Do It Yourself... In Record Time!
Glasair Aviation tells
ANN that it is now possible to build and taxi a new Sportsman in
two weeks, and start flying in three. The company recently
conducted a "beta test" of a revolutionary "2 Weeks To Taxi"
customer assembly program for its Sportsman 2+2 aircraft where
customer, Marc Cook, went from quick build kit to 1st flight in 22
days.
The project started on January 9th and, working only 8-hour
days, five days a week, Cook completed his aircraft on January
27th, and made his first flight on January 31st. An FAA
representative toured the new program and facility; reviewed the
extensive program materials; inspected Cook's Sportsman; and,
concluded that both the aircraft and the program comply with the
letter and spirit of the 51 percent rule relating to Amateur-Built
aircraft.
Upon completing his new Sportsman, Cook labeled the program
"truly revolutionary", stating that, besides the rapid completion
time and high quality finished product, the most impressive feature
of the program was the valuable education he received about
building and maintaining his Sportsman. He noted that he understood
and knew more about maintaining his Sportsman in three weeks than
he learned on his own about the previous composite homebuilt he
built and flew over a period of three years.
Glasair Aviation will debut the new "2 Weeks To Taxi" program at
Sun 'n Fun, with deliveries estimated to be available starting the
4th quarter of 2006.
According to Glasair President Mikael Via, "Traditionally, the
biggest objections to a kit aircraft have been: (1) the huge time
commitment required, (2) the uncertainty of the total cost of the
finished aircraft, and (3) the uncertainty of one's skills to
complete a quality project. All of these obstacles have now been
eliminated with our unique '2 Weeks To Taxi' program," said
Via.
"Before they even start, '2 Weeks To Taxi' customers know how
much it will cost and they are comforted by the fact that, with
assistance of our staff and use of our facilities, tools and
fixtures, it will only take them two weeks to complete the
project."
"During the two weeks, customers are immersed in a recreational
and educational setting. They take full advantage of our resources
and have access to things that 'home builders' would not normally
have access to, including the use of hundreds of fixtures and
technical assistance from our staff. More importantly, customers
receive instruction on proper assembly and maintenance techniques -
frequent reference is made to FAA's Advisory Circular 43.13, the
Sportsman Assembly and Maintenance Manual and Pilot's Operating
Handbook. It's a unique program that delivers a complete aircraft
to the owner for a fixed price at an amazing schedule."
"While traditional kit builders can take up to 10 years to
complete their aircraft, '2 Weeks To Taxi' opens the thrill of
building to an entirely new group of pilots. Using a two-week
vacation, anyone can complete their Sportsman and taxi it. With
another week of safety inspections and finishing touches, they can
enjoy the thrill of flying the aircraft that they built."
The Sportsman 2+2 can be configured as a tricycle or taildragger
to accommodate two adults and two children or the rear seats can be
removed to haul more baggage or camping equipment. The aircraft can
be flown with wheels, floats or skis. It has a 1,000-pound useful
load and lands or takes off in 400 feet. With the new Lycoming
I0-390, it cruises at 170 mph.