New Aircraft at Caboolture

[Geoff13]

I am looking forward to the next few weeks. CRA have today taken delivery of the first A32 Vixxen aircraft sold in Australia. It will be online soon alongside the C140 taildragger that arrived last week. So some new aircraft that will provide an opportunity to do some totaly different type of flying. Some longer trips in the Vixxen. And the taildragger, can't wait.

 

 

[microman]

Will be interested in your thoughts on the A32 - have you flown the earlier model? We have a few here in NZ and they are highly-prized by their owners. Just how they are able to get so much more performance out of the A32 seems quite amazing.

 

 

[GAFA]

Dropped in there today, both the Vixxen and C140 are on line. Was able to have a close look at the Vixxen and it looks like a nice machine and at $210 dual it's a great price.

 

 

[GAFA]

 

Photos of the Vixxen taken today.

 

 

 

[GAFA]

And a photo of the Foxbat and Vixxen.

 

 

 

[shafs64]

so has anyone flown this new plane yet.

 

 

[Geoff13]

I did fly it once. It was a very windy day and I had the C140 booked but was to windy for a second session it it so took the Vixxen with an instructor.

 

Upper airwork very forgiving more a mush than a stall in the high 20's indicated airspeed.

 

Cruise at a very comfortable 110-115 knots.

 

The yolk was a new experience for me having only ever been in one other plane with a yolk for just 3 circuits.

 

I found her to be very pitch sensitive. It seemed to me to be heavy on the ailerons and very light in pitch which would take some practice and coordination.

 

I could not see to many people who had learned on and only flown a Foxbat or similar jumping into the Vixxen without a few sessions to convert.

 

She was a handful to land but having said that it was a fairly rough day and I did only have a couple of try's before bailing out due to the wind.

 

I am concentrating on the C140 first best to try and learn one at a time, but personal issues have kept me on the ground for a while. Maybe next week I will get back into the air.

 

 

[shafs64]

thanks geoff. i haven flown since last november because of shoulder surgery and trying to work out if i should go back on the sling of try one of the foxbats. what panel does the vixxen have

 

 

[GAFA]

For those wanting to fly a Sling, the Royal QLD Aero Club's former Sling is now on line with Air Queensland at Redcliffe. This particular Sling has toe brakes fitted and means they now have two RAAus aircraft on line (and a reasonable size GA fleet), the other being the Tecnam P2008.

 

 

[shafs64]

has that got the fuel injected rotax in that sling. and does it have two glass panels or one in that sling.

 

 

[GAFA]

It has the dual glass panel (photo below). I think it has the Rotax fuel injection, but not 100% sure, only found out 2 days ago they have it online.

 

 

 

[shafs64]

thanks most of the slings have the new rotax. and having one at Redcliff would save me 20 minutes travel.