What plane are you daydreaming about today?

An RV-9 is frequently among my daydream planes, too. Actually, it's more of a plan at this point. Aerobatic enough to compete in IAC sportsman class and fast and comfy enough to get there in style. I'd jones for an RV-8, but I've been told by the woman in charge of the checkbook that she doesn't want to be relegated to the back seat.
 
Eric Gleason said:
An RV-9 is frequently among my daydream planes, too. Actually, it's more of a plan at this point. Aerobatic enough to compete in IAC sportsman class and fast and comfy enough to get there in style. I'd jones for an RV-8, but I've been told by the woman in charge of the checkbook that she doesn't want to be relegated to the back seat.
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The -9 is not aerobatic, but I'm told they will do nice aileron rolls. :) I'm with you on the side-by-side configuration...works best for the passengers, IMO.

Fantastic plane though. Going to Osh last year, had 450 lb. of humans, 100 lb. of baggage and full fuel aboard, and it cruised happily at 155-ish KTAS at about 7.5-8.0 gph.
 
I believe in making dreams come true so, just a plain old 150 hp Supercub with some fat tires will do me fine.

beautifully-restored-piper-pa-super-cub-huge-alaska-tundra-tires-photo-was-taken-annual-eaa-airventure-45770684.jpg
 
Today’s dream is an old Mooney, the M-18 Mite. There aren’t many left flying. They few owners I’ve tracked down from the FAA database have all told me their plane was either disassembled or out of annual.
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
The -9 is not aerobatic, but I'm told they will do nice aileron rolls. :) I'm with you on the side-by-side configuration...works best for the passengers, IMO.
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You're right, I'm daydreaming of a -7. Though if the difference is only the length of the wing, it seems like the -9 will do all the aerobatics I'm interested in anyway.

Regardless, I've been told I can't build my own plane because I already spend too much time away from home, so when the time comes to find a used one for sale I'm just going to tell her "Look, honey, the only good ones that are for sale are the -8s." If you're going to have an aeroplane for pure, unadulterated fun, a center stick for the right hand and a throttle for the left is more better.
 
Eric Gleason said:
You're right, I'm daydreaming of a -7. Though if the difference is only the length of the wing, it seems like the -9 will do all the aerobatics I'm interested in anyway.

Regardless, I've been told I can't build my own plane because I already spend too much time away from home, so when the time comes to find a used one for sale I'm just going to tell her "Look, honey, the only good ones that are for sale are the -8s." If you're going to have an aeroplane for pure, unadulterated fun, a center stick for the right hand and a throttle for the left is more better.
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Yeah, I love the idea of building my own plane, but I also like to fly. I also have other hobbies, so spending 10 years building doesn't sound appealing to me. Wife also didn't like the seating of the Cub when we flew that for a bit.
I don't see myself doing a bunch of acro, so the longer wing is appealing.
 
FloridaPilot said:
For some reason Draco has grown on me:

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Okay but why not buy a PC6 Porter for a fraction of the price? Similar power and only 400lbs heavier. Draco is a toy. A cool toy, but not really good for real bush flying. The door is way too high up to get cargo in it, and it's a pretty tiny cabin.
 
I guess I’m lucky. I daydream about my own planes. Life’s busy and finding time to fly it is hard. No complaints, it’s the life I made. Off to work for a few hours and then off for a two day ocean fishing trip. ;)78F792C0-B41C-4EB0-BC30-2F4AB40EB1AE.jpeg
 
If by "real bush flying" you mean hauling barrels of fuel oil and toilet paper to places where people who need fuel oil and toilet paper probably shouldn't even be living I don't think I'd call that a "dream". Draco is a "toy" just like pretty much all of our personal airplanes here. Let's not turn it into "work" ;)
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Okay but why not buy a PC6 Porter for a fraction of the price? Similar power and only 400lbs heavier. Draco is a toy. A cool toy, but not really good for real bush flying. The door is way too high up to get cargo in it, and it's a pretty tiny cabin.
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I don't disagree, but the explosion in popularity of STOL bush planes has nothing to do with practicality. Damn near all of them are toys because guys think it's cool to land on a 100' gravel bar in the wilderness (I don't disagree with that either). Some of them are taking them camping/fishing/hunting in remote areas, but I think most of them are just taking them out to play. It's the airplane version of muddin'.

20 years ago we saw the same thing with SUVs. Almost nobody who owns one needs one and they're not practical vehicles. People just like them.
 
Real bush flying isn’t done in Exp-Exhibition category airplanes.

I like fuel oil and toilet paper. When I need it? I transport it. Whether someone else thinks I need to live there or not? Not their business!


1st flight.JPG
 
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Eric Gleason said:
I don't disagree, but the explosion in popularity of STOL bush planes has nothing to do with practicality. Damn near all of them are toys because guys think it's cool to land on a 100' gravel bar in the wilderness (I don't disagree with that either). Some of them are taking them camping/fishing/hunting in remote areas, but I think most of them are just taking them out to play. It's the airplane version of muddin'.

20 years ago we saw the same thing with SUVs. Almost nobody who owns one needs one and they're not practical vehicles. People just like them.
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I'm inclined to agree and I'm not hating on Draco. I was at the Capital Flight party, with all these famous bush guys, where it was debuted and it is a BEAST. Buuuuuuuuut he essentially built a slightly smaller PC6. If that's what he likes that's great but his plane already *almost* exists. Again I don't mean to armchair airplane build here, it just seems redundant to me personally. And I'm a contrarian... now that Draco is mainstream I have to be down on it somehow :)

Draco empty weight 2400lbs 680shp
Porter empty weight 2800lbs 550-680shp
Turbine Beaver empty weight 3000lbs 680shp

Now obviously Draco has the best power to weight ratio, but if you dumped 1.2m into a porter you could have the same power to weight ratio and a lot more airplane and still stop just as short.
 
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Mtns2Skies said:
I'm inclined to agree and I'm not hating on Draco. I was at the Capital Flight party, with all these famous bush guys, where it was debuted and it is a BEAST. Buuuuuuuuut he essentially built a slightly smaller PC6. If that's what he likes that's great but his plane already *almost* exists. Again I don't mean to armchair airplane build here, it just seems redundant to me personally. And I'm a contrarian... now that Draco is mainstream I have to be down on it somehow :)

Draco empty weight 2400lbs 680shp
Porter empty weight 2800lbs 550-680shp
Turbine Beaver empty weight 3000lbs 680shp

Now obviously Draco has the best power to weight ratio, but if you dumped 1.2m into a porter you could have the same power to weight ratio and a lot more airplane and still stop just as short.
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Oh, the Porter is just a Swiss Sex Machine to this pilot. Saw a military surplus one at Triple Tree and almost shot a.... never mind, If only...

The plane I was dreaming about this morning was a Bücker Jungmeister. I have no idea why especially since I’m not particularly partial to aerobatic open cockpit biplanes but I know it is worthy of plane lust.
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Mtns2Skies said:
... now that Draco is mainstream I have to be down on it somehow :)
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If you watched Patey's YouTube series on the Draco build you'll know the guy is out of control. Of all the things he's talented at sleeping ain't one of them :D
 
Unfortunately, while I love aviation, the plane I desire most doesn’t not exist. I would love a VTOL minivan.
 
Eric Gleason said:
I'm not hating on it either. I think it's cool and I'm impressed by Patey's skills and shop.
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Anybody know where those guys really make all their money? It can’t possibly be selling electric tugs.

Just curious.

I’ve never seen so many expensive modified aircraft out of anywhere other than a Rutan shop in decades. And there were a number of traceable income sources for the Rutans.

One of them flies for an airline, of course, but even that’s not paying for the parts for some of these crazy things.

I mean, I don’t care if it’s family money or smuggling or anything really, none of my business, I just can’t make the numbers work on the stuff they build. So I must be missing something.

Impressive stuff though.
 
Bill Watson said:
Oh, the Porter is just a Swiss Sex Machine to this pilot. Saw a military surplus one at Triple Tree and almost shot a.... never mind, If only...

The plane I was dreaming about this morning was a Bücker Jungmeister. I have no idea why especially since I’m not particularly partial to aerobatic open cockpit biplanes but I know it is worthy of plane lust.
64ce73db07e341f0e06431965fa3b086.jpeg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
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You’ve good taste. It’s been suggested that the Bucker is the sweetest, most delightful flying airplane,...ever. The entire Aresti cryptographic shorthand is based on it.
 
At OSH, I got full exposure to Piper Comanche's, never seen one in person before. I didn't get a chance to sit in one though but they are beautiful here is one I saw:

GOPR1759.JPG GOPR1760.JPG GOPR1761.JPG
 
FloridaPilot said:
No, it's only tragic when someone dies by accident NOT by choice!
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I used to think that way but over the years have become more 'sympathetic'. Just think what it would take for you to do the same thing he did (I know you'll say you never would and I would say the same, and that's my point) and think about how messed up they (you and I) would have to be to do that. It's sad that someone is going through that mentally and is that hopeless that they would take their own life. I can't imagine what they're going through. It's just sad to me because it is a human life.
 
denverpilot said:
Anybody know where those guys really make all their money? It can’t possibly be selling electric tugs.
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They started out building custom decks for very expensive houses and then branched out from there into all kinds of different businesses.
 
I'm dreaming about the one I already own getting fixed so I can fly it.
(parts are supposed to be in the mail so maybe tomorrow... or tues... hurry UPS).
 
BrianNC said:
I used to think that way but over the years have become more 'sympathetic'. Just think what it would take for you to do the same thing he did (I know you'll say you never would and I would say the same, and that's my point) and think about how messed up they (you and I) would have to be to do that. It's sad that someone is going through that mentally and is that hopeless that they would take their own life. I can't imagine what they're going through. It's just sad to me because it is a human life.
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Good point, you would have to be in a LOT of pain emotionally in order to do something like that. Like attracts like. If you put yourself through a lot of pain emotionally if has to surface itself somehow through ending your own life or ending the lives of others. I'm grateful that he didn't take out anybody else.
 
Pc12 ng is the plane I dream of every day but do not have a few mill to buy one though
 
denverpilot said:
Anybody know where those guys really make all their money? ...
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There is one interview with Mike Patey where he admits he never sleeps more than 3 hours a day. I don't know how he does it but watch that series he made on the Draco build, hes not making that up.
 
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