Looking for a fast light plane

Hi all!
Am baised in Durban, South africa and am looking for a light aircraft
that can do at least 140 kts. am very keen on the lacair aircraft and
want to see what are all the other options that are out there. anyone
have an idea what sites i can look at for all other fast light
aircraft.
contact me on
many thanks Dave.

"Dave lentle" wrote in message
om...
Hi all!
Am baised in Durban, South africa and am looking for a light aircraft
that can do at least 140 kts. am very keen on the lacair aircraft and
want to see what are all the other options that are out there. anyone
have an idea what sites i can look at for all other fast light
aircraft.
contact me on
many thanks Dave.


GLASAIR!!!!!!!
www.newglasair.com

On Tue, 05 Aug 2003 20:39:03 GMT, "smf" wrote:


"Dave lentle" wrote in message
. com...
Hi all!
Am baised in Durban, South africa and am looking for a light aircraft
that can do at least 140 kts. am very keen on the lacair aircraft and
want to see what are all the other options that are out there. anyone
have an idea what sites i can look at for all other fast light
aircraft.
contact me on
many thanks Dave.


GLASAIR!!!!!!!
www.newglasair.com and http://www.lancair-kits.com/


The G-III will certainly meet those specs as will the Lancair I-V,
IV-P(pressurized version), and sentry with a lot of room to spare, as
in something like twice that speed and more. The Lancair 320, 360,
and now the new high powered model that takes their place are also
very fast, but a wee bit snug. You aren't going to put two guys with
broad shoulders in there while they will probably fit in the G-III,
IV/IV-P and Sentry.

OTOH the 320/360 is probably the prettiest aircraft I've seen.

Then there is the Lancair Sentry. Basically a Lancair IV, but with
tandem seating and a 700 plus HP turboprop and 380 MPH cruise at
26,000 feet listed. At a "Kit price" of $119,000 (without engine and
instruments) it's tad steep for most of us...but were I not building a
G-III I might give it some serious consideration. Then again the IV,
IV-P, and Glasair III are not inexpensive by the time you get them
completed. A finished IV-P will probably cost over $200,000 and you
are doing most of the work.

BTW, "I think" even the little 320 will do something like 180 knots
(or more) I just looked it up and they claim 240 MPH cruise. (bout
208 knots) out of a 160 HP.

Then there is basically the complete line of Van's RV series if you
like metal. They are well designed, have good control harmony and
have *relatively* docile landing characteristics. I've only flown a
couple, but I found the RVs to be "less twitchy" than many of the fast
kits. I do like the flying qualities of the G-III, but it could stand
a bit of improvement in the landing area to make me happier. Yet
there are hundreds flying and not many complaints. I've read the same
is true for the Lancair 320 and 360, but I've not flown one.

There are many companies that make kits be t hey rag and tube, metal,
or glass that will haul 2 or more passengers at greater than 140
knots. One in Florida (whose name I have forgotten) makes a like of
kits that cover a very wide spectrum of capabilities from STOL to the
equivalent of the family station wagon, or maybe I should say
recreational vehicle. They have small piston engine models, to big
radial engines, to turboprop powered models. I just can't seem to
find the name right now...compair, or something like that.

I've just barely scratched the surface of what's available out there.
You might want to try and find an issue of "Kit Planes" and the EAA
"Sport Plane" magazines.

Good Luck,

Roger Halstead (K8RI EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
www.rogerhalstead.com
N833R World's oldest Debonair? (S# CD-2)