Is this a Complex Plane?

[[email protected]]

Greetings,

I looking at a Lancair ES kit plane. I know the plane is high
performance (210 or 310 hp engines) but is it also complex? The plane
has fixed landing gear, standard or slotted flaps and a constant speed
prop.. The real question boils down to this, does a plane have to have
all three elements (flaps, retractable landing gear AND a constant
speed prop.) or if it has just one (retractable langing gear OR a
constant speed prop.), does that make it complex?

I searched the group(s) and everyone has an opinion but nobody seems to
have a definition for "complex" that gives a yes or no answer to the
question of "is this a complex aircraft"

Hopefully I'm not looking for a simplex answer to an infinitely
difficult question. Thanks in advance,

David.

[Jose]

> does a plane have to have
> all three elements (flaps, retractable landing gear AND a constant
> speed prop.) or if it has just one (retractable langing gear OR a
> constant speed prop.), does that make it complex?

61.31 (e) (1)
....and...

You need all three for it to be complex.

Jose
--
He who laughs, lasts.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[Sylvain]

wrote:
> I searched the group(s) and everyone has an opinion but nobody seems to
> have a definition for "complex" that gives a yes or no answer to the
> question of "is this a complex aircraft"

don't search the newsgroups, but look at the regulations; in
particular 14 CFR 61.31(e)(1); it has to have a retractable
landing gear, flaps and controllable pitch propeller except
in the case of a seaplane (where only flaps and a controllable
pitch propeller);

so the aircraft you described is not complex.

to tie this one into other discussions in this newsgroup,
always refer to the scriptures!

--Sylvain

[Big John]

Sylvain

Comment????

If you just retracted the nose gear like a Vari-eze would that meet
the requirements for a retractable gear?

Big John
`````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````
On Fri, 18 Nov 2005 13:41:45 -0800, Sylvain > wrote:

wrote:
>> I searched the group(s) and everyone has an opinion but nobody seems to
>> have a definition for "complex" that gives a yes or no answer to the
>> question of "is this a complex aircraft"
>
>don't search the newsgroups, but look at the regulations; in
>particular 14 CFR 61.31(e)(1); it has to have a retractable
>landing gear, flaps and controllable pitch propeller except
>in the case of a seaplane (where only flaps and a controllable
>pitch propeller);
>
>so the aircraft you described is not complex.
>
>to tie this one into other discussions in this newsgroup,
>always refer to the scriptures!
>
>--Sylvain

[Jose]

> If you just retracted the nose gear like a Vari-eze would that meet
> the requirements for a retractable gear?

I would say yes. The requirements say retractable gear; they do not say
the absence of fixed gear.

And as for "things that wiggle that the pilot has to keep track of", one
is as good as three.

Jose
--
He who laughs, lasts.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[Sylvain]

Big John wrote:
> Sylvain
>
> Comment????
>
> If you just retracted the nose gear like a Vari-eze would that meet
> the requirements for a retractable gear?

well, the reg say 'a retractable landing gear' -- doesn't say that
all gear must be retractable... does it have also flaps and
variable pitch prop? in that case I'd say it's complex
(but then again that opinion is worth what you paid for :-)

--Sylvain

[Roger]

On Fri, 18 Nov 2005 21:19:40 GMT, Jose >
wrote:

>> does a plane have to have
>> all three elements (flaps, retractable landing gear AND a constant
>> speed prop.) or if it has just one (retractable langing gear OR a
>> constant speed prop.), does that make it complex?
>
>61.31 (e) (1)
>...and...
>
>You need all three for it to be complex.
>
Wasn't that changed in the not too distant past?

Seems like when I started flying it only took two of the three.


Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com
>Jose

[Jose]

>>You need all three for it to be complex.
>>
>
> Wasn't that changed in the not too distant past?

I meant three wheels. Not three wiggles.

Jose
--
He who laughs, lasts.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[Jose]

> I meant three wheels. Not three wiggles.

That is to say (sheesh, doesn't Jose snip properly!)...
You need all three wiggles, but only one wheel needs to wiggle.

Jose
--
He who laughs, lasts.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[Roger]

On Sat, 19 Nov 2005 23:42:01 GMT, Jose >
wrote:

>>>You need all three for it to be complex.
>>>
>>
>> Wasn't that changed in the not too distant past?
>
>I meant three wheels. Not three wiggles.
I meant Constant speed prop, Electric flaps, and retract.<:-))
Didn't it used to be only two of the three required for complex?

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

>
>Jose

[Jose]

> I meant Constant speed prop, Electric flaps, and retract.<:-))
> Didn't it used to be only two of the three required for complex?

For seaplanes, retractable gear is not necessary. However as long as I
remember it was all three wiggles for land planes.

Jose
--
He who laughs, lasts.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[BTIZ]

Flaps do not have to be electrified..just gotta have em


"Jose" > wrote in message
.. .
>> I meant Constant speed prop, Electric flaps, and retract.<:-))
>> Didn't it used to be only two of the three required for complex?
>
> For seaplanes, retractable gear is not necessary. However as long as I
> remember it was all three wiggles for land planes.
>
> Jose
> --
> He who laughs, lasts.
> for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[Darrel Toepfer]

wrote:
> Greetings,
>
> I looking at a Lancair ES kit plane. I know the plane is high
> performance (210 or 310 hp engines) but is it also complex?

Nope, only High Performance and would require a CFI's signature. I have
a friend with a glass paneled one and have been across 6 states in it...

Very nice, very fast, fairly economical...