the time. It posed a bit of a problem when calling inbound for Parafield cruising at 75 knots when fast aircraft like you called inbound shortly after, cruising at 130 knots, and I was below you and CAMOUFLAGED. Wish I'd had a tail gunner. Back to the flaps, we have to look at needs or wants....in our case I think we Want to think that we really Need them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 By the way guys, I don't wish to hog this site again, but were you aware that Gary Morgan has a very good DVD available showing his aircraft, how it is constructed and best of all a full flying sequence filmed both inside and out of the aircraft clearly showing the instruments confirming speeds, rates of climb etc etc. Gary sent this to me providing I made a copy for myself then returned his copy to him. I asked whether he would mind me making extra copies for my friends which he approved. Now I know that Gary is busy building aircraft and kits, so I am about to send him 40 more copies shortly, so if you want one give him a call they're free of charge and why not make a few copies yourself and pass them around. Let's support our local manufacturers and make Gary and Jabiru (engines) happy but above all make some future buyers very, very happy. No!! I am not an agent. Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgwilson Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Garry provided the same courtesy for me as well. I also seem to remember someone putting it on a web site. The link was posted on one of the forums. I'll check it out & advise. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgwilson Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 It was set up by "Disperse" but the link is no longer valid now. I think there were too many problems with the size of the file & the audio was not so good. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPW Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Maybe someone could put in on YouTube, with Gary's permission of course? How long is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 DVD runs for exactly one hour . ALAN. As for you Group Captain Ignition, you are only waiting 5 years to have one up on us by getting Gary's latest version which will probably be a twin engined two seater cruising at 180 knots with a stall of 40 knots and a rate of climb exceeding 2,000ft a minute which Steve Bell will get approved under Raaus rules. We can all dream. Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 Hi Ignition.......I was only joking.....did you think I was serious? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Regarding putting a video on youtube, is there anyone out there with a Morgan Sierra who would be prepared to do so? Perhaps someone going to Natfly could also make a short DVD on Gary's stand and put that on youtube also. There are many youtube videos on other aircraft so let's do the same for the Morgans. Enthusiastic Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPW Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I agree, it would be great to have some good quality video's on YouTube of Morgan Aeroworks aircraft. I'd be happy to do some video editing of (I have some skill) Gary's DVD for YouTube, if I could get my hands on one of them. I might have to give Gary a call :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgwilson Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Tommo posted the T/O & Landing sequence of 7468 at Monto on youtube. His very positive post also created a lot of comment on the Sierras performance much of which was from very active members of this site who were quite uncomplimentary mostly relating to the stall speed claims. While these have been revised upward the indicated stall is pretty much spot on and this is what most pilots who actually fly go by. The science may be right but you have to get your bum on the seat & experience the real performance of the Sierra before you can begin any credible criticism. By the way the youtube sequence is Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 Thanks for that Kevin, I have been searching under Morgan Sierra rather than Cheetah. Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 Here's a curly one for you guys and gals. Gary Morgans aircraft are:- Diamond...Cheetah....Cheetah Sierra... Cougar...Joey' As we are buying a Sierra what do I say I am, when giving a radio call? Do I say Sierra 1234, Cheetah Sierra 1234..... If I say Sierra I could also be a Tecnam Sierra or a Beachcraft Sierra. If I am flying a Cheetah do I just say Cheetah in which case a call sign Cheetah Sierra could confuse ie which one am I or are there two of us? If I am flying a Diamond, Couger or a Joey do I prefix the name with the word Cheetah. If I just used the name Joey for example, would anyone know what that was or would people think I was a very small Qantas Aircraft the Joey being a baby Flying Kangaroo. Most aircraft use the manufacturers name as the prefix and I personally think that Morgan is a very fine name indeed and if people confuse it with the very high quality Morgan cars, so what!! Morgan is also a beautiful town is SA also a Mr. Morgan has produced some of the best australian built light aircraft around so why should we not use the name. I will call ours a MORGAN SIERRA and if anyone wants to know what aircraft that is, I shall be only too glad to tell them all about it. Morgan Sierra...Morgan Diamond...Morgan Joey...Morgan Cheetah...Morgan Cougar...the name has a quality ring to it. Those Morgans are everwhere, they must be popular. Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgwilson Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I have always called the manufacturers name and callsign & this is what was taught when I did my FRTO quals. It would be "Cessna ABC "or "Piper ABC" & not "Cessna 172R ABC" or "Piper Cherokee Archer 2 ABC". I have once been requested by ATC to specify the type (172) when there was a C185 & a C152 requesting entry to the control zone at about the same time. Morgan Sierra sounds good and doesn't take any extra time to say but certainly clarifies what you are but I suspect most observers would not be able to tell the difference between a Cheetah & a Sierra until up close & personal. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazza 38 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I have always called the manufacturers name and callsign & this is what was taught when I did my FRTO quals. It would be "Cessna ABC "or "Piper ABC" & not "Cessna 172R ABC" or "Piper Cherokee Archer 2 ABC". I have once been requested by ATC to specify the type (172) when there was a C185 & a C152 requesting entry to the control zone at about the same time.Morgan Sierra sounds good and doesn't take any extra time to say but certainly clarifies what you are but I suspect most observers would not be able to tell the difference between a Cheetah & a Sierra until up close & personal. Kevin When I flew Ga in a Piper Archer, i used to say "Archer Papa x ray Bravo".It didnt or wouldnt make any difference weather i was a Archer or a Warrior I guess.That is what i was taught.Dosent mean it was right or wrong i guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultralights Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 does the Morgan series have a ICAO designator yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now