Avweb Report: Most Affordable Lsa To Market

[mnewbery]

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Affordable_LSA_208756-1.html

 

http://www.sdplanes.com/sd1a.htm

 

In the steps of the Volksplane and Leeon Davis' DA-2, this is the Czech built SkyCraft SD-1.

 

I know where a Volksplane is for sale for not very much money so I started to investigate further. I haven't flown one and I'm not likely to. I looked at the DA-11 which you won't be getting plans for anytime soon:

 

http://www.aircraft-spruce.com/da11.html

 

http://www.aircraft-spruce.com/menus/kits/volksplanes.html

 

Special Mention for the Cassutt Racer

 

http://www.cassutt-racer.com/

 

From these reviews, one can see that to meet the light sport requirement for wing loading and stall speed, something had to give. Actually a lot of things had to give - bigger wing, more "empty" weight and a larger donk.

 

The corrollary and reason why its not smart to fly at 135 mph on 20 Hp is that you need a long, looong runway to get safely up and down again. Stall speed for the DA-11 is reported as ~60mph. Max pilot weight is an unpopular 75Kg.

 

Back to the SD-1

 

Stall Speed Flaps down (VSo) is 39 MPH. Flaps up (VS1) is 49 MPH.

 

US limit for max stall speed to be considered as LSA is 45 knots (at VSo)

 

This is why your LSA like the SD-1 needs 50 Hp to go 100 knots but the DA-11 can go lots faster on half the power or less. The SD-1 can carry a 100 Kg pilot and will run on a 28 Hp lawn mower engine if it absolutely must. It also has a variety of build options (plans only, incremental up to a 300 hour quick build).

 

So its a "boxer shorts or briefs" comparison. Younger people ask your parents about that one if you don't understand...

 

The Cassutt is so fast you'll have no friends because you'll get everywhere in half the time, see nothing on the ground, avoid shorter ALAs that your fellow aviators choose without a second thought then get crabby because you only have room for a credit card and a sandwich. Then there is pattern sequencing ... Should have called it the "Bonanza botherer". Same comment for the DA-11 except you'll be passing the Bonanza money sucker with a lawn mower engine connected to homebuilt wings.

 

To me, this last idea has some merit.

 

Back to the Volksplane. If anyone can make an already built VP2 climb at more than 400 FPM without resorting to engineering heroics or animal sacrifice, I'd love to hear about it.

 

In the between times I'm off to research the local Bonanza clubs :p