[Titanaircraft] Re: SLSA for IFR?

--- In Titanaircraft@yahoogroups.com, "Kimberly Panos" <kimberly@...> wrote:
>
> Not stable enough? It depends on the design. LSA aircraft are just as stable as anything else, but the same gust or updraft that doesn't affect a 737, upsets lighter aircraft proportionally. The Tornado has little positive stability overall and neutral stability in the rudder. That's what makes them handle so well. Or--do you mean LSA aircraft don't have positive stability to where won't fly all day without a pilot at the controls? That would be an incorrect blanket statement for LSA aircraft. There was a RANS S-6 that took off without a pilot and flew until it ran out of fuel. Now that's what I call positive stability.
>
> --Kimberly

Just my experience but for IFR you really need something that's not perturbed a lot by turbulence more than it needs to be stable. Especially shooting precision approaches like an ILS in windy or turbulent conditions. I don't think it matters as much if it doesn't have positive stability in one or more axes - in fact I think it helps a little bit if it stays put (especially on the ILS) and doesn't try to do any corrections by itself.

My CFI and I did my instrument training in his 150 - a bear to handle on the ILS but otherwise it was acceptable. But later I got to do the ILS into Austin Bergstrom with him in his Piper Arrow and the difference was just night and day. Not because of stability but because it was a heavy monster compared to the 150 and would stay put wheverever you pointed it.

But on a real IFR trip, the 150 is marginal. There's no way you could do any kind of long trip without an autopilot.....

So just for me personally.... I wouldn't even try it in an LSA, unless it was VFR, the air was at least somewhat smooth and the trip was short.

If you really did intend to do any amount of IFR, I'd recommend forgoing an LSA altogether and getting something else.

130 large can buy a great IFR platform, you could practically buy a low-end twin for that kind of cash.

LS
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: daleandee
> To: Titanaircraft@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 7:59 PM
> Subject: [Titanaircraft] Re: SLSA for IFR?
>
>
>
>
>
> Not sure I agree with that.
>
> As a Sport Pilot Certificate holder I'll never do it but others are
> doing it. Cessna would be smart to set up the C-162 to be IFR capable.
> Then it would be a much more valuable trainer for Sport, Private,
> Instrument, ect.
>
> Most LSA aircraft would be a disaster in IMC as they are not stable
> enough. BTW, an excellent thread was just recently run on this topic
> over on the Sport Aircraft Yahoo group.
>
> FWIW,
>
> Dale
> N28YD
>
> --- In Titanaircraft@yahoogroups.com, "ls78705" <lstavenhagen@>
>
> > ... And no sane pilot would fly an SLSA IFR, much less in actual.
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

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