Newbie

[willphelps52]

Hi, Folks.
I'm making plans to get my Ultralight training and buy a plane. I
started checking out the Quicksilver and after about 3 months... here
I am looking into a Thunder Gull.

I wanted an enclosed cabin so I could get more use out if when the
weather turns cold here in NJ. I didn't like what I heard about the
Challenger's flight characteristics so I was going to go with a
Hawk. But I'm a short guy (5' 5") and I was concerned about the
visibility. Then I got my first issue of Ultralight Flying and the
cross country article had a picture of a Thunder Gull. Looks like
great visibility. So I contacted the factory and sent away for the
information. Here I am waiting patiently. Okay, not so patiently.

I thought I'd check out this group and see what Thunder Gull owners
have to say about the plane and maybe check out the archives. I'm
surprised there aren't that many pictures. Is it a new plane?

Well, thanks for listening. Any comments you can give that would be
a help are greatly appreciated.


Will Phelps

[Jim C]

Hi Will,

Welcome - You will find this group not to be the most active of all
the lists, and you will find that we are quite diverse in our
opinions and views on a variety of subjects (mainly on other lists),
but the common thing we all seem to have is a love to fly and a love
for the Thundergull plane and the opinion that it is one of the best
UL/Sport types out there to fly.

I personally fly the single place Gull 2000 and love it. The
handling charactersitics are great and it travels very nicely,
whether around the patch or cross-country, in my opinion. You can
read some of my tales of adventure in the archives starting with my
trip from California to Florida back in Feb 02 (I think).

Never thought about the pictures - I guess I should put a couple of
pics up.

George of this list, in the DFW area, refurbished a J-model not too
long ago - I'll let him tell the story. and we have a couple that
have just recently purchased and are awaiting their kits. There was
one guy who just sold his Gull up in Oregon - no names but I bet he
would still like to have it :-) Sounds like the guy who bought it is
having fun with it though and got a great deal. You'll notice also
the number of Gulls for sale are quite few overall as compared to the
other models, and the Gull has been around a long time - I think that
speaks highly of the satisfaction for the model & type. They are
however, a smaller operation overall and "I think" that is because
Mark B likes to keep it that way.

If you have any specific questions ask away and someone here should
know the answer.

Once again - Welcome

Jim C

[willphelps52]

Thanks, Jim... and all.

I'm going to have a ton of questions. Since it looks like Dave is a
few months ahead of me, I'll be watching his posts carefully. I'll
also be checking the archives to see your old posts. I'll try not to
be too much of a pain.

I was thinking of the Thunder Gull 2000 single seat with an HKS
engine. Good to see others have gone that route already. I'm
interested to know the difference between the long wing and short
wing. Does the long wing have a bumpier ride in thermals? Can it go
as fast as the shorter wing? I'd love to idle down and glide a bit,
so the long wing seems appealing, but I wouldn't want it to hold me
back on a long trip, or get worse milage due to the additional drag.

While I'm rambling... Hanger space here in NJ is expensive. So I was
thinking of putting up a portable garage (some guys at the airport
have them.). Problem is, you either need a folding wing or a wing
that is REAL easy to put on and take off.

Okay. I guess I'll check my mailbox for the info package and video
when I get back from vacation on July 26th. I'll also check back on
the list here to see what other comments you guys may have.

Thanks. Hope to join you in air soon.


Will

[derbaier]

Hi Will,

Welcome to the list!
Your info pack may be a little slow in coming this month because Mark
has been out of town for business and Leslie is running the factory
operation alone.

I am expecting to pick up my Gull2K kit in early September, and I
think the engine is on it's way to me from HPower now. I currently
fly a single seat Challenger Clip Wing, and I was convinced that I
wanted a ThunderGull after the first demo ride with Mark. I was a
little worried about build space, storage space, and mountain
turbulence, so I ordered the standard 20 foot wing length. Mark said
the plane would be more efficient with the 24 foot wing, but he also
said it would be just fine with the 20 foot wing.

Since I have the serial numbers required, I have already registered
my Gull2K kit with the EAA and USUA, but my final goal is to
transition it into the new ELSA category as soon as it is available.

Good luck!
--Dave

[george@t...]

See now Jim,

We do even disagree here. The Thundergull is not ONE of the best UL/Sport
types out there. It is THE BEST UL/Sport type out there... :-)

George

[derbaier]

George, I hope to be able to agree with you on that, as soon as I get
mine built! :-) However, I think that Jim made the understatement
of the year when he wrote "You will find this group not to be the
most active of all the lists". When I first became interested in the
ThunderGull, I searched out this list, and thought maybe it was no
longer being made, because nobody was writing about it here. I am
sure glad that I was wrong about that! :-)

Still more than a month to go before the kit arrives.
--Dave

[Jim C]

I stand corrected here - GLADLY :-)

Jim

[george@t...]

You are going to love that bird.

I'd love to trade up to an Odyssey, but Alas, I can't afford it. I got a
very good deal on my J2.

George

[derbaier]

Thanks George! That is really encouraging!
I was really excited by the Odyssey too, but my wife does not think
that she will want to fly with me all that much. If I was going to
be flying alone most of the time anyway, I figured the Gull would be
the most economical way to go. Jim's descriptions of his Gull flying
experiences so far, convinced me that the Gull would suit my uses
just fine.

I am really anxious to get started building it! Leslie has sent me a
template for the instrument panel, and I have been working with that
to try to figure out how to squeeze in the instruments that I would
like to have.

--Dave