Author Topic: Titan Aircraft T-51 Mustang (Read 3087 times)

Heater · « **Reply #30 on:** December 08, 2006, 06:44:30 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Angus
Look up on the net how much a Piper or a Cessna costs!

Yea I know...but I do not want one of them....Hell even the wife said the same thing "why not just buy one allready built"....I guess she will never understand.

Chairboy · « **Reply #31 on:** December 08, 2006, 06:45:21 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Mace2004
The problem is that home builders sometimes spend much more of their free time building rather than flying.
Mace

Great point, Mace, you're absolutely right. In the community I'm part of, the importance of being fresh (current, lots of transition training, emergency practice) when it comes time to fly the homebuilt for the first time is really strong. There's a network of Canard owners that will fly out to your airport to give you transition training for the cost of gas. The safer we are, the healthier the community is, and I'm sure the RV folks and other groups have similar volunteers.

I read through the various builder logs for pilots and each one has a section about the LongEZ or Cozy pilot that flew a few hundred miles to hang out with them for a few days learning the type, or people volunteering their planes to builders who were ready to test fly and wanted some practice. It's a great thing, and I know that it saves lives.

For some people, the right decision is having someone else do the test flight for them, and the experimental community has a group of high time, test experienced folks that bring their own parachute and years of first flights along so that the plane can be given a basic shakedown by someone who's A: experienced at dealing with an in-flight emergency or B: Failing that, is equipped to jump.

Part of the decision making process is figuring out which approach is best for you, and I'm sure it's a nail biter.

Mace2004 · « **Reply #32 on:** December 08, 2006, 07:14:40 PM »

Heater, just curious but if you want something like a fighter have you checked out the F-1 Rocket? Link here Doesn't have the look of a P51 but it's one of the sharpest and best performing experimentals out there. Cruise at 75% is 240mph with over a 1k range. The quick build kit is 50 grand which is the same as the Titan. You could do a rebuilt IO540 for less than the turbocharged Rotax and get much better performance plus it's a tandum two seater. Overall, you should be able to build it for the same price.

Mace

Widewing · « **Reply #33 on:** December 08, 2006, 07:33:33 PM »

Thunder Mustang flyby....

My regards,

Widewing

Maverick · « **Reply #34 on:** December 08, 2006, 07:46:28 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Widewing
Thunder Mustang flyby....

My regards,

Widewing

Widewing that was NICE. Not the same tone but very nice indeed.

Golfer · « **Reply #35 on:** December 08, 2006, 07:48:32 PM »

Sure isn't a lawnmower engine bolted to that sucker!

I think I'll add one to my to-do list.

eagl · « **Reply #36 on:** December 08, 2006, 08:30:05 PM »

golfer,

In theory you're mostly right, but you do realize that by your reasoning, the wright brothers would never have progressed past the kite flying stage and many many other pioneering pilots (including the rocket boys out at X-cor and Scaled composites) would still be waiting for someone qualified to do their dirty work...

Personally, I'm in favor of trying new things sometimes. Yea I think Chairboy made a fairly classic mistake and the risk was mostly likely unnecessary, but you're taking your rule a little far when you say stuff like people have no business flying xxx aircraft. Well, sometimes that just can't be helped and in those situations, we get to decide if we're men or sheep. Sheep generally get eaten or ****ed, so I don't want to be counted among the sheep

If I ever build a kitplane, I plan on making the first flight myself. After that, if I still don't have any formal flight test training, I'll turn it over to a professional test pilot for a thorough checkout and flight envelope validation. But I still want that first flight to myself. You can bet I'll minimize the risks and stay well within the heart of the flight envelope, but like chairboy says, I agree that the builder is very likely to be the person most qualified to fly his own plane. Note that I said "fly", not "test" or "determine the boundaries of the flight envelope"... There are plenty of dead "qualified" pilots who tried to play junior test pilot. I don't plan on being one of them.

Maverick · « **Reply #37 on:** December 08, 2006, 08:42:48 PM »

Heater,

Is this going to be your first kit built aircraft?

eagl · « **Reply #38 on:** December 08, 2006, 08:52:24 PM »

Heater,

If I tried to build one of those, I'd just screw it up by doubling the engine power and trying to turn it into something it isn't intended to be.

I want 200hp and at least 200 kts cruise, plus fully acro. I wouldn't require inverted fuel/oil and don't even demand constant speed prop, but those would be nice. That pretty much drives me towards something like the plane HT owns.

Still, a little P-51 lookalike would be neat. I just want more performance than that titan kit offers, that's all.

Debonair · « **Reply #39 on:** December 09, 2006, 01:17:07 AM »

nothing tastes as good as a thousand dollar hamburger or at least thats what i've heard...

eagl · « **Reply #40 on:** December 09, 2006, 02:24:20 AM »

My Dad and I used to go get $40 bags of grapefruit and $20 bags of dates... Can't forget the $50 buffalo burgers out at Catalina either. We kept average costs "down" by either taking a 152 or filling all 4 seats in a 172.

Angus · « **Reply #41 on:** December 09, 2006, 04:46:14 AM »

Widewing, what mustang was that? The Stewart?

AquaShrimp · « **Reply #42 on:** December 09, 2006, 05:01:26 AM »

Rules and regulations in aviation are proportional to safety and inversely proportional to fun and excitement.

Theres a few different ways to look at Chairboys taildragger flight. Daring, a bit dangerous, a throwback to the Golden Age of aviation.

Heater · « **Reply #43 on:** December 09, 2006, 09:03:33 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Maverick
Heater,

Is this going to be your first kit built aircraft?

Nope

RV6 (late 89-91) <- still flying but now in France
Kitfox #1 98 <- Still flying here in the Netherlands
Kitfox #2 2003 <- Crashed last year young pilot showing off cliped a tree with the gear.

Heater · « **Reply #44 on:** December 09, 2006, 09:05:28 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by eagl
Heater,

If I tried to build one of those, I'd just screw it up by doubling the engine power and trying to turn it into something it isn't intended to be.

I want 200hp and at least 200 kts cruise, plus fully acro. I wouldn't require inverted fuel/oil and don't even demand constant speed prop, but those would be nice. That pretty much drives me towards something like the plane HT owns.

Still, a little P-51 lookalike would be neat. I just want more performance than that titan kit offers, that's all.

Believe me...I have thought about it a lot.... engine choice will play a big roll in the total build, if I do it.