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Posted

I absolutely love Lightwings!!!!!!!!!!!

 

"Built like a brick ****house"

 

A couple based at Boonah SEQld

 

 

  • Like 1
Posted
they just don't fly like a taildragger should.......................

please explain ? 033_scratching_head.gif.b541836ec2811b6655a8e435f4c1b53a.gif

 

 

Guest Maj Millard
Posted

cficare, You sound like you've been bitten by one...generally the driver not the aircraft. As taildraggers go, pretty docile really. Most lowtime taildragger pilots who stuff up generally blame the aircraft for their inadequecies..............................................Maj...baby.gif.168ad10e40c5845c810810951ae4106c.gif

 

 

Posted
they just don't fly like a taildragger should

There's those that can, and those that can't.

 

 

  • Like 2
Posted
they just don't fly like a taildragger should.......................

Nothing wrong with the Lightwing they are a top aircraft in the right hands.

 

 

  • Agree 1
Posted
they just don't fly like a taildragger should.......................

About a year ago I counted up all the types I'd flown and it was seventy something and over half of them were draggers. A good tailwheel assembly makes a huge difference and can transform a 'bad' dragger into a good one. My all time favourites are the SuperCub and the Chipmunk and I'd rate the Lightwing third. The Lightwing is better than most because it has excellent crosswind capability, can be fully stalled for landing, has good visibility when taxying and the main wheels are well placed in respect of the CG so it's very easy not to groundloop it.

 

What do you find wrong with them cfi? And which draggers do you like?

 

 

  • Agree 1
Posted
Come have a look at my page....

Hey Doug, if you post a link to your page many more folks would go and look at it.... suggest you edit your first post and put it there, cheers, Alan

 

 

  • Like 1
Posted
Come have a look at my page in the social groups under Australian lightwing rotax 582 add your lightwing know any history of other I have already posted. ! 080_plane.gif.36548049f8f1bc4c332462aa4f981ffb.gif

Hey Doug... Said I "don't have permission" to view the Social Page... Might be a problem with your permissions stopping people from viewing.

 

 

Posted
Hey Doug... Said I "don't have permission" to view the Social Page... Might be a problem with your permissions stopping people from viewing.

OK... Worked it out. When you go to the Lightwing (and probably other) Social Group on the right you see "JOIN SOCIAL GROUP"... Click that and you are in.

 

Totally worth a bloody look too... Sorry for the Bloody but this Aircraft is just so Bloody Australian. I love 'em.

 

 

  • Like 1
Posted
Hey Doug, if you post a link to your page many more folks would go and look at it.... suggest you edit your first post and put it there, cheers, Alan

done thanks mate I worked out how to do it. 078_pc_revenge.gif.92f2d38a0e662b2e0b6cba4dc0ba5c35.gif

 

 

  • 9 months later...
Posted

Hey all i am currently learning on the lightwing and have only just started but it certainly does seem to be a nice little aircraft and hopefully i will be buying my own aircraft in the future.which type who knows at this stage but i suppose the type i should be looking at would be something not to fast but sensible for my hours and experience,something with a good history and popular. a type of a/c where i can continue to learn and increase my hours without costing the world in fuel etc. my instructor certainly seems to like them as a trainer and i suppose it all comes down to costs and your own personal choices and requirements but i certainly will check out Dougs site

 

 

  • Like 1
Posted

Hey Doug

 

Have been attempting to dial into your page on the Lightwing social forum but can't scare it up. Once I get into the Lightwing forum, there doesn't appear to be any 'click here' box to join the social group so I'm wondering if it may have accidently got dropped in one of the questionable 'improved format upgrades' of the web page. Any ideas? cheers Riley

 

 

Posted
Dont know what happen there ?

Fair enough. So.... do any of you sagacious forumites have any suggestions? I wanna talk Lightwing!

 

 

Posted

Sorry Riley, not able to talk Lightwings with you.

 

I did a few hours instruction in one - think it's the one you own actually, but couldn't land the bloody thing.

 

After being reasonably competent in a Thruster now, I often wonder how I'd go in the Lightwing. I might try one out one day if I can find an instructor who's game:cheezy grin:

 

Pud

 

 

Posted
Sorry Riley, not able to talk Lightwings with you.I did a few hours instruction in one - think it's the one you own actually, but couldn't land the bloody thing.

 

After being reasonably competent in a Thruster now, I often wonder how I'd go in the Lightwing. I might try one out one day if I can find an instructor who's game:cheezy grin:

 

Pud

Put a jerry can of fuel in the cargo dept of the Thruster and come over to Bindoon (Home of the dedicated Bushfly) and we'll get 'Gary God' to go up with you in 3658 for a few laps of T & G's. Having mastered the T-500, I doubt now that a LightWing could serve you up any serious grief. Besides, being such tough little buggers, they sneer at bouncy arrivals.

cheers Riley

 

 

Posted
Put a jerry can of fuel in the cargo dept of the Thruster and come over to Bindoon (Home of the dedicated Bushfly) and we'll get 'Gary God' to go up with you in 3658 for a few laps of T & G's. Having mastered the T-500, I doubt now that a LightWing could serve you up any serious grief. Besides, being such tough little buggers, they sneer at bouncy arrivals.cheers Riley

Yep, good idea.

 

Just gotta find the time, and weather, to do it.

 

Might drive on up to Bindoon one weekend and see how ya going.

 

Pud

 

 

Posted
Fair enough. So.... do any of you sagacious forumites have any suggestions? I wanna talk Lightwing!

What would ya like too know mate ,!

 

 

Posted
What would ya like too know mate ,!

Wanting to smarten myself up on the current state of the GA55 series Lightwing. Read somewhere that there were 17 factory built (VH regoed?) and am wondering how many more were kit/home built and what the break down was re: VH vs AUF. How many still flying? Were they all VW powered? What other power plants were retro-fitted (I'm aware of the Rotec one). Needless to say, there is yet another brainfade project lurking in the fuzzy confines of my imagination. In the interim, is there an effective address as to how I get into your LightWing page? cheers Riley

 

 

  • Like 1
Posted
Wanting to smarten myself up on the current state of the GA55 series Lightwing. Read somewhere that there were 17 factory built (VH regoed?) and am wondering how many more were kit/home built and what the break down was re: VH vs AUF. How many still flying? Were they all VW powered? What other power plants were retro-fitted (I'm aware of the Rotec one). Needless to say, there is yet another brainfade project lurking in the fuzzy confines of my imagination. In the interim, is there an effective address as to how I get into your LightWing page? cheers Riley

Wel mate can't realy help with the ga 55. I have a gr 582 the first production model which I very happy with it my second gr

 

 

Guest Maj Millard
Posted

I've been lucky over the years to fly the GA-55, GR 532, 582 and 912 which I currently own, plus Dougs' 25-032 which is the first factory produced aircraft, and also very historically the one that crossed Australia from West to East with two Flight-stars, supported by the Australian army.

 

Most of the GA 55 LWs (smaller Saphire type wing-single strut) have flaps standard, however there is one up here (kit built) without flaps. My 2000 model GR 912 has the same flaps as the GA model, ( factory option) and make it a much nicer aircraft to land than the standard wing without flaps. First image below is my GR 912 next to a GA 912 and you can see the difference in the wing size and shape, plus one strut Vs two. Same cabin and tail.

 

The GA is faster in cruise (especially with the reflex flap) but harder to land with the smaller wing. You can stuff up with the larger GR wing a dozen different ways, and still look good !..it just has the acreage !.....

 

The late Bill Starke turned me onto Lightwings as he was the dealer for Howie up this way, and he loved them. I first flew Pat McGraths GR 912 trainer (no flaps) with over 3000 hard training hours on it, and then flew his GA912 with flaps. Two quite different birds, with very different landing characteristics. The GA wing is 20 Sq Ft less in overall area, so really needs the flaps come landing time. In cruise the flaps reflex up about 5 deg for a free 6 kts of cruise speed. Why someone would kit build one of these without the flaps is beyond me !...Howie seems to think there were about 14-17 GAs built. We have three in this area now.

 

I flew Dougs GR 25-032 up years ago from Rockhampton to Townsville when it had a 532, and just a few months ago after a complete rebuild, and now a new 582 Bluetop. It is just a lovely little aircraft to fly and land, and after the recent rebuild is ready for another thirty years of fun, cheap, and safe flying.

 

We'll soon have another oldie rebuilt here, as a friend has just purchased an early GR 582 after 3000+ hours of hard station work. I know this mans work, and it'll come back looking like new, and in fairly short time also.

 

I've flown my GR 912 Heliview for about five years now, (600 hrs) and still look foward to jumping in her every chance I get !....The only way I could possibly improve her would be to clip the wings, or put her on floats. The things that I really like about the Lightwings are:..they are a classic taildragger, they have a really big cabin, they are tough, and they are heaps of fun to fly !....

 

Bit like an FJ Holden...., rugged, simple, easy to maintain, good to look at, and they just keep going !!...........My favourite model. ?...........love them all !........Maj....012_thumb_up.gif.cb3bc51429685855e5e23c55d661406e.gif

 

image.jpg.cda2458d4e459c225c0ea3eade224ae5.jpg

 

image.jpg.19ce56b3588be5004cf1f38882d62842.jpg

 

 

Posted

Not shore about the old Holden major , bomb.gif.8dfedc171d37efc22ba0dd32e933ffc0.gif i am a ford man all the old Holden I know die !!! drive.gif.1181dd90fe7c8032bdf2550324f37d56.gif

 

 

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