Turbine Legend Anyone?

Just make sure the AD has been complied with via AMOC which removes the repetitive inspections.

Alternative to the F-1 for a go-fast and good looking experimental is a Swearingen SX300.

 

Alright, alright...I did my required reading for the day...

T-34 is a great plane. I've flown one on several occasions but it's butt ugly and kinda slow...the A models anyway. A T-34C I'm sure is hard to find and we're back into turboprop land in which case I'd opt for the Legend for looks and performance over a Mentor.

Love the look and performance of the Cessna 400, but it's just too classy for me...too much bling and it's still a family wagon I don't need. It's pricey too.

Looked at the Swearingen. Very nice side by side experimental. Has a reputation of being very hard to build well. I can't see owning one over an F1 which is based on the RV-4 and has 80-100 built and many of them professionally built.

So I also looked at the Extra 300. They are pretty sweet aircraft and I almost forgot I got a ride in one during an air show years ago. You can do absolutely anything in that plane. There are a lot of folks that tour in them and they are all pro/company built. About 200mph cruise is a bit slow, but it's a simple, safe aircraft. I love that bubble canopy...will make me feel at home!

 

Jim...that's beautiful! Have no idea what any of that new stuff is...LOL!

This is my office and the big glass MFDs don't do anything that has to do with flying (just killing), though the HUD is kinda cool. Instruments are still steam driven, environmental control sucks, autopilot sucks, but man is it fun! The inside smells just like my 77 Euro 308 GTB...especially that old short circuit smell mixed with fuel...
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Extra 300 might be the way to go for you... at least until you get stuck waiting on the ground for a few minutes in 100+ degree heat with that bubble canopy.

That said, it probably makes sense. I'd make sure it has the range to do what you need, and I suppose you don't need to go IFR?

 

So you want to feel at home? ATG Javelin. Maybe you can buy the prototype. Too bad the BD-10 never came to fruition.

 

Here's the one that will do it all...Except keep you cool at 100 degrees on the ramp...

I'm drooling a bit after looking at this plane and specs:
(WARNING: either be sitting down or not in public before viewing)

2015 EXTRA FLUGZEUGBAU EA 330LT Piston Single Aircraft For Sale At Controller.com

 

You guys would know better than me, but I'm just guessing this stuff will let me fly across the basin IFR, no? (Yes, I've done it many times with a student trying to kill me or the hundreds of unsuspecting poor souls in a spam can somewhere).
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Nice panel. Yes, good to go.

 

Maybe. First, you should look into whether the airplane is IFR certified (my Citabria, for instance, does not allow IFR flight per the type certificate*). Then, assuming it is, you should ask if it has a heated pitot tube.

Assuming the answer to those questions is "yes" you should consider if you want to fly IFR with a single box for navigation and communication. If it fails, you are out of luck both ways.

*Weird, I know. Mine is a 7GCAA, which doesn't allow IFR. A 7GCBC, which is essentially my airplane with flaps, does allow IFR if properly equipped.

 

The Aspen has a built-in GPS and retains the 'current' flight segment routing from the Garmin. Add ADS-B for weather, a handheld for backup Com, and you are still light-yrs ahead of IFR from 20 yrs ago.

edit: carry an IPad with Foreflight/AHRS and you don't even need the Aspens

 

Um...like just a couple years for us that were very recently flying supersonic Talons around with one UHF radio, a single TACAN, and ILS receiver. We'd fly across LA that way all the time at 300KIAS. Talk about suck...talking to some terminal controller telling you to proceed to some random spot on the low chart, or worse, off some random STAR, like " Talon 51, descend to 7000, squawk 3608, and proceed direct to D!LDO, expect further clearance at...". Imagine the helmet fire erupting as you frantically search the low chart, maintain control of a plane that bounces your cranium off the canopy every time you lightly bump the stick to the side while unfolding your charts, and knowing that if you can't figure it out in 20 seconds, you've probably overflown two major airports and will be having a talk with e FAA shortly...

Actually, it was fun but stressful. Was worse when you had some kid from Kuwait in the front seat for whom training in the U.S. was one big ESL class. I actually had an LA controller once tell my student "...I'm tired of listening to you stutter through this. Can you have your Bravo answer your radio calls from here on out..." Obviously, the kids new call sign became "Stutter"

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply there is anything wrong with a Cirrus. It's practical, reliable, and reasonably economical (compared to other aircraft). I don't care for them (or the new Cessnas, Mooneys, etc) because mastering and keeping current with the avionics is 75% of flying them. Put a GNS430 and Aspen in the panel and you have a basic aircraft. 'Course, I'm a curmudgeon and I don't like modern cars either.

I'm just pointing out that Cirruses (Cirri?) are all the things Ferraris aren't.

Only flew an Extra briefly, but it was one of the sweetest handling aircraft I've ever tried. However, I also remember Extra pilots telling me how tiring it is to fly one cross country. Trying to imaging doing an approach in one. Hmmmm.

 

I have to say, the Extra 330LT does sound about perfect for what you want.

 

Looking into a 330 test flight...dealer is in Colorado.

I'm also looking for a pro-built F1. I'd consider an older Extra but the symmetrical wing makes the pre-330LT Extras a bit less deft at cruising.

I remember the Extra being very loud for a piston single, so maybe that factors into the fatigue issue.

Thank you all for the great suggestions. Ditching the turboprop idea was the best of all of them. Would be different if I was flying 500-700 mile legs every time. But an hour flight versus 35-45 minutes for the legs I do most, isn't that big a difference.

 

Are there any used ones? I thought they introduced it in 2010.

 

They were, from what I can tell. But, I can't find a used one anywhere. The older 300L seems to hold value pretty well and I'd consider one too. I guess those with 330 LTs are hanging on to them. Seems a really fantastic plane from what I read. I still need to go fly the LT though. I'm also looking for a Harmon Rocket 2 to fly as well.

 

Just putting it out there, but would you consider a VLJ? Like an Eclipse 550? Or out of budget and not fun enough?

 

That is a beautiful little jet. I always loved the Lear 23-25 series and it's reminiscent of that.

It's way too much airplane for me. As a single seat fighter guy, I never want to sit next to anyone while flying. And I don't ever plan on hauling cattle...even if only four cows in the back. One extra seat in front or behind is okay as long as the emergency meal can be taught to turn off the mic when I've heard enough from 'em.

That said, if my hops were double or triple the distance, I'd love something like that, though not sure I could afford it yet.

 

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2062292&stc=1&d=1430215071
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de Havilland Comet.... nice...

 

Non sequitur...

 

Most definatly, I just could not help myself. Looking forward to see what you end up with.

Helge

 

Subsonex jet??? Range might be a touch short though.

Sonex -- The Sport Aircraft Reality Check!


Mark
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I figured...very cool plane though. I'm a BF-109 fan from that era, though.

 

I saw that early in my search...looks like a nice little plane. Range isn't terrible either. For some reason I just don't think I could do it. Going from a full-up single-seat, single-engine, single-tail killing machine to the Sonex would just hurt my soul.

At least with the Extra 330 LT, my current front runner, I can bow head low when my jet flying breathren are around, but otherwise brag about 10g aeros, taking off in a few hundred feet, and how it's just down right sexy! I know my current high-speed girlfriend (the Viper) is going to be pissed when I retire from the AF in July and trade her in for some prop-driven ho bag pole dancin' stripper (the Extra)!