sportcruiser

[micromalc]

Hi All,
Any Sportcruiser pilots out there who can give me some realistic figures
for short field take off and landings. Thanks

[letpmar]

It depends
You can have a Jabiru or a Rotax and fixed or variable prop, as a home build each one is a bit different. I own a ground adjustable Rotax powers SC and have easily got into and out of 350m (one up). We have the prop set for best cruise but two up its still no prob in and out of a 500m strip. For more accurate figures you really need to base it on a particular aircraft. We dont really push it as far as short strips go, we operate out of a 700m Farm strip so somewhere south of my day to day figures is possible.

Hope that helps

Pete

[Shoestring Flyer]

As Pete has said it depends on the Sportcruiser spec you are talking about, for instance the Pipersports are all Rotax and have ground adjustable fixed pitch props which will have totally different performance both in the cruise and T/O and landing to the wobbly prop versions.
There are also 2blade and 3blade CS prop versions and also a few Jab3300 engined versions out there.
I have a Rotax powered S/C with a 3blade Woodcomp CS prop and operate very comfortably out of an undulating 500m strip. Take off at MAUW is usually around 200m and I am comfortable going into any land away strip above 300m.
Hope this helps.

[flybymike]

Are there any variations in cruise speed and /or useful load for these various different engine/prop combinations?

[Rod1]

If you want to know about UK SC’s look at the LAA TAD for the type;

http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/engineering/TADs/338%20SPORTCRUISER.pdf

Rod1

[letpmar]

The MTOW is 600kg no matter what set up you have so usefull load really only depends on how heavy you let your build get. A constant speed prop will be heavier so perversly the simpler less efficent prop gives you more (legal) usable load.
In the real world 110knts seems to be about average best cruise for almost any set up.
We get that with a 3 blade Woodcomp Klassic ground adjustable set for best cruise. I doubt any other set up is getting better than 5 or at most 10 knts better than that.

Pete

[Shoestring Flyer]

In addition to different engine and prop combinations other factors which have changed since the early Sportcruisers include smaller elevators. (there are 3different versions) trim tab horns (2versions) aileron control arms (2versions). Also later kits are heavier than early ones for various reasons. All these factors affect and have changed the handling and therefore will slightly affect the ability to get in and out of various strips.

If you want chapter and verse on all the variations the best man to talk to is Graham Smith of Sprite Aviation Tel: 01304 827266, the original agent for the Sportcruiser. Graham knows more about the S/C than anyone on here and brought into the UK 70+kits over a two year period and virtually knows the spec of every kit in the UK.

There is no generic Sportcruiser in the UK and therefore no generic Sportcruiser performance either speed or handling. The are all slightly different due to factory mods or builder preferences.
Think about it this way, there is no generic PA28...An early PA28 140 has totally different performance and handling to a late version PA28-180 or whatever.

[patowalker]

The SportCruiser has microlight like short field performance. I found it no different in this regard to the Zenair CH601UL, which is not surprising, since they came from the same stable.