On Mar 23, 11:40 am, Jay Maynard
wrote:
On 2008-03-23, Jay Maynard wrote:

BTW, we have a Zodiac in our club. Great airplane. Congratulations!
I'm really looking forward to it.
Which one do you have? Kit, factory, XL, XLi?

While I'm thinking about it...I got a phone call from someone looking for
opinions about the Zodiac because they were looking to add one to their
club. How is it as a club airplane? My main concern about it would be in
transitioning into it from other aircraft whose controls aren't so light and
responsive; I suggested they have their chief pilot go fly one to see what
he thinks about it.

I would not base the decision on its flying characteristics as much as
its utility. It flies just fine. It doesn't handle well in turbulence,
but that should not be surprising given its light weight. The
elevators and trim are extremely sensitive. When disengaging the
autopilot, it is not unusual for the airplane to jump momentarily. But
otherwise it is a joy to fly.

It is very inexpensive to operate - we are charging $53 for tach-hr in
our club. I have taken it on long trips (400 NM) and it came out
about even with what I would have paid for gas in driving. It is great
for single-person trips, but I doubt it would work for two people with
luggage.

However, the LSA weight limit is the biggest consideration that has
prevented many people in our club from flying it. May people can't
even get checked out. If both people weigh less than 175lb, then it
would be fine but very few fit that description any more.

It is very nicely equipped and well laid out. The seats are
comfortable. Compared to Pipers and Cessnas the visibility is
fantastic.

It is not insulated well, and very loud and drafty. The noise will
tire you out on long trips, even with ANR. The cockpit can get very
hot in summer and cold in winter. The heater doesn't do much.

It doesn't do well on rough surfaces. I tried landing it on grass
once, and I thought the wheels broke off. it might be possible to
adjust the bungee tension to fix that problem.

It is a very light construction, and easy to damage the skin or
external parts. When climbing into the cockpit, you must step on the
approx 6" wide strip at the wing root. If you step outside that strip,
you will definitely put a hole through the skin.

It's a great little airplane if you understand these limitations.

Even though it is IFR equipped, it should be flown in IFR with extreme
caution.