Newest toy

[dbcollen]

I just bought this "experimental light sport aircraft" it is a 2 seat trainer model 2001 SeaWing with a 50hp rotax 503 twin cyl engine, the hour meter reads 217.6 hours, so it has been flown very little. It has built in pontoons and retractable landing gear, a 34 foot wingspan and the whole thing weighs 375 lbs. Stall speed is 23 MPH, cruises at 35-50 MPH and only needs 100 ft of runway for takeoff or landing. Max takeoff weight is 800 Lbs, it needs a few minor repairs, a mouse ate a small hole in the wing fabric, there is a broken bolt that goes to the muffler bracket, and the steering for the front wheel is tube in tube, (like the yaw bearing on the windmills) and is presently frozen with galvanic corrosion. (steel tube inside aluminum tube) I may have to machine a new steel tube and press in a steel sleeve to eliminate the moving steel/aluminum contact.

Dustin

[Capt Slog]

Neat!

Can you fly?  Do you have to register it/yourself?

.

[Slingshot]

Really neat toy.  I'd like to know how much it cost, though it will probably make me cry.

If you are seeing signs of corrosion here and there, be sure to check the Jesus bolt (aptly named, because that's who you'll be yelling for when it fails).

[dbcollen]

Very little corrosion, was always hangar kept, till last year, went through one winter outside, New it cost $25K+ the fellow I bought it from paid $10.5K last year, took it to the lake and never got the courage to throttle it up and take off. he took it home and it sat in his driveway over the winter, I offered him $5k and he handed me the title, it even came on its original trailer. The ballistic chute it has would cost almost as much as I paid for the whole machine.

Dustin

[domwild]

We are all green with envy! One of our neighbours uses one of those and annoys the cattle farmers by flying too low over cows about to give birth.

Take off the pontoons to get a bit of extra speed unless you are in Alaska where you need the floats.

Good luck!

[Bruce S]

I'm thinking you should leave the pontoons on, grab a graphite rod and head out for dinner's catch:-)

Nice !! Very Nice!!

Bruce S

[Slingshot]

Wow, great deal.  

If you've never flown one of these things, even if you have a private pilot's license, get with an instructor before you fly away.

There are tandem units where the instructor sits behind you, and can reach forward to take the bar if necessary.  You might also want to get a pilot experienced in this model to take it up first and check it out for "quirks".

I'm a private pilot and have flown an ultralight in tandem, but have not soloed one.  For $5K, though, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

[phil b]

Excellent find Dustin! I'm green with envy!

I'm glad to see you are checking out the plane completely before you fly it.

If you don't fly, watchout!...it is at least as addictive as wind gennys.

Be safe and have fun!

[DanG]

When I think of you and that bird 'hearing damage' comes to mind!!!

A good way to better protect your hearing from that Rotax twin inches from your ears beyond the standard shooters' earmuffs...

It's a favorite trick of mine at concerts and movies - a dry paper napkin cut into strips and rolled up to fit snug in ear canal then add a bunch of drops of water until they expand to seal out noise almost as if you were underwater.

I don't think you'd want to do huge altitude changes fast since it seals so well though. You can also soak the foam type earplugs with clean water, compress them for insertion and give them a few drops of water to soak up as conform to the ear canal...

Very nice find - just save extreme flying for someone else!!