Glasair Sportsman 2+2

nddons

nddons

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
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13,304
Location
Waukesha County, WI
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Display name:
Stan
I love the idea of homebuilts. I will never be a home builder, due to lack of time, expertise, experience, and courage.

But over the last three years at AirVenture, I continue to be intrigued by this plane, and in particular their "Two Weeks to Taxi" program, where you build their aircraft at their facilities with their assistance over two weeks, to where you can actually taxi your own plane at the end of two weeks. They also perform all do the test flights as part of this program, because they don't like pilots learning how to be test pilots on their own EAB plane.

The plane is relatively quick, especially with a 210 hp Lycoming, can be converted to conventional gear to tricycle to floats, and back again. The wings fold back onto itself so it can be trailered or shoved in a small hangar. It has a lot going for it.

http://glasairaviation.com

Thoughts, positive or negative?
 
Always liked the plane,now like it even more ,with the diesel option.
 
I like it.
I can't afford it.
 
There is a local guy that built the original kit (I think it was just a sportsman...

Looks like a really nice ride.

I'm likely going for an rv... Many more out there so you can get someone to help if you have any questions...
 
For the price of the Sportsman you can get a quick built Bearhawk and be about as fast with 4 seats.
 
If or when I get the money, this is my next plane. I talked to them about the Deltahawk deisel but they were hooked on Contunental. The Deltahawk folks are on a shoestring but I think with their Cirrus fkying they may get some traction. I figure total cost around 300k.
 
I've always loved that plane. I wish I had funds and time to put one together. They have always appeared to be well constructed and very capable no matter where your flying!
 
 
Flew former Kitplane Editor Mark Cook's 2+2 at Chino a lifetime ago, great flying airplane. Think he had an IO-390 in it.

Roomy, comfortable, stick vs yoke. The Bearhawk comes in a very close second in my book as comparable in value, aesthetics and performance but I haven't flown a Bearhawk yet, that might tip the balance.

The Two Weeks to Taxi program is expensive but for someone lacking time, confidence or tools, would be the way to go if money is no object.

Good used bushplanes like jhausch has identified would probably win on bang-for-the-buck, but with a homeuilt that you make yourself you get to build, equip and paint it EXACTLY as you want it, with budget being your only limitation/cause for compromise.

'Gimp
 
I've flown one and logged time in it. Great airplane. Only thing I didn't like was the steel tubes obscuring the sides of the windshield but that is just a minor thing to get used to vs. flying a Cessna.
 
I will be buying myself a Sportsman the day after I cash my lottery check.
 
A friend of mine built one of the original kits which was called the Glastar and was sold by a company called Stoddard-Hamilton. They went belly up sometime in the mid 90's and people who had purchased and built partial kits, which was a popular way of doing kit planes, or who had made deposits, got burned. Fortunately my friend had already purchased and received all of the parts.

It's an unconventional design comprised of a tubular frame to which standard structure aluminum wings and a two piece composite shell fuselage are bolted. The horizontal stab and elevator are also aluminum. As for actual "bush" duty I wondered how well the tailwheel and stab would hold up on very rough territory as there is no structure back there other than the light composite empenage. For normal operations on well groomed strips it would most likely be fine. My friend built the tricycle version.

It's a neat airplane although I can't imagine putting two people in the back of one. I still have the original factory demo tape laying around somewhere.
 
The OMF Symphony 160 is the certified version.
 
Which I noticed in its heritage when I sat in it.

I earned my ASEL in a Symphony - N380MF. There are some differences. Symphonies had 160HP Lycomings, and no back seat. It flew like a Skyhawk with a stick.
 
It does not make for a very good float plane. Also it's a bit difficult to get in and out of if you have long legs.
 
nddons said:
I love the idea of homebuilts. I will never be a home builder, due to lack of time, expertise, experience, and courage.

But over the last three years at AirVenture, I continue to be intrigued by this plane, and in particular their "Two Weeks to Taxi" program, where you build their aircraft at their facilities with their assistance over two weeks, to where you can actually taxi your own plane at the end of two weeks. They also perform all do the test flights as part of this program, because they don't like pilots learning how to be test pilots on their own EAB plane.

The plane is relatively quick, especially with a 210 hp Lycoming, can be converted to conventional gear to tricycle to floats, and back again. The wings fold back onto itself so it can be trailered or shoved in a small hangar. It has a lot going for it.

http://glasairaviation.com

Thoughts, positive or negative?
Click to expand...


I like it as well, and factory building availability is what makes these projects manageable on a real time frame.
 
nddons said:
Which I noticed in its heritage when I sat in it.

I earned my ASEL in a Symphony - N380MF. There are some differences. Symphonies had 160HP Lycomings, and no back seat. It flew like a Skyhawk with a stick.
Click to expand...

It's a good instrument platform also. Got my IR in one this year.
 
nddons said:
I love the idea of homebuilts. I will never be a home builder, due to lack of time, expertise, experience, and courage.
Click to expand...

Don't let the last three of the above stop you. You can easily get past the lack of expertise, experience, and courage. Nothing about it is really that difficult. There is just a lot of it, and with a little practice, you can probably tackle it. But the time commitment is real.

I'm about to start an RV7. Once the compressor is delivered Friday, my shop will be complete. I have 0 experience with airplane building. I took an EAA workshop on sheetmetal. It was a great course, I learned a ton, and my confidence skyrocketed.

Again, nothing in the course is difficult. All it takes is a little explanation, a bunch of practice, and you can be on your way.
 
PilotRPI said:
Don't let the last three of the above stop you. You can easily get past the lack of expertise, experience, and courage. Nothing about it is really that difficult. There is just a lot of it, and with a little practice, you can probably tackle it. But the time commitment is real.

I'm about to start an RV7. Once the compressor is delivered Friday, my shop will be complete. I have 0 experience with airplane building. I took an EAA workshop on sheetmetal. It was a great course, I learned a ton, and my confidence skyrocketed.

Again, nothing in the course is difficult. All it takes is a little explanation, a bunch of practice, and you can be on your way.
Click to expand...

If you're riveting together a plane, it also takes a lot of ear plugs, buy the big box of good ones.;)
 
The RV is a better setup.
 
Henning said:
Than the Glasair? For what? Regardless they serve different missions, in what way do you feel an RV project is superior to Glasair's?[/QUOTE

I was about to say, there is no comparison what so ever... The RV is about 20 mph faster but their luggage compartment is relatively tinny. Their wings don't fold. You cannot change from one gear to the other. And low wings suck for camping or overflying a remote strip to make sure it's free of obstructions. However they are less than half the price of the Sportsman.
Click to expand...
 
PilotRPI said:
Don't let the last three of the above stop you. You can easily get past the lack of expertise, experience, and courage. Nothing about it is really that difficult. There is just a lot of it, and with a little practice, you can probably tackle it. But the time commitment is real.
Click to expand...

that's what I'm seeing. I know of a few people at our local airport that have been working on projects for years. I don't know how people squeeze this into their schedule.
 
iHenning is absolutely correct. Riveting is louder than I thought, as is the air drill. I use shooting muffs, but a bulk container of foam plugs works well too!
 
For the mission I would prefer the sportsman,wouldn't turn down an RV if it was given to me. The experimental's are looking better every year.
 
$92K and I've put about $30K into her. About the same as a loaded 2+2 maybe?

I can eat a 2+2's lunch ...

And the chicks dig me. :lol:

 
txflyer said:
$92K and I've put about $30K into her. About the same as a loaded 2+2 maybe?

I can eat a 2+2's lunch ...

And the chicks dig me. :lol:

Click to expand...

I love a 180, but I would still take the Sportsman because it's plastic and glass and I can put it on plastic and glass floats and operate on salt water with no major corrosion issues to worry about, plus I can swing the wings back and ship it anywhere in the world in an enclosed trailer or hoist it onto the deck of a boat.
 
I've had my Sportsman for about 4 years now and every time I fly it, I marvel what a great plane it is for me. I'm 6'7" 200 lbs and it is very comfortable. I flew out to Arlington to investigate the TWTT program and found it very professionally run. I ended up buying my TWTT plane from the builder when he had less then 150 hrs on it but I was ready to sign up.

I had it as a trike the first year but now as a tail dragger and it's so much fun to fly. I can land on short grass strips and still cruise at 142 kits burning about 10 gal/hr or lean it out to about 130 at around 8. ( I have a 390 in it). I've taken it to Oshkosh several times and just threw everything I needed in the back. With a useful load of over 1000 lbs and no CG issues, it's a load and go plane.

I've got an AFS panel and Trutrak autopilot and Garmin stack and the plane is a very stable IFR platform. It's easy to fly and just a lot of fun.

When I went looking for one plane that had the best of all worlds, for me, the Sportsman fit the bill.
 
Henning said:
...I would still take the Sportsman because it's plastic and glass and I can put it on plastic and glass floats and operate on salt water with no major corrosion issues to worry about...
Click to expand...

Only the clam-shell fuselage is glass, the wings and stab are aluminum and the inner structure that holds it together is steel tubing.
 
Silvaire said:
Only the clam-shell fuselage is glass, the wings and stab are aluminum and the inner structure that holds it together is steel tubing.
Click to expand...

Really, well crap, that means I need a set of wings to make molds from and make some plastic ones. Steel frame I can cope with.
 
Hey H., you can build your own experimental 180.

It's called the super cyclone.

http://www.produitsaviatech.com/?l=2&section=1&page=31&idVolet=24&scriptAffichage=2

1945940.jpg
 
Yeah, I know, I helped a guy on his build for a bit. Neat kit and if he ever sells it, I'll buy it. However, it's metal so that's a point off, but the real points off come on the support end of the deal. There were a lot of parts that weren't being delivered in a timely manner. Luckily for this guy, he had the shop and the skills to plan build any and all parts. The only way I will tackle an experimental is with a factory build assist option. I worked building small fiberglass LSA optionable planes. I know what having not only the tools, materials, and facilities on hand required, but also the knowledge base and an extra experienced set of hands there to help at the sticky spots so you don't lose two hours trying to put together a three handed assembly with two. Plus you have the designers/engineers right there to advise on personal mods.
 
Henning said:
Yeah, I know, I helped a guy on his build for a bit. Neat kit and if he ever sells it, I'll buy it. However, it's metal so that's a point off, but the real points off come on the support end of the deal. There were a lot of parts that weren't being delivered in a timely manner. Luckily for this guy, he had the shop and the skills to plan build any and all parts. The only way I will tackle an experimental is with a factory build assist option. I worked building small fiberglass LSA optionable planes. I know what having not only the tools, materials, and facilities on hand required, but also the knowledge base and an extra experienced set of hands there to help at the sticky spots so you don't lose two hours trying to put together a three handed assembly with two. Plus you have the designers/engineers right there to advise on personal mods.
Click to expand...


That would suck to buy a kit and then not receive parts on time or ever ...

I would take the same route you suggest if I were going to build one. I would need the expertise, the tools, the extra hand ... besides, it's a lot quicker.

I meet guys who have years and years into a project and while I admire them, I can't get my head around it. I want to fly! :yesnod:
 
txflyer said:
That would suck to buy a kit and then not receive parts on time or ever ...

I would take the same route you suggest if I were going to build one. I would need the expertise, the tools, the extra hand ... besides, it's a lot quicker.

I meet guys who have years and years into a project and while I admire them, I can't get my head around it. I want to fly! :yesnod:
Click to expand...

Same here, if I can't be flying it in 6 weeks of work, it's not for me. I don't have that time to dedicate to building. There are plenty of builders out there that do spectacular work who don't want to fly, they want to build and you can buy from them almost completed projects and the engine and panel and they or you can finish them out. They go build another and someone else gets to fly off in the last. That's how I got my Midget Mustang.
 
txflyer said:
$92K and I've put about $30K into her. About the same as a loaded 2+2 maybe?

I can eat a 2+2's lunch ...

And the chicks dig me. :lol:

Click to expand...

at first glance, it's a nice plane but the wheels and wings are in the wrong place. :lol:

j/k that plane looks great.
 
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