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STOL or ZODIAC
My plan was to order the rudder for the 801 HD in a week or two and start building. Wanted to start with the rudder as it is the starter kit and is a logical place to start and if it isn't for me I'm not out alot of money. This was the original thought anyway as I had always come back to the 801 as I researched kit planes. That was until last when I "accidentally" ran across the Zodiac 640. So far the only real perk is the speed and marginally larger payload. Now I assume that because of the increased speed the range is also increased as well.
What I would like to know is your thoughts on these two very different aircraft from builders and aviators points of view. pros and cons of each aircraft.
Background on what I would like to do with my future aircraft. I would like to use it to sate my passion for flight (obviously lol) as well as fly my small family around on trips that we would otherwise not be able to take. My work affords me the ability to only work every other week so if I owned my own aircraft I could potentially take my wife and children on mini vacations during the summer every other week. I look forward to hearing from each of you and would like to thank you in advance.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rusty King on
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My first inclination is to say I wouldnt build anything until I've decided which model to build, for a variety of reasons. I would force myself to make a decision on it. Secondly, after all the excitement settles down, you'll be flying alone more than you may think...or so they say. I think this fact just illustrates the need to determine what kind of flying you like best.
I have never been the low wing speed demon type anyway. I have alway been attracted to off airport stuff. This is after being raised in a Mooney with pressurized cabin and retracts...or maybe maybe because of it....My 2 cents.
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Permalink Reply by Rick George on
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David,
I have found that day trips or overnighters work the best - we have reasonably good weather forcasting to predict good weather for a few days. Take a map and swing a radius of 2 to 3 hours of flight time at cruise speed. This is typically the area you have available to explore in a one or two day window. It makes it easier to decide just how important the cruise speed is for the area you live in and the type of travel/exploring you want to do. I have a RV-4 that we use for travel and just finishing up a CH750 for local fun. This allows us a lot of flexability. No matter - it's all about enjoying the ride!!
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Permalink Reply by Patrick Ealy on
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For me it was a pretty easy decision. Granted I spent years pouring over specs and watching youtube video's, but I was able to cut it down to a few selections. I then included my wife in the decision since she'd be my primary flying partner and would be helping to finance the work. We drove to the factory and took a demo flight in the Zodiac last January. Afterwards, she told me she wants that one so we made plans to go to the rudder workshop to see if the project was feasible for our inexperience. Neither of us had done much more than change a light bulb prior to the workshop. Needless to say, we ordered our tail kit last week and are both eagerly awaiting the next phases.
That'd be my suggestion. It's easy for us guys to get bogged down in the research details and loose the ability to make decisive decisions. I know it drives my wife crazy when I spend several weeks researching something so simple as a tire inflator trying to find that fictional "best" model. That's just who I am. Sometimes a little input from her is all I need to set a direction.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Aysen on
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David - Read your "bio" page. I highly recommend private or sport pilot's license training before choosing your airframe. Maybe a couple of cross country flights with a pilot licensed friend or instructor. This should give you a better idea of what kind of flying you would realistically do. My two cents.
Chris
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