On 02/06/2014 12:40 AM, Mike T wrote:
> I've seen these regs before and they're a little vague.
Hi Mike,
In this case, the regs are not vague at all. They clearly state that
to qualify for a Sport Pilot to fly them, the aircraft must have, since
initial certification, have continued to meet the performance of an LSA
aircraft.
In other words, if you built an aircraft that met LSA specs, then you
modified it to go faster than the allowed 138 mph using continuous
power, that aircraft can technically no longer be flown by a Sport Pilot
even if you modified it back to go slower than 138 mph using continuous
power. Note that the regs do not say it can't go faster than 138 mpg,
they say "Maximum speed in level flight with maximum continuous power
(Vh)?138 mph (120 knots) CAS".
> So if someone buys a used Sonex or other amateur built plane that's on the
> usual LSA list and it turns out to be faster than it should be, is he just
> supposed to promise not to go faster than he should in it? Or is he out of
> luck because the builder listed the top speed as faster (or does a builder
> have to give the top speed to license an experimental? He may not even
> know yet).
Take the example of the 180 hp Carbon Cub. They list it with a max
allowed speed of 138 mph under continuous power in level flight.
Clearly the pilot can just keep the throttle all the way in and it will
easily go faster than 138mph, but you'd be operating it outside of the
manufacturer recommendations. You can certainly do the same with a KR
(ie, list the max speed on paper, but it is capable of going faster, and
you just aren't supposed to go faster).
> My confusion about what I want to build got even worse yesterday when I saw
> the
> latest Kitplanes magazine, with another possible choice as its cover story
> -- the Panther. This is a new single-seat LSA-compatible plane that hits
> 165 mph (with a Corvair engine) and the fuselage looks almost exactly like
> a KR-2 made of aluminum.
I'm right there with you. I've been drooling over a CX4 for a few
years now, but the Panther with its very easy folding wings really
caught my attention when I learned about it last week. It looks like it
will cost more to build than a CX4, but full pre-punched kits will be
available so it should be much easier to build.
-Dj
--
Dj Merrill - N1JOV - VP EAA Chapter 87
Sportsman 2+2 Builder #7118 N421DJ - http://deej.net/sportsman/
Glastar Flyer N866RH - http://deej.net/glastar/
