Stolp Starduster Too flying request.

[Bigglesthefrog]

Does anyone have, or does anyone know of anyone in the UK that has a Stolp Starduster Too and would be prepared to let me have a hour or two of dual with them. I am particularly interested in buying a Starduster which I may have to import from the USA. I really like the aircraft and have carried out lots of homework on the project but I have never flown one. I live in Cambridgeshire but am very prepared to travel and pay well for the experience. Most of my flying has been on taildraggers so I'm happy with this, but I need to know that I am going to enjoy flying the aeroplane.
Many Thanks:ok:

[gasax]

CAA G_INFO lists 18 (search under starduster not stolp).

Jim McTaggart owns one in the central belt and likely to be very approachable but that is a fair distance from Cambridge.

[hatzflyer]

There's one based at Andrewsfield. not all that far from Cambridge.
Its always rated amongst my list of "must haves".

[bingoboy]

Sounds like a job for G-INFO

[stiknruda]

Nice aeroplane to look at, quite nice to fly. It is horses for courses, really - I've flown most recent biplanes and quite a few of the earlier ones.

It performs/handles better than the Skybolt, the Hatz but it really isn't a Pitts.

It outperforms/better handles than the European 3, Tiger, Stampe, Jungmann,

If you like the look go buy one, it certainly beats the EAA Biplane hands down:\:ok:

[SoundBarrier]

Never heard of one, so I searched it on the interdweeb. How do you propose to do dual in THIS? :}

http://www.largemodelassociation.com/images/starduster.jpg

Right - back off to JB for me!:ok:

[Bigglesthefrog]

Thanks for the information gentlemen.
I will be trying to contact Starduster owners over the next few weeks to see if they will be prepared to give me a flight.
Soundbarrier, G-BOBT was the first Starduster I saw up close when a friend of mine who used to fly it, joined me at the Shaffen Diest rally in Belgium many years ago. Although I didn't have a go in her, I thought she was a fantastic looking Biplane and although there are a few of them on the LAA register one hardly ever sees any G-Reg examples up for sale.
I am surprised that with the $/£ rate improving in our favour and the European regulations making CAA aircraft ever more expensive to operate, that more Brits are not taking a good look at this lovely home built aircraft. The LAA has cleared it for basic aerobatics, it has a good turn of speed so it can be used as a decent tourer and some of them have been fitted with a detachable full canopy with cockpit heaters, ideal for use in the British winter.

[SoundBarrier]

Hey Bigglesthefrog,

Didn't realize it was in that class and a homebuilt! Sounds like a bit of fun that does. :ok:

[scrambled]

Before you part with cash, consider seriously the Acrosport 2, especially UK built and approved.

Save up some more or share and buy an Eagle.

Get a real biplane and go S2A.

In reverse order.

Rgds

scrambled

[englishal]

One of our group has one.....Lovely aeroplane built by himself - finished last year. Surprising amount of legroom. But I'll never forget seeing him in the "club house" one winters day, standing by the heater shivering. Open cockpit aero's at -5C at altitude with an open front cockpit and all that wind whistling through :ooh:

[Bigglesthefrog]

There is something magical about biplanes and having flown one for eight years I can confirm that. Even people that don’t know much about aeroplanes are attracted by them and this is why biplanes tend to get front line parking at fly ins. But the Starduster Too is one of the nicest looking aircraft that I know. Well proportioned and sporting very attractive elliptical wings and it is MUCH better looking than the Christen Eagle, Acrosport or the Pitts (sorry Scrambled!)
WR. There is always going to be some difficulty when importing aircraft from anywhere, but as a member of the LAA and having downloaded their information on Stardusters, it seems that it should be OK providing that two or three modifications are carried out. I’m planning on contacting their engineering department soon to find out the full story on this.
Nothing is easy in our country these days with bans and prohibitions seemingly being imposed almost every month. G.A. hasn’t escaped this overblown officialdom either as everyone here knows, but we shouldn’t lie down and take it quite so easily. It may be difficult to import any aircraft from the US to the UK, but where there’s a will there’s a way:ok:

[hatzflyer]

As a current LAA inspector I am not aware of any reason you can't import one.
You will have to jump through certain hoops, but not difficult.
some U.S. ones have large engines,260 hp being common.This can raise issues.If you stick to 180/200 hp you should be OK.

There are afew nice ones on www.barnstormers.com:ok:

[Bigglesthefrog]

Where do you fly out from Hatzflyer?

[hatzflyer]

edited again for clarity.
I have aircraft based at Tibenham and Newnham. Live near Sudbury .
Often do (LAA) work around Cambridge.
Would be interested to know what bipes you have been flying just out of curiosity (i love bipes hence my handle). Guessing tiger out of Cambridge??
If you need help with the Starduster project PM me, happy to help.

[Bigglesthefrog]

Hatzflyer
I've sent you a PM

[davidatter708]

There is the bananna at leicester G-BNNA might even be a share going. Been a while since I been at the club.

[LowNSlow]

There are a few Starduster Toos on barnstormers.com for between $25-$43,000.

[stuII]

Regarding importing, we've always had mixed messages regarding this. Because the STOLP range are pure plans built, the most common message we received when talking to LAA engineering and field inspectors was that the plane would need to be stripped of the skin and all welds analysed etc. We still looked at importing, idea being find a good engine one (low hours), CSU and perhaps a canopy mod that allowed summer removal etc, but perhaps needing new skin. We could then re-skin in the UK after the hoop jumping and place her on the G reg.
In the end, we never imported but did the engine and fabric on our current SA300 (it needed both new engine and new fabric, hence the import thinking).

Ours is still off line with the fabric+ work, and out of permit.

Lovely plane, bags of room in both pits.

If you do go the import route, work with LAA engineering but more importantly, find (and hold onto) a friendly LAA examiner/inspector who will work with you and support you step by step with the import and subsequent engineering approval work. Don't import, even if LAA Engineering are happy, without having a friendly LAA field examiner/inspector with you through the process from start.
Good luck.

[hatzflyer]

An old thread, my post earlier " on my wish list".

Pleased to say that I have just bought one ;)

[Bigglesthefrog]

Hi Hatz

Long time no hear.
I just passed by and see that you have "just bought one"

So do you mean you have just bought a Starduster Too?

If you did, which one? From the US or UK?? Im dying to hear about it.

I eventually bought a share in G-BNNA at Leicester, but have not flown it much as I have found it quite a handful and also because I've been flying my Arrow III (which I flew into the LAA Rally last year) and in fact I'm re-newing my IMC rating on it.


G-BNNA is going through her annual at the moment. We have come up on a bit of a sticking point. The right aileron (and G-BNNA is the model with just the lower ailerons) needs work and it has been decided that we will need to re-manufacture the whole aileron. Do you know anyone that would have a drawing of this, as our engineer needs something to go on?

Best regards
Bigglesthefrog