I am looking for real world cruise speed and performance data for a Lycoming powered Glastar with a CS prop, especially a 180 HP? I can find all kinds of design speeds but not much real stuff. Thinking about something more financially friendly than the Skywagon as I contemplate retirement. The Glastar seems to have the potential but I'm short on facts. My searching skills of both BCP and Google aren't turning up much. Any info or thoughts appreciated.
Thanks!

Here's some reading. Not sure if he gets into performance much.

https://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/ ... n-2-2-3793

Now when you say you want something more "financially friendly" than a Skywagon, just what do you mean? Considering what it will do, an early C180 is actually a pretty good bargain. Yeah, a little more fuel burn than a 360 Lyc but if you're talking about 4 seaters, a GlasStar Sportsman will set you back quite a bit-- there's only one on Barnstormers and it's priced at $149K! You can buy a pretty nice old Skywagon for half that. It wont have all the bells & whistles but it'll sure get the job done and only burn about 2 gph more doing so. At that rate, it'll take a long time to make up the difference in purchase price.

I only have a few hours flying around with a 210hp C/S Sportsman 2+2. I had 31" ABW tires and he had 8.00's, so it wasn't an even match. From what I could tell, he was about 10kts faster. With the same tire size I bet we would be within a knot or two at cruise speed.

Neat little plane, but I wouldn't trade a good Cessna 180 for one.

Zebra, I didn't realize until now that you already have a 180. So you're contemplating selling it & buying a GlasStar? All my comments are still applicable I guess. If you're looking for a 2 seat GS, not a Sportsman, You might be able to pick one up for less than you can sell your 180 for, and so stick some $ in your pocket, but other than a bit lower fuel burn your operating costs aren't gonna be much different and IMHO you'd end up with a lesser airplane.

flyingzebra wrote:I am looking for real world cruise speed and performance data for a Lycoming powered Glastar with a CS prop, especially a 180 HP? I can find all kinds of design speeds but not much real stuff. Thinking about something more financially friendly than the Skywagon as I contemplate retirement. The Glastar seems to have the potential but I'm short on facts. My searching skills of both BCP and Google aren't turning up much. Any info or thoughts appreciated.
Thanks!

Kurt Goodfellow has Glastar 2+2 at Boulder City airport with a Diesel 210 motor -like out of new 172's that gets 120-130 knots all day long on 4 gallons a hour. He also has a Diesel powered RV-7 that he has 500-600 hours on. The 180 Lyc. motor is good and decent cross country performance

My thoughts were mostly around lower fuel burn and maintenance costs and I was definitely thinking the original Glastar, not the 2+2. In my dreams, that diesel 2+2 sounds really good. I basically never have the back seat in the Wagon and so the passengers I don't carry wouldn't miss that option. The lower usable load would hurt a little, but I can fit self, wife, gear and fuel into the 750ish pounds that most of the Glastars I've looked at seem to be able to carry. The one thing I really don't want to give up is the combination of required runway and cruise speed that the Waqon gives me. I'm also not sure that a Gastar with a 360 would come out ahead on cross country fuel consumption. That's what drives the query for cruise speed information. As for capitol costs, it's about a wash. My 54 Skywagon is worth about 65 and the Glastars I've been looking at are about the same. The trailer option is another appealing aspect of the Glastar too. I'm not sure how practical that really is but throwing your airplane behind a motorhome might be sweet. Just trying to finagle retirement sooner than later. Life seems to be accelerating somehow.

Beware of getting on Glasair's email list if you don't want to get perpetually spammed by them.

I kinda know where you're coming from. There really isn't much out there in the way of 2-place airplanes that are back-country capable, yet have enough speed for cross-country flying. Cubs are great for STOL, but spendy for what you're getting as well as slow and not real roomy. Huskys are faster but no roomier, and spendier yet. After owning a ragwing 170 for about 11 years, I tried a C150/150TD -- it's a fun airplane, but pretty low on space and useful load and not really all that fast (120mph). I thought the 2-seat M4-180 model that Maule introduced several years ago was a great idea, but it just didn't seem to go anywhere. I think only a couple dozen were produced (if that many).

There's only two GlasStar taildraggers on barnstormers...one's Subaru powered (!) for $60K and the other (in Sioux Falls SD) has a Lyc IO-360 for $55K. That one might be worth looking into. Since you're in western Washington, it might be a good idea to call the GlasStar factory at Arlington and see if you can get a ride in something like what you're looking for. Then you'd have a better idea whether one of those will fit your needs.

flyingzebra wrote:My thoughts were mostly around lower fuel burn and maintenance costs and I was definitely thinking the original Glastar, not the 2+2. In my dreams, that diesel 2+2 sounds really good. I basically never have the back seat in the Wagon and so the passengers I don't carry wouldn't miss that option. The lower usable load would hurt a little, but I can fit self, wife, gear and fuel into the 750ish pounds that most of the Glastars I've looked at seem to be able to carry. The one thing I really don't want to give up is the combination of required runway and cruise speed that the Waqon gives me. I'm also not sure that a Gastar with a 360 would come out ahead on cross country fuel consumption. That's what drives the query for cruise speed information. As for capitol costs, it's about a wash. My 54 Skywagon is worth about 65 and the Glastars I've been looking at are about the same. The trailer option is another appealing aspect of the Glastar too. I'm not sure how practical that really is but throwing your airplane behind a motorhome might be sweet. Just trying to finagle retirement sooner than later. Life seems to be accelerating somehow.

FZ, I sold my Maule for the same reason and bought a Glastar kit for the same reason, 2 place and the 360 is a great engine, had one in the RV6 and 7-9 gph is normal for it. Have been trying to finish the Glastar up for a few years
Have all the parts n pieces, now just need the time! Exact same reason, never had anyone in the back seat! figured 12-16 gph with the Maule! Flew aGlastar little bit and liked the performance. Figured it would work for me!
Good Luck, I'm just over on the Dry Side 82WN, should come over the little rocks one day and say hello.
GT

Here's a thought...a couple of the smaller-engine 4-place airplanes (I call them 2+2's) make pretty good 2 seat airplanes with the back seats removed. The C170 & the Pacer both come to mind. The Pacer esp is under-appreciated and under-valued, but is a great performer when set up right. Plus the rear seat & baggage areas can be loaded to the gills & easily accessed thru the back door.

Just checked barnstormers-- there's a restored in 2010 Pacer with a fresh O-360 down in SoCal for $55K.

Flying Zebra,
I can't help but feeling that your question is still pretty open and applicable. Maybe if anyone on here *knows* anybody with a glastar they can ask them about some real world performance numbers?

I stumbled across your post because I am looking for the same thing. I appreciate the suggestions for other airplanes because I want to have all the data available to me when I head into the homestretch for airplane ownership. That being said, I still think the glastar is the most fitting plane for my personal mission.

I too live in western WA, so flying up to Arlington for some information would be a good excuse to fly!

A hangar neighbor of mine bought a 160hp 2 seat GlasStar nsedragger as his first airplane, and got his ticket in it. Flew it a lot, then converted it to tailwheel gear & flew it some more, including a trip or two to Alaska. He liked the GlasStar approach things so much so well he sold the 2-seater & built a 4 seat Sportsman. He hired some help along the way & put a lot of time & money into it, took him about two years to finish her up. It's a very nice airplane and he loves it. He originally hung a Aerosport Power 360 & 83" (?) MT prop on it, then a couple years later sent the engine back up to Aerosport & had them rebuild it with a stroker crank- it's now a 375. Performs great but IMHO no better than a good light 180 except maybe a little lower fuel burn. Personally I'd rather have a good old 180, but then again I'm pretty old school.

182 STOL driver wrote: ....Kurt Goodfellow has Glastar 2+2 at Boulder City airport with a Diesel 210 motor -like out of new 172's that gets 120-130 knots all day long on 4 gallons a hour......

120-130 knots (that 138-150 mph) in a 4-seat airplane burning only 4 gph? Wow! (he said sarcastically)-- seems too good to be true, and you know what they say about that.

I have been to a couple of Fly In events which a Glastar 2+2 also attended, and I watch it take-off and land with some interest.

I wouldn't have said there was anything remarkable to see, in terms of STOL performance. Nothing like the highest performance aircraft at the event, but naturally it's better than the underpowered 172's and Cherokee 140's. For instance, I would have said from memory that a well-flown Maule far outperformed the Glastar. In fact, I think a 180hp C172TD outperformed it...

So - some numbers from the STOL event, for a 200hp Glastar:
Best take-off 76m (235ft)
Best landing 110m (341ft)

By those numbers, the majority of the C180s, 185s, are performing about the same or better.

They look very slippery, and I can't comment on the cruise performance. STOL performance and cruise seem the most difficult bedfellows.

I hear ya Battson, no doubt they are. Would you like to land your cub on a dime? ok you can cruise at 80 kts. Maybe once I start actually flying backcountry I will scoff at that 341ft, and become consumed with desire to land on hilltops and tiny tiny meadows. But, as a very low time pilot, that would just get me into trouble. Sub 500ft landing (capability) with >130kt cruise on less than 8gph? That sounds like the perfect way for me to build hours/experience, travel, and ease into some harder to access places. Sadly all I hear is either marketers telling me how awesome the plane is or hardcore back-country pilots who genuinely need more airplane. I appreciate the discussion though. It gives me things to think about and talk to glastar pilots about when I do find them!

Call this guy 400 hrs out of Fairbanks, has one for sale as has to many aircraft?? 907-378-4260

Fun little video if you have not seen it.

flyingzebra wrote:...Thinking about something more financially friendly than the Skywagon as I contemplate retirement. ....

Well, FZ, it's been about 3 months since you started this thread. Have you decided to down-size, or are you gonna stick with your trusty Skywagon? Or are you still trying to decide?