Hi,

first, I'm sorry for my language skill but I'm not american and nationality which english is native language.

In short time I will come to US for long time (maybe up to 3-5 years) and I would like to buy or build aircraft and backcountry tour nature/green area of United States in width and height.

I think about Glasair Sportsman but it is experimental aircraft and I will must build them. Maybe it's no bed because I can use a Two Weeks to Taxi program and I will have a aircraft in two-three weeks with FAA certification.

I choose option with:

- 180HP engine, Lycoming IO-260-M1A with Injected Fuel Boost Pump and Fuel Filter
- Hartzell Constant Speed Blended Airfoil Propeller 74"
- 4-in-to-1 Tuned Exhaust
- Andair Fuel Selector FS20x4
- Heated Pitot Static
- Locking Flush Fuel Caps
- Taildragger gear and 800x6 or 26x10.5 tires
- 2-seats configuration

I think yet about panel/cockpit, I would like to mount standard flight instrument with audio panel, transponder and comm/nav panel or comm/nav/gps panel - I haven't got precise decision. Under I look my three project from epanelbuilder.com website.

All panels include:

- Attitude Indicator RC ALLEN RCA26EK-14
- Directional Indicator RC ALLEN RCA15AK-1
- Turn Indicator RC ALLEN RCA83A-11
- Airspeed Indicator UNITED B.I 8000
- Altimeter UNITED 5934
- Vertical Speed Indicator UNITED C.I 7040
- Nav GARMIN GI-102A

- Engine Monitor Insight G3 with probe

- Audio Panel GARMIN GMA-347

First option with Comm/Nav panel and transponder.

- Comm/Nav GARMIN SL-30
- Transponder GARMIN GTX-327

photo


Second option with Comm/Nav/GPS panel (less cost) and transponder.

- Comm/Nav/GPS GARMIN GNS-430
- Transponder GARMIN GTX-330

photo


Third option with Comm/Nav/GPS (higher cost) and tranponder.

- Comm/Nav/GPS GARMIN GNS-530
- Transponder GARMIN GTX-330

photo


I favorable to first or second option but no in 100% because I don't know I need a GPS mount in panel to backcountry fly. Maybe I can buy a portables GPS and it's good too.

All aircraft cost around:

1st option: 175 500 $
2nd option: 185 000 $
3rd option: 196 500 $

What is yours opinion about that, plane will be use in backcountry fly ? I will be very thankful for all post and your help !

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, 2009 !

Best Regards
Dawid

a portable garmin 496 is all the gps you will ever need for any kind of backountry flying in my opinion.
The sportsman is nice but verry expensive, if you only need two seats a cub replica or a murphy rebel is a lot more bang for the buck in my opinion.but if money is no object and you like working with fiberglass the sportsman is a sleek airplane with great resale value.

I have a friend that is building one right now. He did the two weeks to taxi as well. I should bring up that he is an A&P/IA and makes his living by building custom aircraft for other people, this guy is not inexperienced. He is impressed with the Sportsman aircraft and if he works full weeks, maybe it will be finished in a couple of more months.
The two weeks to taxi is just that, taxi. It's nowhere near a finished airplane.
It's also considerably more expensive than a brand new factory, FAA certified, comes with a warranty Maule.
He said your looking at at least $200,000 for an airplane if you don't consider the hundreds of hours you spent building it to be worth anything.
You can buy a whole lot of certified airplane for that kind of change.

A friend of mine has a GlasStar Sportsman that he built-- not the 2 weeks-to-taxi program, his took about 2 years. Nice airplane, good shortfield performer (but no supercub), and fast too- about 150 mph, with a 180 horse Lyc & c/s MT prop. I believe he has well over $100K into it, plus his time. I don't have the patience or the gumption to complete a project of this magnitude, so personally I would have bought a nice early C-180 for the same or less money-- burns more fuel but otherwise comparable performance.
But for my kind of flying, my 150-horse C150 taildragger suits me. Less airplane, but way more affordable to buy and to fly.

Eric

What is your opinion about IFR flight in backcountry flying ?

Need I IFR equipment in the aircraft when plane will be use only to backcountry flying ?

Regards
Dawid

My opinion, in a word-- no.

I'd suggest Buying a completed aircraft either experimental or factory made.
The claims for this 2 weeks to Taxi is with a group of people( they had a 10-12 person detail several years ago to complete 701 at Oshkosh) all working day and night with factory supervision . If you have the time build your own NOW and transport it to the US even better. Just load a conex trailer with all your airplane stuff and send it already flown.Put the wings and stuff on it and fly away. Then you can spend your time traveling -not building. I think better option is to buy one already done and flying. Keep GPS/Panel stuff simple without fluff. Steam gauges(work when the battery- alternator takes a dump) with 1 com and 496 will do everything you want.
NO I would NOT do any Instrument flying in the backcountry. Why spend it if you don't need it -just add more weight that you don't need in little airplane.

For that amount of money, you can buy a new or nearly new, factory built airplane, and probably one that's IFR approved if you prefer.

IFR in the mountains is not a good idea. IFR OVER TOP of the mountains isn't even a great idea in a single engine airplane, in my opinion.

That said, I like to have at least "keep it right side up" instrumentation in any airplane, even a VFR one. Doesn't have to be much, just an AH is fine with me, and a good VFR GPS.

MTV

If your interested in a Murphy Rebel with an 0-320 in it lemme know. I'm shopping for my next plane and am just getting around to putting it on the market.

Its a good plane and a solid back-country performer. Its based in Southwestern Colorado.

-Brad