If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
SU-29 vs Extra 300L?
Anybody willing to give us a first-person comparison? Handling in
general, care and feeding, personal preferences (and why)? TIA, -Dave Russell 8KCAB /N2S-3 |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
I'd be interested in hearing such a comparison, too. Hell, throw in the Cap
232 while you're at it!! Shawn wrote in message oups.com... Anybody willing to give us a first-person comparison? Handling in general, care and feeding, personal preferences (and why)? TIA, -Dave Russell 8KCAB /N2S-3 |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
I guess that chances of hearing from somebody who has sufficient experience in both (all three) and is willing to report are almost nill... However, I´d be interested as well, although I´m lightyears away from getting my hands on any of the three...! :-( In the Nov 1991 issue of "FLYER" (UK magazine) Richard Goode flight tested the SU-26 and made some side comments about the EA-300 (mid wing at that time, not L). If somebody is interested, I can try to get the article scanned and faxed. Regards, Markus ShawnD2112 schrieb in Nachricht ... I'd be interested in hearing such a comparison, too. Hell, throw in the Cap 232 while you're at it!! |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Please do.
Thanks BJC If somebody is interested, I can try to get the article scanned and faxed. Regards, Markus |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 19:52:20 GMT, "ShawnD2112"
wrote: I'd be interested in hearing such a comparison, too. Hell, throw in the Cap 232 while you're at it!! Shawn wrote in message roups.com... Anybody willing to give us a first-person comparison? Handling in general, care and feeding, personal preferences (and why)? TIA, -Dave Russell 8KCAB /N2S-3 I can't throw in the 232 because I don't know much about it. But....I do own a 300L AND an SU-31. I've also taken training in the SU-29 prior to flying the 31. This comparison depends a lot on what your plans are for the airplane. For example, the 300L has either the best seat or the worst seat. It is the best and most comfortable for cross country flying and positive g acrobatics. It is the worst seat for high g competition with lots of negative g. The Sukhoi's seat is wonderful for high g aerobatics - for me it reduces the pain by at least 2g compared to doing the same thing in the 300L. But I can fly the 300L all day cross country without pain but the Sukhoi kills my butt after about 2.5 hours. Care and feeding an Extra really isn't much different than a Cessna or Cherokee. Just check the oil, put in fuel, give the control surfaces a _really_ good check (do this with any aerobatic plane), and make sure there isn't any loose stuff in the fuselage. Starting is simple. Just like any other fuel injected engine (hot starts require some technique.) A Sukhoi (or Yak) requires a lot more fiddling with. You may never, but NEVER, start it without pulling it through a dozen or so blades. The starting system is air and the air tends to leak off after a few hours, days or weeks (if you're lucky) so you need a source of high pressure air to recharge it. You have to learn the secrets of properly priming the engine with fuel before attempting a start. After flying, you have to mess with it for another half hour or so to open the "snot valve", check for things having vibrated loose, and clean up the oil that'll be all over the bottom if you've been flying aerobatics. You will get oil on yourself. Every time. Both the Extra and the Russian airplanes have been quite reliable and trouble free for me. Surprisingly, parts for the Russian planes are available and cheap. Mod kits are available to mitigate a lot of the oil mess of the Sukhoi. Flying qualities are rather different. The Extra seems to be very sensitive on the stick, i.e., use two fingers and a thumb to avoid PIO. It is very honest and straightforward. Basically, it just does exactly what you tell it to do and RIGHT NOW. The Sukhoi has a much longer and heavier stick and needs it. Some maneuvers require both hands on the stick. A manly airplane. ;-) I had to put in a back pad to move my shoulders closer to the stick so I could get enough umph when shoving the stick forward (for snaps). The opposite rotation of the engine has never been an issue except that you need to snap with the other foot and the fastest rolls are the opposite direction. No big deal. Visibility in the Extra is superb. Unsurpassed by anything else. Forward visibility with the Sukhoi is not so good. Big round engine and long nose. You learn to approach the runway in a crab and straighten out in the flare. But at least it stops quickly whether you use brakes or not. Also jumps off the runway pretty fast on takeoff. The Extra seems to roll and roll after landing. Both airplanes roll straight on the runout without much tap dancing. Another difference is ramp presence. Everybody turns to look at what's happening when you start up the Sukhoi. The Extra sounds just like all the spam cans so nobody looks. People mistake it for a homebuilt RV or the like and say stuff like "hey, nice job building it!" Nobody says that about the Sukhoi. They don't know what it is but they know you didn't build it yourself. Both the Extra and the Sukhoi are wonderful airplanes. Very different personalities but both are wonderful. Sort of like comparing Jane Russell and Grace Kelly. Klein G. Bozeman, MT |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Klein,
Thanks for contributing that. Personally I was curious as to what the differences in flying characteristics were and why one aircraft might be preferable over the other in different situations. If you don't mind my asking, why do you own both? Are they different enough (comfort factor aside) that it makes it worth having one of each? Thanks! Shawn "Klein" wrote in message news On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 19:52:20 GMT, "ShawnD2112" wrote: I'd be interested in hearing such a comparison, too. Hell, throw in the Cap 232 while you're at it!! Shawn wrote in message groups.com... Anybody willing to give us a first-person comparison? Handling in general, care and feeding, personal preferences (and why)? TIA, -Dave Russell 8KCAB /N2S-3 I can't throw in the 232 because I don't know much about it. But....I do own a 300L AND an SU-31. I've also taken training in the SU-29 prior to flying the 31. This comparison depends a lot on what your plans are for the airplane. For example, the 300L has either the best seat or the worst seat. It is the best and most comfortable for cross country flying and positive g acrobatics. It is the worst seat for high g competition with lots of negative g. The Sukhoi's seat is wonderful for high g aerobatics - for me it reduces the pain by at least 2g compared to doing the same thing in the 300L. But I can fly the 300L all day cross country without pain but the Sukhoi kills my butt after about 2.5 hours. Care and feeding an Extra really isn't much different than a Cessna or Cherokee. Just check the oil, put in fuel, give the control surfaces a _really_ good check (do this with any aerobatic plane), and make sure there isn't any loose stuff in the fuselage. Starting is simple. Just like any other fuel injected engine (hot starts require some technique.) A Sukhoi (or Yak) requires a lot more fiddling with. You may never, but NEVER, start it without pulling it through a dozen or so blades. The starting system is air and the air tends to leak off after a few hours, days or weeks (if you're lucky) so you need a source of high pressure air to recharge it. You have to learn the secrets of properly priming the engine with fuel before attempting a start. After flying, you have to mess with it for another half hour or so to open the "snot valve", check for things having vibrated loose, and clean up the oil that'll be all over the bottom if you've been flying aerobatics. You will get oil on yourself. Every time. Both the Extra and the Russian airplanes have been quite reliable and trouble free for me. Surprisingly, parts for the Russian planes are available and cheap. Mod kits are available to mitigate a lot of the oil mess of the Sukhoi. Flying qualities are rather different. The Extra seems to be very sensitive on the stick, i.e., use two fingers and a thumb to avoid PIO. It is very honest and straightforward. Basically, it just does exactly what you tell it to do and RIGHT NOW. The Sukhoi has a much longer and heavier stick and needs it. Some maneuvers require both hands on the stick. A manly airplane. ;-) I had to put in a back pad to move my shoulders closer to the stick so I could get enough umph when shoving the stick forward (for snaps). The opposite rotation of the engine has never been an issue except that you need to snap with the other foot and the fastest rolls are the opposite direction. No big deal. Visibility in the Extra is superb. Unsurpassed by anything else. Forward visibility with the Sukhoi is not so good. Big round engine and long nose. You learn to approach the runway in a crab and straighten out in the flare. But at least it stops quickly whether you use brakes or not. Also jumps off the runway pretty fast on takeoff. The Extra seems to roll and roll after landing. Both airplanes roll straight on the runout without much tap dancing. Another difference is ramp presence. Everybody turns to look at what's happening when you start up the Sukhoi. The Extra sounds just like all the spam cans so nobody looks. People mistake it for a homebuilt RV or the like and say stuff like "hey, nice job building it!" Nobody says that about the Sukhoi. They don't know what it is but they know you didn't build it yourself. Both the Extra and the Sukhoi are wonderful airplanes. Very different personalities but both are wonderful. Sort of like comparing Jane Russell and Grace Kelly. Klein G. Bozeman, MT |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 07:00:58 GMT, "ShawnD2112"
wrote: Klein, Thanks for contributing that. Personally I was curious as to what the differences in flying characteristics were and why one aircraft might be preferable over the other in different situations. If you don't mind my asking, why do you own both? Are they different enough (comfort factor aside) that it makes it worth having one of each? Thanks! Shawn At the highest levels of international unlimited competition, just look at what people are flying......it's mostly Sukhoi and CAP. Very few Extras. I can't tell you why because I'm not flying at that level. ;-) I have had the Extra since 1998 and just got the Sukhoi a year ago. I thought that I would just keep them both for a while and see if one or the other ended up neglected in the corner of the hangar. If so, I'd sell that one. So far that hasn't happened. Even if I never take the Extra to a competition again, it is still very useful as a hotrod runabout. Sort of like have a nice Porsche Turbo in the garage for those occassional trips around the neighborhood, while the Sukhoi is really a good bit more specialized on competition and air show work. Hope this helps, Klein |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Extra 200 image files | Peter Orlov | Aerobatics | 0 | May 20th 04 11:19 PM |