The glass is the easy part ,it's the forming the foam which could give you headaches. I would also look at the performance specs ,before I would jump into a project.
What about the Jodel D140?
5 seats and enormous useful load and still 110 knot cruise. Plans are still available.
Perhaps I missed something here, but why the fixation on 180hp? Why not pick up an RV10 and just pull back the power to the 180hp output point for the same fuel burn?
No, he bought a beautiful Cessna 140A... albeit not quite the same mission as the start of this thread.Did you ever start a canard airplane?
The Sling 4 is a nice plane, a bit pricey for what it is IMO but nice. But I think those performance numbers are a bit optimistic. There's a video on youtube of a 915 powered Sling 4 that shows it cruising at 7000ft and making 137kts on just under 7.5gph. Then they speed up to 142kts true and fuel burn goes to 9.8gph. It might be capable of 155kts if you get it high enough but I'd doubt it'll do that speed on 8gph.Why has nobody mentioned the Sling 4 TSi yet??? 141HP turbo, lifts 1000lbs, 145-155kt cruise on 8gph, 800NM range or greater, parachute, modern design and flies beautifully. I still cant stop thinking how this fixed gear plane can beat an older Mooney M20C or M20E model in every category, and those are planes known for efficiency.
Glad I didn't go Cozy. I'm 2649 hours into a fast-build Velocity and still have not finished the airframe. Sand and trim to fit, rinse, lather, and repeat.
I am skeptical that the Rotax 915 iS, a four cylinder geared, turbocharged engine with an 85.2 cubic inch displacement turning over 5,000 rpm will reliably make 1,200 hours between overhauls. The power-to-weight ratio is phenomenal.I think the Sling 4 TSi is one of the best values in aviation. The video in South Africa a while ago did not have many of the aerodynamic features of their finished model now. This is Paul Dye’s photo.
The CH640 back seat is pretty tight. It's more like a 2 + 2, although there are options available to lower the rear seats, move the rear seats aft by 2.5" to give a little more legroom, and raise the rear seat cabin roof to provide more rear seat headroom.
http://www.zenair640.info/options.html
Comparison chart CH640, CH801, 1975 C-172, 1999 C-172R, 1965 Cherokee 140, 1981 Cherokee Warrior.
http://www.zenair640.info/comparison-chart.html
The Sling has a lot going for it. And I think it would be the best value if the RV10 didn't exist. But having roughly the same price tag as the RV10 which is bigger and faster definitely puts a crimp in the calculation IMO.I think the Sling 4 TSi is one of the best values in aviation.