Further Sierra Info and Pricing

All, as promised (and sorry for this delay Gary),here is some further information and pictures of Morgan Aeroworks Sierra. Some of the prices for this and other Morgan Aeroworks kits have been revised so please read on.

I had the privilege of flying Garys Sierra at Taree late last month. The most striking thing about the Sierra was just how clean the aircraft is both on the ground and inflight. Quality upholstery, a wonderful paint scheme and the 'solid' look about the aircraft were most striking when viewed on the ground. In the air, simply a gem to fly. I must admit, I am not a fan of 'twitchy' controls, ie the slightest of pressure on the stick and the aircraft becomes a dolphin but the Sierra simply is not like that in any way. Sure, not much pressure is required on the stick but still more than say the Cheetah. The Sierra responds to control instantly and directly. In a bank we can apply slight but firm stick pressure and the aircraft will proceed to bank very directly and can remain in this bank hands-off. Alot to do with the wingtips which incidentaly are magic in rough air. All that is required in turbulence (and we had a stack of this on the day) is not to fight, rather let the aircraft 'ride' through it. The Sierra does a marvelous job of that too making those big bumps seem as smooth as silk. Another thing I found much better while in the air was the comfortable natural seating position of the aircraft. Not uncomfortable at all and plenty of room to stretch out. Still had plenty of space between Gary and myself also and I am a 'wider' bloke one might say. It was my first time flying this aircraft and I brought her in to land no trouble at all (with slight assistance from Gary). There is no 'pumping' of the stick required when landing, simply flare and she sits down nicely herself. Steering on the ground is direct and the brakes (toe brakes) are quite effective. In summary the Sierra is an extremely docile aircraft, you will probably get the hang of it after a few hours flying. It's quality finish and excellent interior and upholstery really make it stand out. The direct responsive control and not having to battle with the aircraft, combined with its magic cruise speed (more later) would make it the perfect aircraft for long trips.

Some performance (rough) figures from the day of flying.

Engine: 6 cylinder Jabiru 3.3L

Take off: 45kts

Approach: 60kts (50kts calm-air)

Stall: 30kts (one up) 35kts loaded

100kts 2,100rpm

110kts 2,250rpm

125kts 2,700rpm

130kts 2,800rpm

VNE: 150kts

Best Glide: 55kts

Turbulent Penetration Speed: 85kts (rough air)-approx figures only

PRICING

Revised Morgan Aeroworks Prices

Sierra:

KIT: 28,800 (plus GST) for the kit-Gary is (for a limited time) doing it for 24,880 (the cheapest on the market for its performance)

FLY AWAY: 88,000 Fly-Away Gary is also taking 3K off this price NOW

ENGINE: 6 Cylinder Jabiru Engine 20,000 delivered including ALL instruments

Cheetah:

KIT: 22,780 (plus gst)

FLY AWAY: 68K FLY-AWAY 3K off fly away price NOW

Contact details and further information can be found on Garys web site at:

http://www.homepages.ihug.com.au/~gkmorgan/

Below, some pics from the day. I won't add too many as there has been quite a few added prior.

i know what ya mean about the aircraft becoming a dolphin, when i test flew his Joey 2 some time back, i was put off by the incredible sensitivity in pitch, i found it very difficult to fly smoothly, i have not flown the cheetah or sierra, but i hope he has these issues sorted out.

Rob, it's the pilot that needs sorting out. A few hours and you won't do it. It is a sport plane and will fly exactly as you tell it to. No need for large control movements.

I have 32 hours on my Cheetah and I'm still learning to land it elegantly (it wants to keep flying). In the air it is beautiful. The Sierra is heavier and has a more solid feel to it, but will still respond quickly if asked.

Well done Darren. You summed them up nicely.

I can't recommend Garry's planes highly enough. I am extremely happy with mine, and I was the first to fly the Sierra and I loved it too. At these prices, they can't be beat. For those making lists and checking them twice, these craft have the following characteristics:-

• Low wing.
   
   
  
• Large storage areas.
   
   
  
• High cruise speed.
   
   
  
• Great endurance.
   
   
  
• Low stall speed.
   
   
  
• Great handling.
   
   
  
• Nosegear or tailwheel option.
   
   
  
• Simple build.
   
   
  
• Very high structural strength.
   
   
  
• All metal (Sierra) or metal and fabric (Cheetah).
   
   
  
• Plenty of room.
   
   
  
• Excellent rough air stability.
   
   
  
• All Australian.
   
   
  
• Cheap.
   
  

Cheers,

Ross

i know what you mean! it is very sensitive, though at the time i wasnt long out of a Piper, which requires a bit of movement to get things happening so i guess i was your typical GA flyer back then, feet on the floor type flying.., though now after a few yrs have past, a few hundred more hrs in the Jabiru and technam, and the little vampire, im sure i could be able to relax with it. though gary did say the Joey 2 was a lot more sensitive in pitch than the Super diamond. at the time the cheetah and Sierra were just a dream gary had. good to see he has made those dreams come true.

I just rang Darren to ask about the cruise speeds v Revs quoted. My question was simply " Is that with the same prop used when he brought it to the Oaks"

Answer "NO"

just for those that had heard of or saw the trouble Garry had getting out of there...

ie: Prop way too coarse.

According to Darren .... The siera now has another prop and it seems to be working very well....

I would absolutely love to see this plane with a in flight adjustable prop ..... NOW THERE WOULD BE AN AMAZING BALANCE BETWEEN STOL AND CRUISE .....

And he hasn't even added the flaps he's working on ......

Question for you Ross;

The Sierra was at the top of my short list, but when I factor in the labour involved in completing the kit from such a raw stage and then reassess its value for money compared to other kits, I don't think it's still on the list at all. If my assumptions are wrong perhaps you could set me straight?

As I understand it, the Sierra kit includes plans, some pre-formed fiberglass bits and raw materials for around $28k incl GST.

As a comparison, a Mustang II slow-build kit sells for around USD $9k and includes many pre-formed parts. Tick all the options, add freight and GST and I have a 200mph kit for around AUD $24k. Don't see any price or performance advantage to the Sierra there.

Most of the other kits I'm interested in are quick-build. To get the Sierra to a comparable QBK status would add around $10k to the price. Comparing that "fuller" price to the other kits and again there's no price advantage to the Sierra. I would have expected that without the freight and exchange rate issues the Sierra would come out significantly cheaper. But it doesn't seem to.

As a side issue, Jabiru seem to have priced their engines out of the market. So there goes another advantage out the window. I've been quoted around AUD $20k for a Jab 3300. For a few grand extra I could have a brand new injected experimental Lycoming, without the risk of carby icing, high intensity maintenance and suspect metallurgy. So that's a no brainer.

It probably sounds like I'm talking myself out of the Sierra. But I'm actually wondering if my initial cost assumptions were ever correct?

What do you reckon?

Mal

My thoughts... I had short listed the Sierra with the lightning. The Lightning comes in a Quick build form but is close to $20,000 dearer when you take in the freight and stuff.

So by time it,s built. I could have bought a FLY AWAY Sierra.

And I do look at the jab engines price and find it hard to justify .... but then I look at the 912s and am even more baffled (you can buy a family size car for that price)

At the current price I could get the Sierra in the air for $60,000 maybe just under. No bells and whistles but a very capable plane for the $$$$ (and trailable +++)

Or if I start to add that little bit extra, here and there. Suddenly my Sierra cost me

$80'000 and has a glass cockpit among other things.

Seeing as though I'm spending $80,000 for another $5,000 I could step up into a basic lightning. ( A bit faster, but not trailable - - -) from here I start to flash it up a bit and end up spending $100,000 ... Now that I'm spending $100,000 I'm almost at the basic cabon fiber jobby.. ah carbon fiber , so nice it's even a colour. So what the hell .... another $20'000 and I've just ordered the "MILLINIUM MASTER" or a MCR.

It's like shopping for a new house ..... Once your already comitted to $300,000 it's pretty easy to bump that up to $350,000 for the other house with a nice colour bond fence.

The point is (thats if I actually have one, no jimmy beam yet )

pound for pound the Sierra is top value for "ability" .... but it's very easy to start comparing it to a $75,000 plane ......... when in it's basic form you have a plane that will take the luggage and cruise at 130kts in the air for $60,000

And right now I can tell you that the second I can get my hands on $28,000. I'm going to Taree . . . . Yee Haa

Mal,

Your understanding of the kit seems to be incorrect.

It is a quick-build kit. You get a whole crate of stuff that is preformed, precast, precut, prewelded, prebent, preassembled and present. Everything but preloved.

Bigglesworth built his in 5 months while working another job and looking after a dairy.

That's a pretty quick build.

Contact Garry and get the lowdown on what's included. I can't see any better value being possible. You get a fantastic aeroplane, you support a local designer using local materials, and your dollars stay in Oz so your kids have a future.

Does it get any better?

I'm still loving my Cheetah. I installed an elevator wheel trim yesterday to replace my original lever. Much better.

Cheers,

Ross

Thanks Ross. I certainly would prefer to keep it local if I could, but I wish there was more info available. Some makers let you download the entire parts list, so you can really see what you get and what you don't.

My eagle eyes spotted the trim wheel in the pics that Darren posted above. What's involved in changing from a lever to a wheel?

It's an idea Garry came up with after I already had my lever in. I hadn't put enough detente holes in, so the stops were a bit coarse. Garry made me a wheel and I brought it home with me. It was just a matter of making a new bracket to mount it. It fits onto that, has a rubber piece for friction and tightens up with a nyloc so it stays where you put it. The elevator trim is simply shock cord around the base of the stick in opposing directions. The rearward cord wraps around a spool on the wheel so you can adjust tension by rolling it forward or back.

Hmm - perhaps a photo might have been quicker.

I finally stopped flying it long enough to install it yesterday. I washed the plane too. If it wasn't for rain I wouldn't get these things done at all. (I still got a few hours in dodging the showers).

That's the other thing about Garry that's hard to quantify when comparing to other kits. He is always available for help, will always keep you informed, and if any ideas or better bits come up, he will post them to you - usually for nothing.

Give him a call. I'm sure he can give you an idea of what is in the kit.

Ross

Sierra build parts

Many of you dont know that the Sierra 100 kit comes with the base fuse built, and the spars built, and with the winglets, or you can have it for $24,800 as a base kit.

Sounds like you might know a few things about the Sierra kit Flygirl. I'd be grateful if you would be able to clarify some of those things for me.

What does "base fuse built" mean, what level of completion is involved?

Having it for $24,800 as a base kit means what exactly? Is this a change in price or a change in the contents or level of completion of the kit? What's included in a base kit, I know it doesn't include engine or instruments, but does it include the engine mount, prop, spinner etc? Is there a list of parts that are required to compete a Sierra but not included in the kit?

There are so many vague generalisations around Garry's products and a distinct lack of detail about what is included and what's not included that I'm finding it frustrating and discouraging. I have asked the questions, I've even been to the factory, but I'm still not clear about exactly what's already fabricated and what I have to fabricate, what's included and what else I have to buy to make it complete.

In comparison, the other two kits on my shortlist leave me in no doubt about what's included, what work is involved and exactly what the price is. I'm the kind of person who would like to be able to make an informed decision before spending $30k on an aircraft kit.

If you can help me to be better informed about the Sierra I'd very grateful.

Mal

Flyer40 if you would like to know exactly what is in the kit ..... Best thing is to loan me $26,000 and you can come around and have a look as soon as it arrives:hug:

But I do know what you mean about "just what's in the kit" ..... A few photo's of a kit ready to deliver would help a lot.

Troy

Onya Troy, and I'll do you a special interest rate as well ;)

Flyer 40. what you should do is ring Garry with a list of questions,and ask for photos of what you want. From what I understand, all parts are in the kit to complete the aircraft, excpect motor, mount, prop, paint, instruments, interrior lining and ply for rear baggage box.I think you can up grade, brakes and some other things as extras. I hope this helps, but as I said, call Garry, he would be the best person to talk to.