Sportster questions

I apologize for my lack of French writing skills- too many math and science courses and not enough second language classes.

I am very impressed with DynAero's products and am considering the purchase of a Sportster. I notice that on the Welcome page here it says [Google Translate], "Another crisis has affected the MCR VLA 01 / Sporster, being dead, and we nailed to the ground. But it has remobilize Dyn'Aéro and demonstrate that it is always ready to listen. Solutions have been found, and should be able to fly again our steeds in February."

What exactly is this "crisis"? And what should I be looking for before purchasing a Sportster in design, workmanship, and flying qualities?

Thank you.

Hi Sigmatero,

Beware of automatic translate, it is not understandable each time.
I cannot find that sentence in the welcome page of Dyn'Aéro website. Please give the link to the page you speak about.
Then, I'll read it in french and tell you about.

Regards,
Mini

Note : Frenchies are not well with foreign langages, too !

Bonjour Sigmatero et Mini,

I think the phrase Sigmatero is talking about is this one:

'Une autre crise a touché les MCR 01 VLA/Sporster, en faisant des morts, et en clouant nos avions au sol. Mais cela a permis de remobiliser Dyn'Aéro et démontrer qu'elle est toujours à notre écoute. Des solutions ont été trouvées, et nos destriers devraient pouvoir revoler courant février.'

I beleave that Jean Christophe (alias 'admin') wrote it thinking about the latest service bulletin concerning the Sportster flap control system:
http://www.dynaero.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/BS-12-F-0043.pdf

Sigmatero, I suggest you to read it as it contains an English translation.

At the time Jean Christophe wrote his phrase, there was a long production delay, the get the new parts. But now, you can purchase these parts at Dyn'Aero without any problem.

An other service bulletin I can suggest you to read is this one:
http://www.dynaero.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/0034-BS-08-B-0034-R2.pdf

Regards

Alain

Thank you for your excellent responses and help. Some more questions if you don't mind...

Is it common to run out of elevator trim when the flaps are fully extended for landing?

Also, how effective is the fuel tank sloshing method of sealing the fuel tanks? Are sloshed fuel tanks that are about 15 years old still free of leaks and airworthy?

Is the Sportster very short coupled and twitchy or overly sensitive to land? For example, the KR-2 is historically prone to pilot induced oscillations since it is so short coupled.

How is the crashworthiness of the design? What is the record of the number of fatalities for the number of accidents? For example, the EZ type canard airplanes have a fatality of about one death per three accidents.

Can a ballistic parachute be relatively easily fitted to a flying VLA or must it realistically be fitted during construction only?

Thank you again.

Bonjour Sigmatero,

• Is it common to run out of elevator trim when the flaps are fully extended for landing?

The Sportster has a very wide range of speed, from 49 kts to 173 kts. So when the aircraft is fitted with a rubber trim, it’s necessary to use a large number of rubbers to cover all the speed range. It creates a strong artificial effort on the elevator control. As the rubbers slowly loose their strength in the time, it’s necessary to change them frequently… A few years ago, Dyn’Aero designed an alternate system using a Ray Allen servo. This servo is mounted in the top of the rudder and controls the tab angle, on the trailing edge of the elevator. On my Sportster I’m now using this servo (I have removed my old rubber trim) and I’m very happy with it.

• Also, how effective is the fuel tank sloshing method of sealing the fuel tanks? Are sloshed fuel tanks that are about 15 years old still free of leaks and airworthy?

I can’t say for sure. My tank is a new generation one, cover and tank are two independent parts, and I never had leaks (I bought my kit in 2008). I think other guys on this forum (older aircrafts owners) could say more on this subject…

• Is the Sportster very short coupled and twitchy or overly sensitive to land? For example, the KR-2 is historically prone to pilot induced oscillations since it is so short coupled.

I’m not sure of the meaning of ‘very short coupled’. I can say that the Sportster is a very sensitive aircraft. You can drive it with only two fingers on the stick. Some guys say that sensations are very similar to flying a fighter… but I never flew a fighter. Due to flaperons specificities, when you fly low speed and full flaps configuration, you have an important inverse yaw effect that needs a constant rudder adjustment (like in a glider). It’s an aircraft that needs to be piloted but produces great pleasure when you are well trained. The best would be to test it in flight… if you have the opportunity to come to France…

• How is the crashworthiness of the design? What is the record of the number of fatalities for the number of accidents? For example, the EZ type canard airplanes have a fatality of about one death per three accidents.

I can’t say, I found no statistics on this subject.

• Can a ballistic parachute be relatively easily fitted to a flying VLA or must it realistically be fitted during construction only?

Yes it can, but not very easily. The best should be to question Dyn’Aero for that.

Regards

Alain

To continue my questions... can the Sportster be modified to fit tall pilots that are 2.0m tall? Here are two pictures that I received of a gentleman that is 1.98m tall and as you can see he doesn't really fit. And the seat is all the way down to the lowest position. Though I don't know if the plane was originally built to fit tall pilots.

To ask a different way- what is involved so that the Sportster has more room for a 2.0m tall pilot? And if a plane has already been built for a normal size pilot can it be modified to accommodate tall pilots even if it means doing changes to the composite structure?

I understand that C. Robin is 2.0m tall. Does he fit well in the Sportster and if so with what seat or airplane modifications?

Thank you.

Hello,
Seeing the angle of his back, i think the seat is not in the lower position. So maybe this plane is not build has other planes, or maybe it just not at the lowest.
Indeed Christophe is quite tall and he fits very well in any of the mcr.
So there should not be any problem to fit a 2m tall guy.
The problem that some people are meeting sometime is with the hips. Because seats are not very wide, and i have seen once a pilot that couldnt sit inside...
Also, sometime the foam and leather that people make to cover the seats are too thick and itreduce the space for tall pilot. First because you ave a thicker foam under you which make you sit higher, and also because its too thick at the back as well, which reduce the angle you are sitting making it more vertically.

Great, thank you. I will check to see the position of the seat when the photos were taken.

I have 1,94m. I fit in a Club easily. The instrument board shown in the picture is an ancient one. if fittet with the newer carbon/alu version, this gives me about 10 cm more room at the knees and the lower legs and I can slide lower in the seat. I have about 5cm headroom and 2-3cm with padded headphones. I was surprised to find that much of room in the tiny MCR. Against my expectations, it fits like a glowe.

Regards