Post check-out
Hi Dom,
I've just got back from my checkout flight on the Alarus and here's my thoughts.....
On the ground the external check are as simple as a 152 or warrior. nothing special. The only thing that bugged me was the little bits of plastic that dangle beneath the fuel filler caps that prevented me having a proper look in. I was assured by the instructor that the fuel indicators in the cockpit were reliable. I will make sure I confirm the level before I head off on my own. The main wheels are a little small so I wonder how the Alarus might handle rough/grass strips.
Climbing into the cockpit is a bit of an art (there is no graceful way of doing it), but it is nice to have a door either side. On the wing walkway there is a big gap between the step and the black paint (approx above the flap) which was more difficult to traverse that it should be. There were a few boot prints on the 'no step' decal, so I wasn't the only one. The seat adjustment is a bit odd, the rudder pedals are fixed and the back of the seat (rather than the whole thing) moves fore and aft. At maximum forward I found the rudder pedals were a bit further away that I like (I'm no short arse at 5-11), but maybe that is just me. The cabin is very wide, the biggest I've encountered so far on a single. The instrumentation was pretty standard, I liked the GARMIN430, which I think is standard. The visibility was reasonable all round on the ground and in the air. I really didn't like the yokes, they look and felt like they were from some argos ready to assemble exercise machine, but they did the job.
Starting was straightforward, although it was a bit harder to start than the C152, and did take a few pumps of the throttle to keep the donkey alive just after starting. Taxiing and run up checks all basically identical to comparable aircraft.
The biggest issue I found was the elevator force required on rotation - you need to literally lift the aircraft off the ground with all your might (it will not fly itself off!), but then once you are airborne the forces are 'normal' again very quickly so you have to push forward smartly to compensate. I think this might bite a few people (esp students) if they were not made aware of this beforehand. Climb at 65kts, the Alarus reached 3,000ft with a climb rate in the region of 700ft/min (below ISA day). Leveled off, reduced to cruise power and trimmed for S+L , with the trim wheel a bit more powerful than a C152. Anticipating the cruise speed to increase I was prepared for retrimming. This never happened - cruise is at 80 knots indicated, we had a groundspeed of 78kts. At least it will take a bit longer for me to get lost. There was a noticeable amount of wind noise and a cool jet of air on my left hip, which I think might suggest a poorly sealed door.
Stalling is text book, with stall warner, buffet and clean break straight ahead. The indicated speed was barely registering on the ASI, but I assume it is around the 35kt area. Steep turns (good old British 60 degrees ones) were again no big deal, but with a cruise of 80knots and a big fat wing, we only got around once or twice before losing too much speed.
Return to the circuit (or pattern) we could descend swiftly with idle power to circuit height. Flying downwind at 80kts indicated gives you plenty of
time for your prelanding checks. Turn to base, half flaps and pitch down a la C152. By the way, the white arc upper limit is a comical 100kts! One thing I didn't like about the flaps is that you hold down the button to extend them (5-10 secs), but you flick it up once to retract all the way. I find the Cessna electric or piper 'handbrake' once much more intuitive.
Full flaps on approach 65kts over the threshold. The touchdown was again straight forward, but I found myself rounding out a little high, but that is just lack of currency on my part.
Flaps up and power in off we went and again I had to pull the Alarus off the tarmac. Downwind this time, the oil filler cap popped up on us (held down with a screw thing rather than a button ) and apparently this will lead to CHTs getting excessive by interrupting the airflow in the cowling, so the sortie was cut short.
The instructor was 'nice' enough to use this as a cue for a PFL onto the landing runway. The glide was similar to the 152 without flaps, but came down like a brick with them. I had to retract them to prevent landing short, but I forgot about the switch and removed all the flap. Not a problem in this case as the wing is really fat, but something to learn from for the future. I made the runway and passed the check ride.
To sum up my excessive post (sorry), I had a few ergonomic issues but I thought the aircraft was a nice machine. The only niggles is that it is very slow in the cruise and might get a bit frustrating on a long navex, but then again for a student the extra time might be a good thing. Also the strength needed to lift off should be something those that fly it are aware of. Personally if I was to do my PPL again the choice between the C152 and Alarus I would probably pick the Alarus by a small amount. They are very similar in handling and the Alarus is slower but I would rather stooge along at 80kts in a 46in wide cockpit than 90kts in a 36in wide one.
Just my opinion - feel free to disagree!
Cheers,
Gareth.