RE: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Weight problems, was: is everyone here to bash Skycatchers?

> BTW:
> regarding the willingness to fly with not enough fuel....
> one of the axioms of flight is there is nothing more useless than
> runway behind you or
> air above you and you never have too much fuel unless the aircraft is
> on fire.
> R. Williams

Yes Richard,
but I have to think that 10 gals would be plenty for training flights,
and that would save (what?) 14 gals at 6 lbs... about 84 lbs.
That's getting into the ballpark...

Cheers,
Mike

>
> ---------- Original Message -----------
> From: UltraJohn >
> To: Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Sun, 8 Aug 2010 16:35:41 -0400
> Subject: Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Is everyone here to bash
> Skycatchers?
>
> > Thank your Jim!
> > Best response on this thread so far.
> > John
> >
> > On Sunday 08 August 2010 03:55:49 pm Jim Bair wrote:
> > > Richard,
> > > Others have already pointed out the math error making the situation even
> > > worse than you thought. The point I would like to toss out is this. In
> > > aircraft design, manufacturers and engineers have to design around a
> > > target, very typically a percentile of the population. For example, the
> > > military has very stringent physical standards (for a few reasons, but I
> > > digress) and you will notice there are no 300 pound fighter pilots.
> > > Ejection seats aren't built to handle that, the cockpits aren't sized for
> > > them. Someone who doesn't meet the physical size requirements may feel
> > > that it "isn't fair", but to build a system to handle everyone is
> building
> > > in design factors for a very small percentage of the population and
> > > denying the other 95% of the population performance that could be had if
> > > they weren't wasting space and weight designing around a huge cockpit. As
> > > a result, I don't think you're going to find a LSA built for 300#
> guys and
> > > their instructors. Personally, I would recommend getting over it and
> > > accepting it and moving on.
> > >
> > > Another recurring theme I see on this and other light aircraft
> lists is the
> > > belief that fuel tanks must be filled all the time. People are constantly
> > > grousing that they can't fill their tanks and all the seats in the
> airplane
> > > at the same time. My question is this.... Would they be happier if the
> > > tanks were half as big so they could fill them? Then they could say, "I
> > > can fill my tanks and my seats." I would say to that, "I wish my tanks
> > > were twice as big so when I want to go cross country by myself, I
> can fill
> > > the tanks and get decent range." Having large tanks gives more options.
> > > That concept is quite routine in large airplanes. You can't fill a 747
> > > with people, cargo, and fuel, and go to Hong Kong from Chicago. To make
> > > it to HK requires lots of fuel, and not being full of people or cargo. To
> > > be full of people and cargo, one may only make it Tokyo. Having large
> > > tanks increases options. So, when you do the math of what you can haul,
> > > don't always fill the tanks. In my helicopter, I just accept the fact
> > > that 2 people and half gas is about right on most days. If I wanted to
> > > take you up, It would be for a short ride when we are low on gas and on a
> > > cool morning or evening. That isn't a bad thing, it just is what it is.
> > > If I wanted to take you and I farther and in the middle of the day, then
> > > we need a bigger helicopter than an R-22. My advice (if you were asking)
> > > would be to get your dual in a C-172 or even larger.
> > >
> > > Jim
> > >
> > >
> > > From: Richard Williams
> > > Sent: Saturday, August 07, 2010 7:09 PM
> > > To: Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com
> > > Subject: Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Is everyone here to bash
> > > Skycatchers?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Anyway, 490 total payload.
> > > 24 gal fuel.
> > > (24*6=144)
> > > 490-144=346 for passengers..
> > > I'm 300 in my birthday suit.
> > > so 146 for a co-pilot/instructor.
> > > Hummmmm
> > > I'm not sure of any instructors who are that light.
> > > (Now, a nice lady co-pilot would be real nice.)
> > >
> > >
> > > R. Williams
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>

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