What sort of UL/LSA do I want?

I have finally reached the point where I can reasonably acquire a
purely-for-fun, low-and-slow kind of flying machine. It's not going
to be my only one - I own a Twin Comanche that I use for travel. Thus
I don't care how slow it is - I'm never going very far in it. I would
like it to be two seats, to be something that can comfortably operate
from a 1000 ft grass strip, and something with a relatively narrow
wingspan or folding wings or some such - it will live in a pole barn,
and the doors are not wide enough to accomodate anything more than
about 18 ft. Also I have no intention of buying new or building -
this must be something that I can acquire for under $20K in good
flying condition and with plenty of life left in it (not a project).
Also no certified aircraft of any sort need apply - homebuilt or e-LSA
only. It also can't be something that requires a crew of any sort -
it needs to be something I can easily pull out and launch myself. No
balloons, no gliders. Also nothing foot launched - it's not so much
the foot launching but the foot landing I can't take.

Now, having said that - I'm otherwise flexible. Powered parachute?
Trike? Three axis? Gyroplane? Any of the above would work for me.
Anyone have any suggestions?

Michael

On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:34:14 -0800 (PST), Michael
wrote in
:

Anyone have any suggestions?

I'd be looking in Trade A Plane
http://www.trade-a-plane.com/classified?searchtype=atcode&code=E for
a Kolb Firestar II or Mark III Extra:
http://tnkolbaircraft.com/m3x.html

Larry Dighera wrote in
:

On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:34:14 -0800 (PST), Michael
wrote in
:

Anyone have any suggestions?

I'd be looking in Trade A Plane
http://www.trade-a-plane.com/classified?searchtype=atcode&code=E for
a Kolb Firestar II or Mark III Extra:
http://tnkolbaircraft.com/m3x.html


Wouldn't you want to check the regs first? Or do you do that afterwards?

Perhaps both? ou can't be too careful.

Be sure and read the fine print on the TAP site as well!


Bertie

Michael wrote:


Now, having said that - I'm otherwise flexible. Powered parachute?
Trike? Three axis? Gyroplane? Any of the above would work for me.
Anyone have any suggestions?

Michael

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quad_City_Challenger

Michael wrote:
I would like it to be two seats,

It'd need to be registered then - i.e. can't be flown under Part 103.
(You'd need to be certificated too, but looks like that's covered.)

Otherwise there are probably a fair number of choices.

On Feb 25, 3:56*pm, Gig 601XL Builder
wrote:
Michael wrote:

Now, having said that - I'm otherwise flexible. *Powered parachute?
Trike? *Three axis? *Gyroplane? *Any of the above would work for me.
Anyone have any suggestions?

Michael

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quad_City_Challenger

And how would I get it into my pole barn through the 18 ft doors with
the 31.5 ft wingspan? Am I missing something? Do the wings fold?

Michael

On Feb 25, 4:15*pm, Jim Logajan wrote:
Michael wrote:
I would like it to be two seats,

It'd need to be registered then - i.e. can't be flown under Part 103.
(You'd need to be certificated too, but looks like that's covered.)

Otherwise there are probably a fair number of choices.

Yeah, I am fully aware that 2 seaters can't fly under 103, and the
exemption is gone too, what with Sport Pilot. However, since I've
managed to pick up ratings for singles, twins, and gliders in my 2500
or so hours, and since I've also flown hang gliders a bit and
parachute jumped a lot, I think that whatever rating I might be
missing to fly what I pick out, I'll be able to get without too much
trouble. Anyway, something new would be a challenge and that's always
good.

What I see limiting my options is the short strip and the small
doors. Something with a 30 foot wing span won't work unless the wings
fold or something, and even then if it takes more than about 10
minutes to unfold the wings and get ready for flight, I'm probably not
interested.

Now I'm curious - are you the same Jim Logajan who flies an RAF2000
with the big Subaru engine and does demo flights in it sometimes?

Michael

Michael wrote:
On Feb 25, 3:56 pm, Gig 601XL Builder
wrote:
Michael wrote:

Now, having said that - I'm otherwise flexible. Powered parachute?
Trike? Three axis? Gyroplane? Any of the above would work for me.
Anyone have any suggestions?
Michael
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quad_City_Challenger

And how would I get it into my pole barn through the 18 ft doors with
the 31.5 ft wingspan? Am I missing something? Do the wings fold?

Michael

Missed that spec in you original message though the Challenger might
well have foldable/removable wings.

Michael wrote:
On Feb 25, 4:15*pm, Jim Logajan wrote:
Michael wrote:
I would like it to be two seats,

It'd need to be registered then - i.e. can't be flown under Part 103.
(You'd need to be certificated too, but looks like that's covered.)

Otherwise there are probably a fair number of choices.

Yeah, I am fully aware that 2 seaters can't fly under 103, and the
exemption is gone too, what with Sport Pilot.

Okay. I'll be curious to see what people suggest to you - I have no
experience to relate on the class of plane you are interested in,
unfortunately.

Though I must ask if you have a preference for tandem or side-by-side
seating?

What I see limiting my options is the short strip and the small
doors. Something with a 30 foot wing span won't work unless the wings
fold or something, and even then if it takes more than about 10
minutes to unfold the wings and get ready for flight, I'm probably not
interested.

I presume you've glanced through the December 2007 issue of Kitplanes
magazine? They list as many of the currently sold homebuilts as they know
about in their annual kit aircraft directory. Even if not buying a kit,
you'd get some idea what models to include/exclude.

Now I'm curious - are you the same Jim Logajan who flies an RAF2000
with the big Subaru engine and does demo flights in it sometimes?

Uh - no. I suspect you are confusing my unusual last name with a Jim Logan
(note difference in spelling of the last name).

On Feb 25, 4:26 pm, Michael wrote:
On Feb 25, 3:56 pm, Gig 601XL Builder
wrote:

Michael wrote:

Now, having said that - I'm otherwise flexible. Powered parachute?
Trike? Three axis? Gyroplane? Any of the above would work for me.
Anyone have any suggestions?

Michael

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quad_City_Challenger

And how would I get it into my pole barn through the 18 ft doors with
the 31.5 ft wingspan? Am I missing something? Do the wings fold?

Michael

If your "pole barn" is more than 31.5 ft long, I was thinking that you
could use a special dolly (I saw the plans somewhere) and push her in
sideways.

Alas! according to one site I found, the Challenger's length is "20
FT. 0 IN." Oh Well, at least I tried.

It just struck me that if the barn's width beyond the doors, is
significantly greater than 20 feet, it WOULD be possible to maneuver
her through the doors by going through on an angle.
kk