Yes, it is a beautiful airplane. I saw one at ACK(Nantucket, MA)
this past summer and it drew quite a crowd.



"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
ink.net...
It is an elegent solution. Instead of having a horizontal stabilizer
producing downforce and the wing having to overcome that as well as the
weight of the plane, the Piaggio uses three "wing" surfaces that all
produce lift. In addition, the fusilage is curved over its entire length
and produces lift as well. Most pressurized fusilages are a tube with a
couple of cones riveted on. I don't think that there is a jet that has
close to the Piaggios cabin size for anywhere near the money. It is also
very quiet. It has more range, cabin room and consumes much less fuel than
anything in the same price range. The new Avanti II with glass cockpit,
reduced empty weight and increased gross weight will have even greater
advantages over comparable jets. It is also beautiful.

Mike
MU-2



"Peter MacPherson" wrote in message
news:doCyd.4870$k25.4775@attbi_s53...
Mike,

You seem to be a fan of the Piaggio. I don't know much about it but it
is different looking. What is it about the Piaggio that you like so much?
At it's price point you could get a jet. Does it have a higher useful
load,
longer range than a comparable priced jet? Just curious.

Pete


"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
nk.net...
I guess they were smoking the good stuff! The design was dictated by the
desire to have both a high cruise speed and short takeoff and landing
distances. They way to get both was to have a small highly loaded wing
(for high speed) and full span, double slotted fowler flaps (for short
takeoff/landing). The full span flaps left no room for ailerons so they
used spoilers. I am pretty sure that the Mitsubishi Diamond (later
became the Beechjet when Raytheon bought the design.) used the same
design. The MU-2 was much faster than competing designs with the same
fusilage size and power. The new efficiency champ is the Piaggio with
its three lifting surfaces, (actually four since the fusilage provides
lift too) and high wing loading..

Mike
MU-2


"Juan Jimenez" wrote in message
...
Spoilers instead of ailerons _and_ electrically controlled ailerons for
trim on the wing? Man, what were the folks at Mitsubishi smoking the
day they came up with that one? I knew the MU-2 was different but I
never realized just how unorthodox it truly is...

"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
ink.net...
There are electrically controlled ailerons for roll trim. Of course,
you also trim out the rudder forces too. The basic drill is feather
the prop then "357": three seconds of nose up elevator trim, five
seconds of roll trim and seven "handfulls" of rudder trim. There are
a few more things but none of them are critical.

Mike
MU-2


"Scott Skylane" wrote in message
...
Mike Rapoport wrote:
/snip/ Also, In the
event of an engine failure you want to use the roll trim so that you
can neutralize the yoke because you don't want to have a spoiler
sticking up.

Huh? Did you possibly mean *rudder* trim, or just how does the roll
trim work on that thing?

Happy Flying!
Scott Skylane
N92054