The Most Fun Aircraft

[morfiend]

I have a few hours in a 152 but the highlite was when I got a chance to fly a stearman!

   I say I got 1/2 hour but it was closer to 45 mins.but it was my last flight. My neurological problem just wont allow my to fly and my vision isnt very good so it's best I stay on the ground!

 The irony is I have the time and resources to pursue a PPL but I'm afraid it would be a waste as I cant handle all the sensations.

 My body cant regulate it's temperature so whenever I have lots of noise,vibrations or stress I sweat profusely,looked like I peed my flightsuit when I got out of the stearman. My pilot asked if I was ok and I had to explain,so he said"well there's one for the bucket list,not many can say they flew in an open cockpit biplane! All I said was it is what it is and I just had to give it a try.



   

[Halo46]

The funny thing for me is that I had more fun sitting in the cockpit of an F-14 Tomcat on the ground than I have in flights in various aircraft. My goodness, what it must be like to start one up and take off... Talk about super Viagra, it would probably kill me. That is one beautiful creation that fit like a glove.

[earl1937]

I believe I like this one.



HiTech

Nice HT! One of the things which we can measure our skill as pilots are some of the simplest maneuvers' you can do in an aircraft. My favorites are the "Cuban 8's", making sure the altitude are the same on both loop tops and the bottom is the same on both. Its tough to hold a "road" in line, but with a little practice it is pretty easy. The other that I like to sharpen skills was the "clover leaf", again, making sure top of the loop was the same for all 4 legs and the 90 degree turn in direction at the bottom was precise and crisp! I have never flown an RV7, but it looks like a lot of fun aircraft.

[earl1937]

For me, it was this one:

(Image removed from quote.)

Another aircraft which I have missed the pleasure of flying, but all the video's I seen, would be a blast!

[hitech]

Nice HT! One of the things which we can measure our skill as pilots are some of the simplest maneuvers' you can do in an aircraft. My favorites are the "Cuban 8's", making sure the altitude are the same on both loop tops and the bottom is the same on both. Its tough to hold a "road" in line, but with a little practice it is pretty easy. The other that I like to sharpen skills was the "clover leaf", again, making sure top of the loop was the same for all 4 legs and the 90 degree turn in direction at the bottom was precise and crisp! I have never flown an RV7, but it looks like a lot of fun aircraft.

Yea I do clovers when I have been fly lots,it's the only maneuver I typically have to add power from normal cruse. I also like to do the roll on the up line vs the down line.  Forces you to use the side view for the 90 deg.

And I think one of the most gratifying feelings is when you hit your own prop turbulence at the completion of the loop.

HiTech

[Bino]

I managed to talk Mrs. Bino into taking a ride with me in a 1929 New Standard D-25, an open-cockpit biplane operated by the Old Rinebeck Aerodrome.

Cruising a thousand feet above the Hudson River at 60 MPH is great fun. 

[earl1937]

I managed to talk Mrs. Bino into taking a ride with me in a 1929 New Standard D-25, an open-cockpit biplane operated by the Old Rinebeck Aerodrome.

Cruising a thousand feet above the Hudson River at 60 MPH is great fun. 

Just something magical about a woman and a open cockpit aircraft being together!

[earl1937]

I know that there are a lot of guys in this great game who have flown real aircraft in their lives and it would be interesting to see what someone thinks as the aircraft which they had the most fun flying.
I have to go with the S-1 Pitts Special! A friend of mine who flew for Eastern Airlines, built one back in the early sixties and wow, until I got into that thing, I just thought I knew how to fly! LOL
You don't get into the thing, you "strap" it on! You get a lot of lessons in flight real quick as you begin that first takeoff roll. Tail comes up real quick and the ole toe dance starts until you get used to applying the power slow and steady. Climb out is like a rocket ship, compared to some the things I have flown! I couldn't ever fly that thing like some of the guys do in air shows, but anything I could think of to do was a blast to say the least. Tail slides are a blast, but don't think I ever learned how to do one correctly, but was lots of fun trying! 8 point rolls were fun, "square loops" were fun to try to keep the headings and altitude where it was suppose to be!
Landings were always fun and challenging, especially on that pasture runway we used to fly the thing! I couldn't get one picture to load correctly, so maybe someone will up load one for the guys who don't know what one of those things looked like!

think I have the photo I wanted to share:

http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l488/05263739/Pitts_Special_S-1_NI38I_03.jpg

Well, I wanted to print pic here without link, but guess I don't know how!

[JVboob]

I really want one of those supercubs.

My Gpa flew a PT19 we have one of the props above our mantle.

I really want to get my license and go in with someone on a plane either a super cub or the titan P51 kit. I dont have the finances for either though...wont stop me from dreaming though

[LilMak]

My current ride...

[Latrobe]

My current ride...
(Image removed from quote.)

That doesn't look like a Jug. 

[earl1937]

My current ride...
(Image removed from quote.)

I hope that is not asbestos sprayed on the walls behind your ride! If it is, you need to get the hell out of that hangar.....what do you call this great looking aircraft.
It looks like it has a laminar flow wing, with 0 degree dihedral, if so, must be a fun aircraft to fly...give us some spec's, speed, stall speeds, engine, etc and is it available in kit form or is just a custom design!

[LilMak]

I call it Rosie but it's a kit or plans built plane called a Sonex.

http://www.sonexaircraft.com/

IMO It's simply the most fun airplane per dollar you can find.
This is the standard kit with a 120hp Jabiru engine on the front(80hp VW option as well)
2 seat side by side that cost me about as much as your average C-172.

Stall 42mph with flaps
Climb 1500fpm
Cruise 150+mph at 6gph
Aerobatic +6/-3
197mph never exceed.

[earl1937]

I call it Rosie but it's a kit or plans built plane called a Sonex.

http://www.sonexaircraft.com/

IMO It's simply the most fun airplane per dollar you can find.
This is the standard kit with a 120hp Jabiru engine on the front(80hp VW option as well)
2 seat side by side that cost me about as much as your average C-172.

Stall 42mph with flaps
Climb 1500fpm
Cruise 150+mph at 6gph
Aerobatic +6/-3
197mph never exceed.

Thanks for the info, sounds like something I would enjoy...can you purchase one assembled, or do you have to put it together yourself?

[LilMak]

I bought this one from the second owner. It's one of the most popular kits on the market. And it's LSA compliant so you don't need a medical even with the 120hp engine. There are usually several for sale on Barnstormers. They have a V tail version, a single seater, motor glider, a  single seat version, and a Jet (yes a jet).