Enough Of The Excuses... Here Are Our Final Decisions On The Best Birds Of The Year

Final Compilations by ANN Editor-In-Chief/Roving Aeronaut, Jim Campbell

Each year, we put our heads together, look over reader input as well as our own reports and other sources of info and try to recognize the VERY BEST aircraft in a number of pivotal categories. This particular series will cover the aircraft we consider to be the VERY BEST of the whole breed.

The following award categories have been established:

• E-LSA Kit Category
• S-LSA RTF (Ready To Fly) Category
• Amateur-Built/Experimental Kit Category
• GA Piston-Single Engine Category
• GA Piston-Twin Engine Category
• GA Turbine-Single Engine (Turboprop)
• GA Turbine-Multi Engine (Turboprop)
• GA Turbine (Jet)
• Plane Of The Year (The Best Of Them All -- Regardless of Category)

Each year, the choices get tougher. Worse; we tend to also make it more difficult by tightening the reins on the decision making process so that it gets harder and harder to make the cut as the best in any category, much less wind up at the top of the pack as our Overall Plane Of The Year selection.

As this year came to a close, we also made some additional decisions as to what constitutes a "Best of Breed" and how wide we wanted to cast the net and wound up adding some categories to recognize some birds that truly deserved the nod. As noted in past years, it struck us that naming an overall "best" aircraft across the entire spectrum of general (or sport) aviation is probably no longer reasonable. Which isn't to say that we won't make a selection... but that we reserve the right not to do so if no specific aircraft steps to deserve the title. There are simply too many aircraft that have distinguished themselves in too many outstanding ways for one to readily be called better than the other on an overall basis. One man's perfect high-speed Hot-Rod, for instance, becomes the expensive "way too hot to handle" mistake of another pilot whose mission requirements may differ markedly. So... we're going to cop out -- just a bit, mind you. From here on out, we will name the best aircraft in individual categories, and reserve the right in the future to whittle down those categories as necessary which means that MAYBE we WON'T name an overall winner each year... and MAYBE  we will -- we're picky that way. The fact of the matter is that no one airplane is all things to all pilots, and within the spectrum that we have decided on, these are the aircraft selections that truly impressed us in each of the chosen categories -- and that each year, MAYBE there will be an overall winner... and MAYBE not.

Are we absolutely (crystal) clear on this now (grin)?

Let me also note that while aircraft that previously were named Best Of Breed in any category, or overall, are eligible for inclusion in this year's list, we have decided to make it more difficult (in our judging protocols) for a previous winner to take the top spot in our judging criteria, so that a repeat winner truly earns the distinction (and frankly, that hasn't happened in a while). And finally... we totally reserve the right to weasel out a bit and name more than one winner in a category where the margin of victory is simply too close (or subjective) to call.

That said, herewith our selections for ANN's 2009 Plane of The Year: Amateur-Built/Experimental

(Tie Vote) -- Glasair Aviation Sportsman 2+2, Van's RV-10

Glasair Aviation Sportsman 2+2

You've seen this airplane on the list before and I dare say that you'll see it again. This is not your Father's GlaStar -- it never was... it's something even better, and the 2009 season has been even better to this aircraft with the continuing successes of a revolutionary factory build program that can get a builder set up to taxi his or her bird in just a few weeks after opening the box.

Fly this with your eyes closed and you'll swear that you're flying a GlaStar… which is a really good thing… but open your eyes, and see all the extra room and payload, and you'll know that the seemingly perfect little GlaStar SportPlane has been topped… by it's own kin.

The Sportsman 2+2 gives its pilots reason to brag about 155-161 mph cruise speeds (180-200 hp), and a Vso of only 48 mph... making the S2+2 an easy STOL performer needing as little as 375 feet for takeoff and 260 feet for landing. Climb rates range from 1950 fpm (solo) to 1000 fpm (gross). At 65% power and standard tanks, the S2+2 will get you 886 sm down the road.

It has 1000 pounds of useful load, and a small bench seat behind the two front seats (good for an adult or two small kinds... or an amazing load of crap, uh, gear). Its up to you, because even if you fill both seats and gas it all the way up, there's still 300 pounds of useful load left.

The stretched and tweaked Sportsman 2+2 is every bit as good as the GlaStar was (high-praise--it was on my Top Ten list for years)... and maybe just a little bit nicer, in terms of load-carrying, and overall stability and control (the very tight static/dynamic pitch profile is even better defined... which we weren't sure was possible til we flew it).

A solid company backs this bird and the value is exceptional... especially when you add in the availability of their new builder's program and financing packages. One final note... on a set of amphibs, this thing is absolutely amazing. Highly recommended.

Van's RV-10

More than our own brief experiences with this airframe, we're impressed with the reports we're getting from builders and owners who lavish their praise on this rugged four seat speedster. Van's first four place is gaining headway as a popular and rugged family flyer.

The new quick-build kits help to keep it that way and have allowed dozens of people to make progress at a rate that is truly impressive. Sometimes "high" performance simply means getting more out of a bird than anyone else can... and Van's first and only four-place design is proving to be a truly great flyer. Excellent support, exceptional performance and "RV" style attributes make the RV-10 one of the best bets in the kit-built market.

Back on May 29, 2003, Van's Aircraft of Aurora, Oregon, announced the successful first flight of their new kit aircraft, the RV-10. In August of the same year, they handed the first RV-10 order forms across the counter to customers lined up at the AirVenture airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A little over six years later, RV-10 kit number 1000 was shipped to a customer in Irving, TX. Over 200 RV-10s are known to have flown, At one point achieving an average of one new airplane in the air every eleven days since it was introduced.

The RV-10 is a fast, roomy, fixed-gear four-place airplane with performance comparable to many production airplanes with retractable landing gear, bigger engines -- and far higher prices. It is part of the well-known line of RVs, including the RV-4, RV-6, RV-7, RV-8, RV-9 and RV-12. Altogether, 6591 RVs have flown in thirty countries around the world.

Van's birds are well-known for exceptional handling qualities, excellent low-speed manners and simple rugged construction... and yes, Van's builder support (and the community of Van's builders themselves) make this aircraft a nearly unbeatable value. Highly recommended.

FMI: www.glasairaviation.com, www.vansaircraft.com