Originally Posted by
Big Pistons Forever
The reality is that today's young people are significantly taller and yes heavier than previous generations. A basic trainer has to fit everybody which means for a small efficient airframe the canopy is going to inevitably appear oversize. But really who cares. The things that matter are flying characteristics and serviceability. You want an airplane that has no bad habits so low time solo students don't kill themselves, but is but hard to fly well so that instructors can not only teach the basics but also assess the ability of students to progress to faster and more complex airplanes. I have always thought that the Chipmunk (a Canadian design I wish to note
) was the best ab initio trainer eve made.
The other half of the equation is that it has to spend its time on the flight line, not in the hangar. The Grob products and I mean all of them, fail in this regard.
Electric power plants are IMO, the future for flight training. The duty cycle is well suited for this type of propulsion and having the imprimatur and resources of the RAF behind it could be the kick starter for a whole new industry. For that reason I am very disappointed by commentators who deride this initiative as some sort of RAF "woke" pandering. Strangely these folks also often seem to be the ones who bemoan the fact that Britain's once great aerospace industry is a pale shadow of its former self...........
I hope the Swift succeeds as both a military and civil trainer.
Well said. You'd have thought that this forum would generate informed discussion but instead we get a stream of childish comments by people who seem proud of their small-minded ignorance and prejudice against anything new.