Sometimes you hear of planes carrying their own weight...

But how about 1.3 times their own weight, at under 4 gal/hr, at 105 knots!

Take a look. http://www.lsaamerica.com/resources/Mystique_3.pdf

I really like the 750# useful load and the burn rate. I just might have to take one of these for a test flight.

With the price of gas going up, up, and even more up. I'm thinking about downsizing my plane. We have a four seater because we need the useful load not the extra seats. This might be the answer I've been looking for.

whatcha think?

Todd Giencke

Hi,
The figures are nice, but the low wing would nix it for my tastes.
Berk

I think that all LSA's have to be limited to a max of 1320 lbs. (regulatory limit) Some I'm sure are perfectly capable of carrying more than that. I just don't which ones or how much more. I assume most of these aircraft are certified in Europe, it would be interesting to know what their European certified gross weight is.

I was at a flyin on a grass strip last weekend and a Evektor SportStar flew in. It is a very impressive LSA and it handled the strip very well. Check them out at www.evektoramerica.com . The guy flying it was a 182 driver and bought it so his wife could get a sport license.

Tom

LSA's are restricted to 1320 pounds gw. Also, as is the case with certified airplanes, most of these airplanes in fact weigh a whole lot more "in person" so to speak than their advertising brochures would suggest.

Don't put money down on one of these till you test fly it and till you see an ACTUAL, no joke, for real weight and balance for a flyable airplane, equipped the way you'd equip it.

A lot of LSA's are going out the door with the notion that they can just wink at the gross weight numbers. Many of them can't fill the tanks and ONE seat and be legal.

And, remember, exceed the manufacturer's limits and you are a test pilot. They have a terrible accident record, by the way, though most of them survive, due to parachutes.

ALso remember that LSA aircraft are NOT certified to anywhere near the same standards as regular production part 23 airplanes. In fact, testing and FAA oversight is really minimal.

I wouldn't even stand UNDER some of these things while they were in flight. The market will sort that out soon enough, as it did with the ultralight crowd.

MTV

Well after talking to a distributor of the Mystique it is definitely Not a LSA I could live with.

This is because the useful load might be 750lbs but the load capacity of the baggage area is 25lbs!

What were they thinking?... 90lbs in fuel, 25lbs in baggage, that leaves enough useful load for a couple 315lb linebackers!

This plane needs a water ballast system like a glider so you can put up to about 150lbs in the baggage area. I'm thinking two 75lb backpackers backpacks.

There are a bunch of LSA's with useful load of ~700lbs. I e-mailed the distributors to see how much baggage they hold. I hope one of them can do at least 125lbs of baggage.

Todd Giencke

My biggest problem with these LSA's is that they cost about 2.5 times what I paid for my M-6/235, and are considerably less aircraft. I wonder how well they will hold their value? I assume they might depreciate pretty badly,maybe like a car.

This thing is cool but then I like Wilga's too.


http://www.aircraftkits.com.au/aircraft ... ifications

For the metrically challenged, it is a LSA candidate
683lb empty 637lb useful MOL

flyby wrote:This thing is cool but then I like Wilga's too.
http://www.aircraftkits.com.au/aircraft ... ifications

It looks like Chris Heinz CH701 wing on a rag and tube fuse. I can see the leading edge slats, Junkers style flaperons, Hoerner tips, and the pinched in wing root of the 701. The performance specs are very similar, but the max weight is quite a bit higher.

The tiny radial is way cool.

tom

It seems that there is alot of misinformation floating about in regards to lsa. first and foremost let me say that in many of these planes some of the comments are right on base. on other models not so much. I have spent the past year getting a canadian based kit, certified in the lsa category. and for those interested, the testing and certification process is very involved. the astm standards are very demanding and rigid. it is true that the faa takes a more step aside approach. but in no way do they just allow junk to get through.
how would you like an honest 125 lb baggage area, all metal, float or ski ready, 650-675 lb usefull load, 25 or 36 gallon fuels tanks, either a rotax or jabiru engine, in a really nice bushplane that can and does go anywhere???
go to bushcaddy.com and see for yourself.

and if you want to give it try. come on down to morgan utah and we'll let your mouth drop open when you see what it can do. we've had super cub guys, and j-3 guys, and maule guys, all think this thing is great.