Sportstar

[Guest skipd]

I have been doing repair, maintenance and inspections on a Sportstar Plus. So far, I would have to say that this is one of the finest SLSA's I have seen. Easy to work on, easy to fly and supurbly manufactured. A real quality plane. Factory and local support has been terrific as well.

 

Local flight school has been putting 75+ hrs per month on the plane.

 

 

[Thx1137]

Our new planes were supposed to arrive last Tuesday. We had one Sportstar with a single tank in the fuselage and two with wet wings. I think all three of them are being replaced.

 

No more steam guages it seems. I will miss them!

 

Unfortunately when it comes time to buy it is out of me league :-(

 

Steven.

 

 

[Guest skipd]

Good to hear from you. I'm a steam gauge guy too, but I will tell you that the glass is really nice and extrememly accurate..........they are pricey for sure. Over here they sell at $110K+USD with all the bells and whistles.

 

Again, I must say, that they are a fine machine and the support has been great from the factory. The Rotax motors are extrememly reliable, just take care of them.

 

 

[lazerin]

I'll be starting my training in a sportstar soon, though it'll be the original no frills one. Doesn't even have an attitude indicator (not that it's needed, I know)

 

It's nice to hear good reports about it though. Doesn't seem like there are too many sportstar pilots on these forums. The Jab is definitely more popular here it would seem.

 

 

[Thx1137]

No attitude indicator? Do you mean DG (directional gyro/heading indicator)? The SportStar has a digital true-track readout instead which is pretty hoopy.

 

Sometimes I would like a high wing so I can see the ground out the side a bit better but it is hard to beat the bubble canopy and it is nice to fly. Not that I have flown anything else to compare it to yet!

 

Where are you going to be flying out of?

 

 

[lazerin]

Hehe, you guys must have jazzed up sporties down at Aldinga. Here's a panel shot of the one at parafield:

 

 

I'm still tossing up between Aldinga and Parafield....I'll try and head down to Aldinga and have a chat to them and see how it is compares to Parafield.

 

I do like the fact that Aldinga has more aircraft available (vs. 1 at parafield) and that they're newer and "nicer".

 

Sigh.

 

//back on topic

 

 

[Thx1137]

She sure is basic. :-) Here is a picture of one of ours. It is going to be a little sad to see it retire. I wonder how long it will take to assemble the new ones?

 

I like the Aldinga area and it is only 25 mins away from me in Happy Valley.

 

 

 

[ahlocks]

my little toy...well it's the bank's really, but they let me use as long as I keep making the payments...

 

Brand spanking

 

[ATTACH]6823.vB[/ATTACH]

 

A bit basic so...

 

[ATTACH]6824.vB[/ATTACH]

 

Bang in some flash bits

 

[ATTACH]6822.vB[/ATTACH]

 

It's all about the view

 

[ATTACH]6826.vB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]6825.vB[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]6827.vB[/ATTACH]

 

How the hell are you blokes getting the photos bigger?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lazerin]

Nice ride ahlocks! She does look sweet. I much prefer the red/white colour scheme to the blue/red/white.

 

From someone who hasn't formally learnt to fly yet, the cockpit just doesn't look right without an attitude indicator! Is it just in my head?? Haha.

 

To get the photos bigger, you have to have the url of the photo you want to display. The photo I used above is from my flickr account. So you have to use the following code:

 

[img=insert url of image here]

Steven, I'm at Myrtle Bank (near Fullarton), and it would be at least double that time for me to drive I reckon.

 

 

[ahlocks]

Hah! another nocturnal person! :thumb_up:

 

Funny you should think that way about the AI. I was the same way, as are several PPL friends who "wouldn't fly in a plane without one". Truth is, with the type of flying I'm mostly doing, I hardly ever use it or most of the other gizmos. A basic panel would have sufficed, but the gizmos are there for when needed and give a more completed look IMHO.

 

I do lots of 40 minute local sorties taking friends and family for scenics - it all about the view. When I do the occasional cross country jaunt, It's lift off and point toward known land marks and arrive at the destination in under an hour.

 

Come for a visit and I'll shout you a ride!

 

Cheers!

 

Steven B.

 

 

[lazerin]

Nocturnal is what I do best! Haha, truth be told, I should be studying like mad now, I'm in swotvac at the moment, but procrastination makes up 80% of my day.

 

Furthermore, there are now two Steven's on this thread! I got a little confused for a sec there .

 

Thanks for the offer, I'll keep you in mind if I'm ever in your neck of the woods, mate. ;)

 

 

[ahlocks]

Ahhh, you were talking to THX!! It did have me stuffed what you were going on about taking 'double the time to drive...' Thought if you're mad enough to drive ten hours, the very least I could do is shout you a run in the beer can!

 

 

[Admin]

Guys, just thought I would pop in and say that the way that ahlocks has done his images allows the page to load faster for users that are on slow internet connections as it create thumbnail versions of the images for the user to click to see the bigger ones - also if the user comes back to the thread to read a new post they don't have to wait for the large images that they have already seen to load again

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

[Barefootpilot]

Hmm if thats what you guys call basic I wonder what you think of my machine...

 

 

 

[Thx1137]

Guys, just thought I would pop in and say that the way that ahlocks has done his images allows the page to load faster for users that are on slow internet connections as it create thumbnail versions of the images for the user to click to see the bigger ones - also if the user comes back to the thread to read a new post they don't have to wait for the large images that they have already seen to load againHope this helps!

No worries. I just clicked on the "insert image" icon in the toolbar. I dunno how to do that thumbnail bit but I will work it out next time :-)

 

Steven.

 

 

[Thx1137]

I can't imagine it without an AI and really, dunno why. That is the first time I have seen a aircraft without one! I don't get around much though :-)

 

When my instructor covered it over during one of my flights I seemed to do a much better job of keeping the correct attitude during climbing turns for some reason.

 

The SportStar I was in last week has crossed 8,000 hours. They get a bit of use!

 

Steven.

 

 

[ahlocks]

Hmm if thats what you guys call basic I wonder what you think of my machine...

Umm..basic? :clown:.... But the view, Adam, the view!! :thumb_up:

 

P.S kick in a bit of right rudder. you're unbalanced..

 

 

[Barefootpilot]

Ha Ha it looks like its unbalance but its actually the home made slip ball from the previouse owner that is slightly out (I swear!!!)

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Lol..

 

The sporstar is a tidy ship alright..My favourite acft to fly at the moment..

 

It hands down beats the jab in almost all areas, except price..hehe...not knocking the jab...but you sit in a sportstar and you can "feel" the engineering...

 

Nice ride ahlocks:thumb_up:

 

 

[ahlocks]

They're slippery little buggas those Jabs. You have to hit the trigger as soon as you're 'on their six' or they get away from you pretty quick. :clown:

 

Dunno if I'd say it 'hands down beats them' though.

 

It's horses for courses Motz. People like different things. I have a low wing fettish, others like highwings...... and Adam likes leaning to the left

 

Hmmm, prolly should go and wind Major tailwheel up now that I'm feeling playfull.

 

Cheers!

 

 

[lazerin]

Low wings have that fighter jet feel.........the sweat flowing down your face as you're pulling the aircraft round in a turn...you feel the pressure....of the damn summer sun baking your head.

 

 

[Thx1137]

I just came back from my first flight in one of our brand new SportStars. It has a shade on the roof so you don't cook the noggin so much. :-)

 

All the controls are really stiff but she is pretty sweet to look at. I find the EFIS a bit difficult in flight but I guess I will get used to it. On approach the airspeed kept bouncing numbers between 60 and 67 knots. On the EFIS it just changes numbers instantaneously where the steam gauge I feel I have more of a sense of the trend, average speed. Still, it is my first time with it...

 

Steven

 

 

[ahlocks]

Is it one of the new flash ones with the modified canopy and not as twitchy steering?

 

 

[Thx1137]

yeah. Aileron trim, GPS, EFIS, leather seats, nice big RPM gauge, better (though very similar) fuselage styling, more cargo space (though the back shelf cant have anything heavy on it), more rudder area and the step on the wing is longer (starts closer to the trailing edge). There are a few other differences but that is most of what I am aware of.

 

I had a lot of trouble accessing the flap handle, the seat cushions were in the way. We also couldn't seem to adjust the radio volume so we had to do it from our headsets. Fortunately I now have my new ANR headset with volume controls!

 

Steven.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

has anyone done a mod for the rudder pedals.ie, something inbetween the left/right seat to stop guys taking off with feet on the wrong peddals?? theyare pretty close, and the plane our club is buying has been rebuilt after a dude cartwheeled down the runway for this reason... seems to be crying out for a a piece of alluminium or something as a divider??