Sam I like your videos and the XL looks to be a good safe machine. Do you have any experience with the two-seater Double Eagle?
Sam I like your videos and the XL looks to be a good safe machine. Do you have any experience with the two-seater Double Eagle?
Ryan Winslow
EAA 525529
Stinson 108-1 "Big Red", RV-7 under construction
Ryan, I don't have any personal experience with the DE, all I know about it is via the Eaglers Yahoo group. There have been mixed results with flying Double Eagles, some of the issues have been builder induced (too much weight added for engine used, builder modifications that weren't thought out, etc). It appears to be a straight-forward design but departs from the stark simplicity of the single-seat Eagles. A bigger aircraft will have things that need to be addressed that aren't present in an ultralight.
Sam, what kind of dual, if any, did you get before flying the LE? Or was your cub time sufficient? I'm assuming it handles just a tad different than the RV!
Bob
Cool, I like the simplicity of the LE but if it's going to take money and garage space to become a reality, then being able to take the wife along is going to be a requirement. I'll keep an eye on people's experiences with the Double.
Ryan Winslow
EAA 525529
Stinson 108-1 "Big Red", RV-7 under construction
Bob,
I didn't do any dual since I have a few hundred Super Koala, MiniMax and J-3 hours. But after flying the RV-6 for 13 years the Eagle was quite a transition. I had to get accustomed to the extreme lightness of the plane and the handling which is very docile and casual compared to the RV. But overall is has been a pleasant journey and flying the Eagle proficiently will test your airmanship just as much, if not more, than a heavier and faster aircraft.
Bob your last line says it all. If you are willing to go N-numbered instead of FAR103 then the answer for you is a Challenger. They are economical to buy used, fly more like a conventional airplane and can still get into the little private grass strips used by ultralighters. There are plenty of 2-seaters out there so you can easily get a ride and transition training. You would have to pay to have annual done as with any homebuilt you did not build.