Laminar Magic

[jaimesadasalinas]

It's not very fair to compare the Odyssey vs the Laminar Magic besides what
you mention about the Gulls possibly not having an optimum airfoil for
maximum efficiency at higher speeds

1.- One is a single seater and the other a 2 seater
2.- One is composite and the other is metal
3.- One is a single wheeler and the other is a trigear
4.- "No holds barred" approach to optimizing for max speed will not produce
a satisfactory take off and landing distance

It is worthwhile to retract the gear if there is no weight penalty like in
monowheels, with a hand retraction mechanism, but it actually works against
the speed if they are tailwheels or trigears and need a powered mechanism
and space, and if the top speed is lower, than, say 200 mph

[blaswichk]

Thanks Mark for your feedback and interest. My circuit was sort of round with straight runs. I found that the fastest GPS reading was sort of downwind at an angle to the runway, and the slowest, sort of an angle to upwind of the runway. I didn't bother with the AWOS recordings, as they might be different at altitudes. I was temped to go fly low over the Puget Sound, but the winds and rain were coming. Next time it will be in the morning when winds are calm, as they were when I left home, and before I piddled with the plane for a while. All things aside, I visited Jim Scott after my speed run, and he said I ought to be happy that the plane will do an honest 100mph with a 503, as some of the much more expensive and more powerfull LSA's just do that. I stll want fiddle with drag reduction because it's cheaper than big engines, and it's fun.
How are those wheel pants coming??

kb

[blaswichk]

Jaime,
Your absolutely right about top speed tradeoff's for landing speeds. We don't know what the AR-5 needs for landing speeds, but I would guess that it's much higher than the Gull. I do like my plane a lot, and when I get done with tearing around in the sky, I can just pull the power back and land without scaring the crap out of me, and 100-110mph is OK, but if I can find a few more mph for free, I'll take it. Wheel pants next, and if you don't have an adjustable prop, there's a few more miles per hour waiting to get.

kb

[blaswichk]

Jaime, I'm not comparing the Odysey to the Laminar Magic, but my Gull 2000 which is also a single seater, and narrower than the Odysey. After reading about the Laminar Magic, I read about the AR-5, then the Star-Lite with a 447. The snazzy Czeck plane is the B612 retract, also using a 447. All those planes don't have the fantastic view that the Earthstars have, and that is worth a lot in itself.

kb

[earthstaraircraft]

In a message dated 2/22/2011 9:07:24 PM Pacific Standard Time,
kessb@wavecable.com writes:

Thanks Mark for your feedback and interest. My circuit was sort of round
with straight runs. I found that the fastest GPS reading was sort of
downwind at an angle to the runway, and the slowest, sort of an angle to upwind of
the runway. I didn't bother with the AWOS recordings, as they might be
different at altitudes. I was temped to go fly low over the Puget Sound, but
the winds and rain were coming. Next time it will be in the morning when
winds are calm, as they were when I left home, and before I piddled with the
plane for a while. All things aside, I visited Jim Scott after my speed run,
and he said I ought to be happy that the plane will do an honest 100mph
with a 503, as some of the much more expensive and more powerfull LSA's just
do that. I stll want fiddle with drag reduction because it's cheaper than
big engines, and it's fun.
How are those wheel pants coming??

kb



Hi Kess
I will have to ask him about the progress on the wheel pants.
I like the 360 turn to lock in the exact directions of the winds and there
velocity.
Happy Flying
Mark