ultralight for spam-can pilot

[Flyfalcons]

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 Buchanan]

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, 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.

[Bob from Alabama]

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

[Flyfalcons]

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.

[Sam Buchanan]

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

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.

[Dan Grunloh]

I've been flying a 172 for a long time and a Stinson before that, so at least I have tailwheel time. I've been thinking about a 103-legal UL for a long time, something to fly local when the winds are low. I like the mini-max for the conventional/tractor setup and the fact that so many are flying. I'm worried about the handling being so different than what I'm used to especially with sudden loss of power. Are there other models I should be looking at? I know an UL will not handle like a cessna, good thing, but I know some are less "conventional" than others. I'd also like to stay with fairly common models for parts/support. May elect to build but will probably buy a completed aircraft. And would consider registered/LSA model but trying to stay low-cost.

Bob

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.