Cheetah kit

[Guest Guest]

Hi

 

i was wonderring whether anyone has built a Cheetah kit as supplied by Garry Morgan.

 

I want to buy an aircraft early next year, but have found that I can't readily afford what I want, unless I get an old aircraft. The Cheetah seems to have what I want, and doesn't appear too difficult to build, but I really wouldn't know. the only aircraft I have built in the past was a balsa wood RC aeroplane about 8 years ago.

 

Any advice and thoughts would be useful.

 

Thanks.

 

 

[pylon500]

Have a look in the latest magazine, September, add #565.

 

Arthur.

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Hi Kuzzy

 

I am also interested in building a Cheetah. I have spoken to Garry & have flown the Cheetah. I think it is such good value for money all that is holding me back is the $$$$

 

Garry has a DVD available on the building of the Cheetah to help. Which state are you in.

 

 

[Guest danda]

I havn't built a kit however I do own a Super Diamond and I think its a great little aircraft.

 

I find Garry an easy bloke to deal with and fair dinkum the Cheetah is a great little 2 seat performer I have flown it and if I had the money I would upgrade.

 

When you consider the cost + performance in todays market and for that matter the verstility you can personalise it andmake it your own.

 

I say from experience go for it.

 

Don danda

 

 

[Guest kuzzy]

I would love to build a Cheetah, but alas I have several problems:

 

I have nowhere to build it;

 

I have no money (could easily get a loan, so that is not really an issue);

 

I want an aircraft that I can fly now;

 

I have never built an aircraft before (I did build a radio contralled plane, the priciples must be similar).

 

I think perhaps I have to buy a second hand aircraft to see me through the next few years before trying my hand at building something.

 

Does anybody have a second hand cheetah or similar for sale?

 

I really like aeroplanes.

 

Sorry for this pointless posting but I've had a long day at work and have just come back from the gym.

 

 

[Guest kuzzy]

Definitely would be a bargain.

 

Has anyone built a cheetah, what skills are involved?

 

What time frame would be involved, I would want to be flying it in less than 12 months. Is that an unreasonable timeframe to build an aircraft in?

 

 

[pylon500]

Of all the assorted processes involved with building a CHEETAH kit, the initial assembly is probably the easiest.

 

You need to be able to use a drill, a hacksaw and a pop rivet gun.

 

Use of a rule and a file would be nice.

 

You would need a small assortment of spanners from 3/8 to 5/8 open end and ring, the usual screwdrivers, some cheap lightweight ratchet straps (for pulling skins into place) and maybe a few G clamps

 

It probably wouldn't hurt to have some Cleco's and pliers.

 

Things will get interesting when you get to the covering stage, but if you've built models, you'll pick it up.

 

As for time frame, that depends on how much time you want to put in each day.

 

Get home, have tea, start by 7:00pm and work till around 11:00 three nights a week plus a good days work on one day of the weekend, and you could built a CHEETAH in about 8~12 months.

 

I think Gary built the prototype in about three months, but that was full time and he works like a slave. :ah_oh:

 

Arthur.

 

 

[Guest AusDarren]

Great Article about your purchase of the super diamond Don in the Nov RAAus Mag. most impressive..

 

Its great that you have been able to achieve your plane..

 

I take some inspiration From it..

 

Does Garry charge a lot more for the fully built Aircraft?

 

All the best,

 

Regards,

 

AusDarren

 

 

[pylon500]

You would have to wait a while for a demonstrator aircraft, and for Garry to be in need of some cash to get an already finished and flying aircraft.

 

As per the rules, only one finished aircraft can be sold per year by anyone that has built an un-certified (10-XXX, 19-XXX, 28-XXX registered) plane.

 

Aircraft must also have flown off it's test flight time, 40 hours for a new model or I think 25 hours if others of that model are already flying.

 

Arthur.

 

 

[Guest micgrace]

I have checked out the Cheetah design as best as I can. It would appear a lot of the grunt work has been completed with the Cheetah kit i.e. chromoly fuselage done and simpler construction style than some (fabric covering, that gets rid of quite a bit of riveting) and shouldn't be too bad for a first timer.

 

As for getting a completed one (Cheetah), not easy I think. There are no factory certified ones available, if there was I'd hate to guess the cost nowdays. Probably the quickest kit to build, and doesn't seem to require much in the way of skills to do I've seen appears to be the Skyranger. Seems almost mechano like. Check out their site. www.skyranger.com.au

 

Micgrace

 

 

[Guest kris]

Hi guys,

 

just joined yesterday, are flying a Tecnam Sierra (not my plane) 45 hours still doing nav's,have been looking at the Cheetah for above 1 year have emailed Garry, but still unsure. Any imformation about the kit and costruction, from you guy's would helpful.

 

regaurds

 

Kris

 

 

[pylon500]

As mentioned earlier, the Super Diamond and the Cheetah are fairly simple to build.

 

They may not be completely idiot proof, but a little thought and an acceptance of what to expect for your money and a cheap, flyable aircraft can be built.

 

At least two kits (see below) are ready for flight of the twelve or so kits sold so far.

 

Arthur.

 

 

 

 

[Guest kris]

Thanks guys for thr information and the pic's help a lot, have emailed garry for more information, hope to hear from him soon. If you have more pic's I would like to see them, once again thanks for your help

 

Kris

 

 

[Guest Flygirl]

Hi there, I saw your message on the site ,that you may like a Cheetah, We may be able to help you out, new aircraft,not flown $65,000 built by a aircraft sheety phoner Tim0403149659

 

 

[Guest kris]

Chris great pic's, saved and printed them. I have received 2 DVD's from Garry, 1 off the Cheetah Flying the other construction pic's, looks great. A few questions for you, is the front wheel steerable? or do you use the main gear brakes to steer. Also I can't see any flaps in the photos. Dose it have any?

 

Flygirl, thanks for the offer, but I would enjoy building the Cheetah. I think it would be a great project. Keep me off the streets for a few hours,ha.

 

Kris

 

 

[Nev25]

I would love to build a Cheetah, but alas I have several problems:I have no money

Yeah I would love to build too

 

Pity theres not PLANS available

 

I personally think scratch-building form plans is an easier way of financing over a long period

 

 

[Bigglesworth]

Hi, I just bought a kit Cheetah but haven't even picked it up yet let alone started work on it. But I can tell you that, yes, the front wheel castors, there is now an option of toe disc brakes which I am the first to get (I think), It has no flaps (enough work building as is).

 

 

[Guest kris]

Thanks & Hi, Bigglesworth,

 

Have received 2 dvd's from Garry, 1 construction photo's, the other all three aircraft flying and a walk around the Cheetah, looks great. I think it will take more than the 300hrs to build this baby, it will be fun, I think. Hope to have money this time next year to buy the Cheetah. Getting new house in about 6-8 weeks, money all spent. I would like to keep up with your little project, as you build your baby. looking forward to your construction photo's and any information about your project, all the best with the Cheetah, you lucky "B"

 

Kris

 

 

[Bigglesworth]

Have got the kit, have spent a week at the factory and would recommend that path to every one else (the purchase and the week at the factory). I would put pics up, but things go together so quick that there isn't time for pic taking. I will keep working and in a couple of months it will be finished. Then I will have more time. It has been so fun so far that I am thinking of writing an article about building it for the RAA mag if they accept it.

 

So sorry for nothing now, wait for big write-up and look for me upwards.

 

 

[slartibartfast]

BigglesWorth - I'm going back to Taree to sort mine out this weekend.

 

Soon there'll be 2 in this area. We'll have to introduce them to each other. Perhaps they'll breed.

 

Here's Garry, the Cheetah, and Arthur's (Pylon500) mum in it at the RecFlying flyin.

 

[ATTACH]2456[/ATTACH]

 

Ross

 

 

 

[Bigglesworth]

Race you to finish your kit.

 

Best of luck with yours, I'll come and see you when I've finished.

 

Are you calling yours the 'Heart of Gold' ? :)

 

Keep in contact, I'll see if I can help with any problems if I have passed them first. And I'll ask you in return. But most of my questions are like "what do you do when you accidentally put bolt A into hole B instead of a rivet, and now where do I get another bolt A?" :)

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Heart of Gold = not a bad idea. If it had an infinite improbability drive maybe. But that's impossible - or at least extremely unlikely. :big_grin:

 

I'm cheating (cheetahing?). I'm buying it fly-away.

 

Their first offering with that new option.

 

I can't wait long enough to build my own. I'm throwing away obscene amounts of money renting OPs.

 

Going to the RecFlying Flyin alone cost me about $3500. Doesn't take many of them to buy an airplane.

 

 

[Bigglesworth]

If I remember correctly, Tim told me that told me that the person buying the built one wanted a higher canopy and rather than modify the existing one, he was going to build an entirely new one. So I will be racing Tim. A bit of a no contest. You will get a better built plane earlier than me. But I will get a cheaper one, and have it more personally customized than you. Please don't beat me to requesting the rego number 4242; for me this plane is twice the meaning of life, the universe and everything, :)

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Yep. Haven't decided if I need the higher turtle deck and canopy yet. One of the things I'll check this weekend.

 

You'll get lots more satisfaction when you're finished. I'll just get the plane of my dreams

 

Tim is already well into it, so it shouldn't be long. I haven't even paid a deposit yet. He and his dad are great guys to deal with.

 

<Big Kev mode>I'm excited</Big Kev Mode>

 

 

[Bigglesworth]

I'd better hurry up, I have got the tube frame built and the spars almost.

 

I haven't got a loan approved yet so I might get stuck without a motor :(

 

How many rubber bands do you think I need?

 

Considering that Garry's designs come from models, it might work

 

I think I managed to attach a picture of how far I got.