Is there still a skyranger dealer in Australia

[davebmooney]

Can't find an Australian dealer any more when doing a Google search, is there still one in Oz.

[Garfly]

 

Hi Dave,

Greg Robertson is no longer handling it.  Blueadventures, on this forum, though, has up to date info about all that.

Flylight Airsports in the UK is now the best place for info on the Skyranger/Nynja range.

 

https://www.flylight.co.uk/

 

[eightyknots]

I wonder why there is no dealer Down Under?

[Blueadventures]

2 hours ago, davebmooney said:

Can't find an Australian dealer any more when doing a Google search, is there still one in Oz.

Hi Dave 

There is a rep in South Australia (Stewart), pm me and I'll reply with his contact.  Greg mentioned that he offered the Webb site he had running and they did not take the offer and keep the site going as they work off thier UK site.  Flylight Airsports.

 

Perhaps things will change when they can supply factory 600kg aircraft and we see some flying in Australia.

 

Except for a lack of a dedicated Australian webb site they are a very well written build manual and I had no missing parts in my kit.

 

They are a pleasure to fly.

 

Cheers  

 

[Blueadventures]

10 minutes ago, eightyknots said:

I wonder why there is no dealer Down Under?

One reason would be that not a 600kg MTOW aircraft at present.  For the past 18 moths or so the airframe and wings of all Swifts and Nynjas are 600kg; they are just finalising the 600 kg undercarriage.  Then they will be a 600kg aircraft approved aircraft.

 

Mine is 286kg light and 540kg MTOW.   I expect the 600kg upgrade may add about 10kg to light weight so an extra 50kg payload.  I'll make a removable pod under for my chairs and tent to save storage in cabin area.  Will be awesome then.

[davebmooney]

Cheers all it's on my short list especially @600kg ,do they still have the tail dragger option. 

[eightyknots]

3 hours ago, Blueadventures said:

One reason would be that not a 600kg MTOW aircraft at present.  For the past 18 moths or so the airframe and wings of all Swifts and Nynjas are 600kg; they are just finalising the 600 kg undercarriage.  Then they will be a 600kg aircraft approved aircraft.

 

Mine is 286kg light and 540kg MTOW.   I expect the 600kg upgrade may add about 10kg to light weight so an extra 50kg payload.  I'll make a removable pod under for my chairs and tent to save storage in cabin area.  Will be awesome then.

Does your one have the 600 kg wing? ...or are you planning to 'beef up' your wings to the higher weight performance??

Edited January 14, 2021 by eightyknots
Addition of second question.

[Blueadventures]

33 minutes ago, eightyknots said:

Does your one have the 600 kg wing? ...or are you planning to 'beef up' your wings to the higher weight performance??

I have the upgrade kit in my hangar so when have time will fit, most likely when the undercarriage is available and fitting won't interrupt flying too much.  Not a big job just time poor at present:)

 

The bits are listed in the new Nynja to area thread.

Edited January 14, 2021 by Blueadventures

[Blueadventures]

On 14/01/2021 at 11:29 AM, davebmooney said:

Cheers all it's on my short list especially @600kg ,do they still have the tail dragger option. 

Hi Dave  This image came up on facebook site  'Skyranger FR'   and there is another site 'Skyranger Pilots'.  Maybe join those sites and ask information questions and performance of the tail wheel variants people have built.  Cheers.

[Student Pilot]

Wonder why they changed it to a tailwheel? Too much control with the trike? Landings too good? Need the "Tailwheel swagger" when you enter the aero club bar? Like feeling superior compared to the also-rans who fly trikes?

This is tongue in cheek of coarse but there might be a grain of truth to the way some tailwheel pilots like to carry on 😁

[Garfly]

Hey SP,

 

For a start, some people (even some I know) like the look of taildraggers better; even going to the trouble of a nose job to get it.  

 

 

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

The obvious answer to why they have a TD is you can get them in and out of a lot more rougher strips than you can with one that has the training wheel 🙂   

[Student Pilot]

2 minutes ago, Kyle Communications said:

The obvious answer to why they have a TD is you can get them in and out of a lot more rougher strips than you can with one that has the training wheel 🙂   

I have to disagree with that

[Student Pilot]

There are some aircraft that do look betterer in conventional gear configuration I must admit. The poor old Tri Pacer being one!

[Kyle Communications]

Yes but I dont think they do it for looks

 

[kasper]

3 minutes ago, Student Pilot said:

I have to disagree with that

Disagree all you like - thats your perogative.

Those of us who fly STOL and slow taildraggers into and out of paddocks and unprepared grounds will quietly just keep on doing it whilst our nose dragger friends pootle on past to the nearest prepared strip to preserve their training wheel.

😛

[Kyle Communications]

My S-21 I have here is a TD..they also have a nose dragger as well and it is built much stronger but for a more rougher strip but you cant beat a TD for anything off field or rough..as Kasper says

[Student Pilot]

Perspective. Yes if you fly in and out of VERY rough areas a tailwheel is stronger. The biggest percentage of strips that most operate out of  (not nosedragger as it goes first before the mains) a nosewheel aircraft is just as capable. I have flown a few tailwheel hours, I have a bit of an idea how capable they are. 
I have changed an aircraft to a tailwheel just for looks. It was no faster and no more capable, take off and landing no shorter than the trike. But it was pretty

 

Edited January 25, 2021 by Student Pilot
Brainfart

[Garfly]

4 hours ago, kasper said:

Disagree all you like - thats your perogative.

Those of us who fly STOL and slow taildraggers into and out of paddocks and unprepared grounds will quietly just keep on doing it whilst our nose dragger friends pootle on past to the nearest prepared strip to preserve their training wheel.

😛

Don't worry, old SP's just stirrin' the pot a wee bit. He's had countless hours in and out of paddocks in all ag types ... including the nose-wheeled Fletcher and the tail-wheeled Air Tractor seen here. 

Edited January 25, 2021 by Garfly

[Garfly]

How about a Lone Ranger with tail-wheel/skid AND skis?  (That'd turn heads at the club!  ;- )

 

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by Garfly

[Student Pilot]

Looks pretty good Gazza. A trike that outperforms most tailwheels is a  Zenith 701, not much can take off and land that short.

[Garfly]

 

Talking of adventurous French rag&tubers, this is a fascinating guy who roamed the world in his Ranger on a mission to save the planet.  He had many ups and downs along the way in Africa.

(Rough english subtitles are available on YouTube [auto translation])

 

 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by Garfly

[Garfly]

Sadly, after surviving all of that in his Skyranger he flew back to Africa a year or two later (2016) in a new Nynja to complete the adventure but was killed in an EFATO accident in Kenya.

 

https://www.aerobuzz.fr/breves-aviation-generale/thierry-barbier-meurt-dans-un/ 

 

This is the Kenyan official accident report.

 

Accident report NYNJA F-JSCZ 14 March 2016.pdf

Edited January 26, 2021 by Garfly

[Garfly]

20 hours ago, Student Pilot said:

Looks pretty good Gazza. A trike that outperforms most tailwheels is a  Zenith 701, not much can take off and land that short.

This is a French knock-off of the 701:

 

 

[Blueadventures]

On 14/01/2021 at 11:29 AM, davebmooney said:

Cheers all it's on my short list especially @600kg ,do they still have the tail dragger option. 

Last night face book showed a video of the factory drop testing the 600 kg undercarriage and it performed great.  Said "coming soon" so approval must be on the horizon.

 

Will be good when available; I'll be fitting one for sure.

 

Cheers

Mike

Edited February 12, 2021 by Blueadventures