Sportstar

[Thx1137]

I have read that before but can't see how you could use the wrong peddles! I will have to have a look next time! The older ones (ours anyway) had a little bracket at a right angle to the outside of the foot. I didn't like it much myself. The way I rest my feet was a bit of a problem because The bracket would catch on me sideways turned foot. It is hard to describe without pictures!

 

Steven.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Slightly off subject but I popped into Aldinga yesterday, just to say high and have a coffee, like you do. Anyway, what a busy day. The Aldinga Aero Club were holding their annual spot landing comp with the Airline Pilots Guild and Adelaide BiPlanes were celebrating the 50th birthday of their little Turbulent, the oldest Turbo still flying. Add to that a full day of training, including their Sportstars, the Tiger Moth and Decathelon standing by, and I'd forgotten my camera, damm. Worst still, I don't normally carry a mobile phone but where was it yesterday, in my pocket. Where was my brain, still wondering.

 

 

[Thx1137]

Bugger, they must have packed all that in by 4pm! There were a couple of machines flying around at 4pm but when I went up they all seemed to disappear!?

 

I even had my video camera with me so it was a pity I wasn't there earlier!

 

Steven.

 

 

[Squid]

New Sportstar

 

Had a fly of the new SportStar at Aldinga today. A very tight and tidy aircraft, although the eyes kept wandering away from the glass. That may take some extra effort

 

Looking forward to my next adventure.

 

 

[Mick]

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??

The school at Warnambool Vic had added a bracket to their Sportstar, as the buyer of our Sportstar 24-4010 was to be cross-hiring to this school I believe they were planning on adding it to 4010 as well.

 

When you see what they have done it is a pretty simple fix.

 

Myself in over 200 hours in the Sportstar I personally never had an issue with it.

 

Cheers

 

Mick

 

 

[Thx1137]

Hey Squid. Were you having a look at it with me and Leo yesterday? I found it harder to work out what was going on with the EFIS. Just practice I suppose...

 

Steven.

 

 

[Squid]

Steve,

 

Wasn't me with Leo. I did a quick run down the coast and came back for a few circuits with Steve T. The gusty conditions made things a little exciting. I'm really looking forward to it in some reasonable conditions.

 

I think the glass will get easier with time but I reckon I'll take a while before I learn how to drive it, being linked to the GPS and all. More dollars out of the pocket.

 

Greg

 

 

[Thx1137]

The guy Leo and I saw said Steve T said it was ok for him to have a look. Doesn't matter :-)

 

I did the same thing on Saturday. Over the coast and did some medium and steep turns plus some stalls then into the circuit. I hadn't done stalls or steep turns any for ages. The landings were pretty ordinary but it seems I am going through a phase :-) Getting better aqain though.

 

Not gusty? Will that ever happen?! I have flown every weekend over the last couple of months, 3 and 4 weeks ago in particular was very exciting. A hard time to start learning crosswind landings!

 

I am _really_ looking forward to the controls loosening up. I felt like I was arm wrestling most of the time!

 

Steven.

 

 

[Mick]

Hi Melissa!

 

Good to see you on the forum:welcome:, even better to hear you are enjoying 4010.

 

Wow! Another aircraft already!!!!

 

4010 will be jealous.

 

My Skylark is going really well, has over 200 hours on it already.

 

Have you seen the new Sportstar yet? It's a pretty swish looking bit of gear.

 

Cheers

 

Mick

 

 

[Guest Pop-top]

I flew one of the 2 new sporty's down at Aldinga on Sunday.

 

I've been so used to the older three, 4501+ 4399 (manual trim) and 4525 (control stick trim) that it was very different to get into the 5572. but highly recommend it!

 

It has a nice little interior shield which will make summer flying a little less like sitting in a hot house and the interior is very modern...little less like a go kart (I say that with the utmost affection) plus you have 2 very nifty screens for GPS, tracking and heading and debugging. just dont let all the pretty dials destract you from the spectacular views :big_grin:

 

 

[lazerin]

I finally started my training in the sportstar down at Parafield this week. Our little plane seems to have a perculiar oil pressure i.e. it's always low. Instructor and maintenance said it's always been like that and haven't had a problem. Just wondering if anyone else's sporty has the same issue?

 

 

[ahlocks]

Nah, the oil pressue is always OK. It's just the temp that never seems to get real high.

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

It's the temp in 4467 that is low, not the pressure. The oil cooler is simply doing its job a bit too well. The solution is to simply use oil which provides enough lubrication even at that temperature.

 

I believe in newer Sportstars this has been fixed, but as discussed here before it is common in that generation.

 

 

[lazerin]

Oh whoops, haha yup, that's what I meant, the temp :D

 

 

[Thx1137]

I was hoping you meant temperature :-) The temperature only hits the green on a long climb in ours.

 

Steven.

 

 

[Barefootpilot]

Yeah Dave's plane has always had very low oil temp, I flew it the day it arrived as yppf and I guess nothing has changed!

 

 

[ahlocks]

I used to think that it probably was a gauge issue...

 

Since I found out it was "normal", I just take my time with the warm up to make sure that the engine is nice and, well, warm. :confused:

 

 

[Barefootpilot]

A few tecnams are the same you can mod the system to warm it up more and I know a couple of people who have but apparently Rotax are not really happy if you do it.

 

 

[ahlocks]

G'day Adam,

 

I've thunked about fitting the thermostat mod, as the newer Sportstars have, but Like Bass says, just make sure the oil is good for the temp and change it a bit more frequently.

 

Most of my ops are only about an hour so the oil seldom gets hot enough to boil off any water. When I do go for a long sortie, I make sure there is plenty of oil to factor for the boil off. Beside, taking a bit more time for warm up and run up means more time to do checks again.....and again....and....

 

Or does it mean that Sportstars are just ...... Cool! :clown:;)

 

 

[Guest Pop-top]

Yeah, much the same as what everyone else has said, the 3 sporties that I've flown all had this low temp oil reading too.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Had the same temp problems in the Lightwing, with the 912S. Everything goes to the middle of the green after takeoff, but at cruise back into cold territory, at bottom of green. I was sitting there most of the time in cruise (2hrs plus) wondering if the main bearings, and crank were warm enough.

 

I always do a good warm up though, before takeoff, and temp guages are usually on the way up at least, but never where the book recommends. If you waited for that you would just loose interest, and put the damn thing back in the hangar !.

 

The last two winters I manufactured small alum plates to put over both the oil and coolant coolers. They cover about 50% of cooler surface, and the temps sit right in the middle green at cruise, where I like them.

 

As it gets warmer you have to watch the oil temp after take off, as it wants to get hot and eventually that plate gets removed for summer.

 

This Summer I have left the coolant cooler plate on, and things seem to be fine all round. If you try plates, you may have to adjust the area covered for your particular installation/engine etc. I would't recommend these plates out bush where it gets real hot, but they should be fine around the coast.

 

Also have a lowish oil pres reading most of the time, but as Wally says "as long as it's in the range in the book,it's right" I don't worry too much about that. Mine starts at just below 4 bar and then sits at around 3 bar or so, once warm. The 912s does sound much more content when the temps are right.