Slings across the Atlantic • Jo'burg >>Oshkosh • epic videos

[Garfly]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bosi72]

JP's flights around the world in a Cessna were also interesting..

[facthunter]

Bit like Russian roulette especially where you get involved with storms in a plane with no anti or de-icing.   Nev

[Garfly]

Yes, they were an exceptionally brave little trio wandering out into the Atlantic.

One of the PICs involved was an American airline pilot who came over to Joburg to build her own Sling High Wing kit

(in a hangar near the Sling company HQ) and, rather than have it shipped back, decided to join the others on their epic voyage to Oshkosh.

[rgmwa]

Those Slings are very capable aircraft. They've done quite a number of similar long distance flights now. 

[facthunter]

 None are immune from icing.  Nev

[rgmwa]

Yes, but lots of light planes have done similar trips going back to the biplane days without any anti or de-icing equipment.

It's just another risk that has to be managed as best you can if you are game enough to tackle something like that. 

[Garfly]

6 minutes ago, facthunter said:

 None are immune from icing.  Nev

 

No, indeed.  As they were acutely aware, as we find out by way of the amazing dialogue scenes, cutting in (sort of) real-time between the 3-cockpits.

I don't think there's ever been a video quite like it.

[facthunter]

Your first experience of it may well be your last though and don't even think about Hail. An experienced pilot friend of mine wrote off an Embraier in hail but survived. How would a fabric covered plane go?  Nev

[Garfly]

This video explains how the Sling 4 TSi high wing (145 Kt TAS / 950 Kg AUW) was (re)designed around the 915 iS with its 141 available horses. 

 

 

[skippydiesel]

They not only make very good aircraft, they are very good at promoting the same.

[facthunter]

 Lindberg did that ages ago but he was pioneering aircraft in general for long distance and had one of the best aircraft  purpose build (Ryan) built with an engine that was  being test run at full power for 50Hours.. One could question the validity of such flights as suitable promos for the modern U/L.  Nev

[440032]

Astute viewers of that series with the slings may notice the stall warning beeping at takeoff many times. Me thinks overloaded to hell and rear CG?

 

[facthunter]

The elevator position didn't indicate tail heavy, as far as I can recall. Nose heavy and it would lift less weight.  Nev

[Garfly]

 

 

13 minutes ago, 440032 said:

Astute viewers of that series with the slings may notice the stall warning beeping at takeoff many times. Me thinks overloaded to hell and rear CG?

 

Hell, yeah ... as the tag line of the first film puts it: "Taking off with a 1000lbs of fuel is TERRIFYING" 

(cf. The Spirit of St Louis which was carrying 1000lbs more fuel than it had ever carried taking off from Roosevelt Field in 1927.)

[facthunter]

A lot of the long distance attempts crashed on take off because they are way over normal take-off and structural  weight limits.   Nev.

[Garfly]

18 hours ago, facthunter said:

One could question the validity of such flights as suitable promos for the modern U/L.  Nev

How much more one could question when the U/L concerned is not a Sling but a Skyranger.

 

Below is one of the videos about French aviator Thierry Barbier's round the world Skyranger adventures.

 

Sadly, he did crash fatally, in the end but, ironically, not on one of his high risk legs but due an EFATO on a local flight in Kenya in 2016.

 

[A rough english translation is available via YouTube's Auto-translate function. ]

 

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by Garfly

[facthunter]

The Skyranger was approved by BCAR..  I don't see a lot of difference in principle. While the flight is a challenge I can't see what it proves when there is a lot of luck involved. . It's far removed from the general purpose and envelope they are expected to fly in.  Nev

[Garfly]

Well, the Sling 4 TSi is double the AUW and double the speed of the Ranger (and has a heater) just for starters.  Anyway, either type can prove that the adventurous spirit is alive and well. 

That Ryan of Lindbergh was way out of its envelope, too.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by Garfly

[facthunter]

It was special built state of the art with the best  and most reliable engine built at the time. Mail runs in single engined planes were par for the  course in the USA at night and in all weathers. I think the Ryan was in the air for about 36 hours.. It was built for the purpose so the comparison is not valid. Nev.

[Garfly]

No, not valid at all. The 2022 Sling TSi is at least 10 times safer for such a trip.

No need to count the reasons why. 

Anyway, I'm more interested in comparing the human spirit involved. 

[Garfly]

 

[facthunter]

So far I don't  know about the Vans R 5 it appears to make a Cessna 180 look terrific.   Nev