Jay's New Plane

t0r0nad0

t0r0nad0

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
2,078
Location
Houston, TX
Display Name
Display name:
PJ Gustafson
Hey Everyone,

I just met up with new POA'er (courtesy of the RAP migration) Jay Maynard at Houston Executive Airport to check out the new Zodiak. He was in town to show it off to his father and give him and his signifiant other a ride. It's a pretty airplane! Here are a few pictures:

I introduced Jay to the ConUS Challenge and let him claim KTME:
IMG_1856.jpg


A quick taxi-by:
IMG_1861.jpg


On takeoff:
IMG_1867.jpg


Again:
IMG_1870.jpg


While he was up for his second hop, a big gust front moved through, swinging the winds from being fairly calm out of the south to being strong with big gusts out of the northeast. The original plan was for him to take off and come around to do a touch & go on 18 so I could get a shot of him landing, but the winds shifted, so he went around and joined the pattern for runway 36. He fought the crosswind all the way down, but pulled off the landing pretty well.

Short final:
IMG_1904.jpg


Really short final:
IMG_1905.jpg


I do want to give special thanks to the line guys at TME. They were very helpful and accommodating and drove me over to the side of the runway on a golf cart so that I could take these pictures. With service like this, I have no problem recommending them for your business as I will try to use them myself in the future.
 
Lovely Zodiac. Very impressive use of panel real estate fon such a small craft. Was it owner-built or is it now being offered as a certificated light sport plane?
 
Dart said:
Lovely Zodiac. Very impressive use of panel real estate fon such a small craft.
Click to expand...
They used a panel layout program to place everything, and then sent off a file to have the panel cut on a CNC mill. It's very well done.

Was it owner-built or is it now being offered as a certificated light sport plane?
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It's a factory SLSA. You can find out all about it at AMD's website.

I'd dearly love to build my own airplane, but I don't have anything approaching the time needed.
 
jmaynard said:
They used a panel layout program to place everything, and then sent off a file to have the panel cut on a CNC mill. It's very well done.


It's a factory SLSA. You can find out all about it at AMD's website.

I'd dearly love to build my own airplane, but I don't have anything approaching the time needed.
Click to expand...

That's a really nice paint and striping design. Is that a factory option, or did you customize?

Hey, you're on AMD's website! http://www.newplane.com/amd/amd/601_SLSA/photo_gallery.html


Trapper John
 
One of the interesting features is the dual throttle knobs on the left side. There's the one in the middle, but another one on the far left side of the panel. This is so the pilot in the left seat can fly with either hand on the stick, and still have the other hand on the throttle. Unfortunately, all of the radios are still in the middle, so it's probably better to keep flying with your left hand and still use the right for the throttle that's in the middle.
 
t0r0nad0 said:
One of the interesting features is the dual throttle knobs on the left side. There's the one in the middle, but another one on the far left side of the panel. This is so the pilot in the left seat can fly with either hand on the stick, and still have the other hand on the throttle.
Click to expand...
I remember Steve's IAR being like that too. It was a little confusing... of course a lot of things in the IAR were confusing to me. :redface:
 
Everskyward said:
I remember Steve's IAR being like that too. It was a little confusing... of course a lot of things in the IAR were confusing to me. :redface:
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I think Steve's IAR is set up that way more to have two complete sets of controls, including gear and flaps, for training purposes. Yes?
 
Trapper John said:
That's a really nice paint and striping design. Is that a factory option, or did you customize?
Click to expand...
The design is (almost; the swooped blue on the lower fuselage I borrowed from another of their aircraft) entirely mine. I started with a line drawing of the aircraft, and attacked it with Photoshop until I had what I wanted. The design goals were two fold: 1) leave no doubt in anyone's mind that it's the Tron Guy's airplane, and 2) be simple and tasteful without going hog wild. I think I succeeded, and the airplane turned out better looking than I'd hoped. AMD did a fantastic job turning the design into reality. The green (a color Krylon calls "honeydew") was matched to a paint sample I sent them, from the same paint I used on the costume.

AMD will work with a buyer to customize paint and graphics, and they're really reasonable about the cost, too (mine was $1500 extra).

Hey, you're on AMD's website! http://www.newplane.com/amd/amd/601_SLSA/photo_gallery.html
Click to expand...
I hadn't seen that. Thanks for pointing it out.


t0r0nad0 said:
One of the interesting features is the dual throttle knobs on the left side. There's the one in the middle, but another one on the far left side of the panel. This is so the pilot in the left seat can fly with either hand on the stick, and still have the other hand on the throttle. Unfortunately, all of the radios are still in the middle, so it's probably better to keep flying with your left hand and still use the right for the throttle that's in the middle.
Click to expand...
That's how I plan to fly it normally. Dual throttles are standard on the Zodiac, but most buyers delete the left one.

gprellwitz said:
I think Steve's IAR is set up that way more to have two complete sets of controls, including gear and flaps, for training purposes. Yes?
Click to expand...
I can't speak to Steve's IAR, but that's why I left mine the way it is (and specified dual trim, an option): the aircraft can be flown completely from either seat, and if I decide to get my CFI-SP, I can practice in the left seat until I get comfortable flying with my right hand.
 
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I'm working to de-confuse it, Mari. :) You should like the a/p I just installed and by the end of July it should have a mini-glass panel on the left side so you should feel right at home cuz it'll look just like a flight director. ;)

Yes, it's got dual everything but mixture. I've gotten a bit ambidextrous with the thing, occasionally reaching across with my left hand to set various things, and sometimes flying with my left hand to do the same with my right. Just whatever moves me at the moment. The left side throttle comes in handy for landings. It's pretty easy to fly from the right seat, too. I actually find the right side to be more natural since I tend to fly with my right hand most of the time. When I had the Cessna I was pretty much forced to fly with the left hand on the yoke. (Yoke bad, Stick good.)

Jay's gonna have to bring that Zodiac to Gaston's so we can all check it out. :yes:


Everskyward said:
I remember Steve's IAR being like that too. It was a little confusing... of course a lot of things in the IAR were confusing to me. :redface:
Click to expand...
 
On the paint: I have to admit more than a little trepidation when I submitted the design. I wasn't sure it would work when it came to the real aircraft...and I was very happy when I saw the first pictures.

There are very few green aircraft out there. Anyone know why that is?
 
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