View Full Version : With the following criteria what would you buy........
Monocock
2nd Jan 2004, 07:57
I have a friend who has given me the following criteria and I'm not sure what advice to give. Any suggestions?
Taildragger
2 seats
Good on grass strips
Permit A/C
Budget £18,000
Cruise at least 85 kts
Good range
Cheap to maintain
Any advice welcome........................
:ok:
Ok, off the top of my head you're going to be looking at...
1. Jodels
2. Emeraude
3. C120
4. Luscombe 8E
5. Taylorcraft BC12
6. Maybe that Whitman Tailwind advertised at the moment..
7. Sipa 91/901/Minicab
8. Maybe a Kitfoxy type thing
9. Spezio Tuholer
10. Cavalier
11. Condor
Hmmm.. that's a long list!
A bit more info would be good - does he prefer high or low wing? would it be left outside? how STOL does it have to be?
what about open cockpit?
Personally I'd go for the Luscombe, but I've always fancied one of those anyway - I'm just a sucker for that jukebox styling!
Cheers
Kingy
That's a good list from Kingy. I'm a great fan of Jodels, and they do all that you're looking for. :ok:
For £18k you should be able to get a nice D11 series Jodel - lots of different versions (e.g. D112, D117, D120) but they're all similar airframes. D112 has a 65hp continental and no electrics and there are several around at the moment going for around £12k. The D117 and D120 have 90hp continentals, electrics and cruise at around 95/100 kts on about 4 1/2 gallons an hour. D120 has a bit more room than the D117. Both are a bit more expensive than the D112, but should be able to find a good one within your budget.
Finally, the DR1050/1051 is well worth looking for, but tends to be more expensive, up to £25k. One was advertised in the PFA mag recently for less than £18k, but I would expect it was a bargain and has been snapped up - or had issues that explained the price. I think they tend to be on a CofA rather than a permit. D140s and D150s are by all accounts great, but rare and well out of your budget.
One thing about Jodels is that they are wood and fabric, and need to be hangared. Don't buy anything that wasn't - and if your friend doesn't have hangar space then look at something else. Better to get a hangar though ;)
Take a look at www.jodel.com for much more :ok:
Monocock
2nd Jan 2004, 18:02
Thanks for that. I have emailed the link to this thread to him.
The Jodel idea is a nice one and he has hangarage. However, I think the fabric concerns are lurking, as is the whole wooden "stigma".
I think there is no preference to high/low wing and I can't imagine him in an open cockpit at his age!
How good are planes like Luscombes/Jodels on rough(ish) ground. When I say that I mean grass paddocks/crop stubbles etc?
Hi Mate,
The bad news is both the Jodels and the Luscombe have fragile gear and may cause trouble if flown from very rough strips. We used to have a Jodel based at my field, but the owner eventually moved it due to concerns over the the gear, and the field's not that rough!
I'm going to have to switch my recomendation to a Taylorcraft - A good honest aeroplane that crusies at 95-100mph on 65hp, can use rough fields and is STOL too if flown right. There are not many in this country though so you might not find one...
What he really needs is a J3/L4 Cub, but I would say that...
Some further reading
Luscombe (http://www.airbum.com/pireps/ClassicCompLuscombe.html)
Taylorcraft (http://www.airbum.com/pireps/ClassiccompTCraft.html)
Cessna 120 (http://www.airbum.com/pireps/ClassicComp120140.html)
Cub (http://www.airbum.com/pireps/ClassicCompCub.html)
Cheers
Kingy
DubTrub
4th Jan 2004, 05:47
Monocock:
I have a biased opinion: Taylorcraft, it only lacks 2 knots on your requirement, but will save you about £4K on purchase price. If you wish for rough field, The Tcraft is as good as any for landing on the proverbial ploughed field (I have done it many times). On 65hp, 95-100 mph, 3 and a bit gph.
Cubs will cost more (and Kingy, did you ever try to fly formation with a 65 cub? Stall City!) and Cubs are very overpriced due to Mr Piper's excellent marketing skills.
Evo is correct in his hangarage statement, and in this country this is true for all wood and/or fabric aircraft.
The only poor thing about a Taylorcraft is maintaining suitable decorum getting in and out (only surpassed by a Cub). Granny needs long slacks to avoid embarassing herself and the assembled crowd.
Monocock, PM me for a trip in a Tcraft, I am based at EGBG
DT,
Yes mate many times, from er 'both sides' as it were. Yes the T-cart is faster, but the Cub, well my Cub anyway with the full L4 greenhouse, is much easier to fly in formation... you can see so much more out!
There in is my only issue with the Taylorcraft, as standard, IE without the skylight, the cabin is distinctly 'pokie' with nil view both above and behind - I don't like that.
In my opinion Cubs (not the later PA18s) are very sweet flying aircraft and have the edge over the Taylorcraft for strip flying. The Taylorcraft is however, 20+mph faster and cheaper too..!
That said, I've have taken my ex BC12-65 into the same sub 200m, hillside, 'bumpy as hell' fields that I fly the Cub into sometimes it's just I'd always take the Cub in first to make sure it was alright!
As our US chums might say 'YMMV'..;)
I, like you, recommend a Taylorcraft to this gentleman.
Kingy
PS I'd really like an L2 to go with the L4. That would be a very, very interesting comparison...
DubTrub
4th Jan 2004, 07:02
Kingy: there is an L2 in the UK undergoing a repair as we speak..I hope to have a go in it on completion.
The L2's are very much valued in the USA. Did you know of the TG6 Glider (3-seat, no engine ..obviously) that many of which were converted to power with the bolt-on Lycoming 0-145 (and a suitable reduction to 2 tandem seats). Anyway, there were thousands of these gliders built as primary trainers...very rare now in their original state.
Dubtrub,
I knew about the similar Piper TG8 based on an L4, but not about the TG6 - I'm sure the Taylorcraft would have had a better L/D than the Cub variant due the more efficient wing and lack of wires hanging out.
Interestingly, there is what looks to be, an L2 listed as a DCO65 on the G-info web site - check out G-BWLJ - do you know anything about that?
Off topic: I think your psydonym would be far more appropriate for me at the moment what with the amount of trouble I'm having with my VW powered aircraft....:D
Kingy