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Overseas CT Specs


Jim Meade

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This is to IrishAl but all are welcome to comment.

In your URL on a European CT SL

http://flightplanet.com/single-engine-piston-aircraft-for-sale/flight-design/ct__3887.php

I noted that it had "Foot controls adjustable in length". I assume this is the rudder? Do you know anything about this? One of my constant gripes is that on longer trips my legs get cramped up. I've spent considerable time brainstorming ways to get better leg room and am very interesting in anything you can tell me about this.

 

I note it has an oil thermostat. Do you know which one?

 

A 5 point BRS is listed. Aren't the U.S. version 4 point? Where is the 5th point? Or is this talking about the harness for the people, not the airplane?

 

Do you know if the electric elevator trim is the same as on the CTLS?

 

Thanks for any comments or further references.

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Jim

 

I've not seen this option on any UK based aircraft, the one in the advert is in Romania - but it's still a bit hard to believe that FD would do a mod specific to them, but then I don't know the average height of the flying population of Romania!!!!

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Hi Jim,

 

I'm afraid I can't help you on any of your questions, as I've never seen a CT Supralight - there's only one in the whole of the British Isles and it's still owned by the FD distributor!  

 

However, I'd be fairly sure that it's an error regarding the pedals - but not certain.  

 

To digress a little, the fact that there's only about half a dozen CTLS planes on the UK register and only one CT Supralight shows that the current mess we're in over European-wide standardization has really killed off Flight Design's business in the UK. 

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For anyone interested...

 

...in my Sky Arrow the seat is fixed.

 

The pedals can be pulled back towards the pilot by pulling the white knob in the photo below (with the panel removed for the annual):

 

15364587215_3df5633ff2_c.jpg

 

Just one way to do it.

 

As I'm virtually the only pilot flying it, its rare they get adjusted. Usually just at the annual to make sure they still work.

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.........To digress a little, the fact that there's only about half a dozen CTLS planes on the UK register and only one CT Supralight shows that the current mess we're in over European-wide standardization has really killed off Flight Design's business in the UK. 

 

Al, you're right on the CTLS numbers (actually 7 on the register), but FD haven't done too badly in the UK - the number from the G-INFO database are:

 

CTSW 47

CT2K 19

CTLS 7

CT MC 1

CT Supralight 1

 

I think it's fair to say sales have been pretty slow for the past couple of years down to a whole range of factors - the economy!!, FD's concentration on the US market, an apparent lack of interest in the LS by the then UK distributor and I'm sure many other factors too.

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Ian, 

I've been surprised by how many people have a negative view of the CT here in Ireland - everyone from flight instructors to flight school owners. 

 

It seems that it's entirely down to our GA airfield sizes.  800 yards is a short field in the USA, 500 is short in Britain, but 250 is short here!  It's not surprising then, that it's the low speed handling of the CT that draws all of the negative comments.

 

Co-incidentally, I measured the width of the runway that I use just yesterday - it's exactly eleven and a half feet wide!  I learned to fly at Spalding County, (near Atlanta) and the runway was huge, so you can imagine how I felt when I first lined up on this one!  'ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!'    And I could only see about seventy yards of it - the rest disappeared down a steep hill!  

 

And it's by no means the smallest; in fact, it's one of the busiest training airfields in Northern Ireland, with three training aircraft.  I wish I had a pic to share with all you Americans - you'd really be amused. 

 

Anyhow, I'm fairly sure that's why the CT is so uncommon here - the Ikarus C42 is the short field king.

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Al, yes the Ikarus is defintely very popular along with the Eurostar - I see a lot of micro-light schools using those as their training aircraft, then inevitably as students qualify they tend to buy what they've learned on (at least initially) - I think FD have missed a trick in not pushing the type to flying schools, though having flown both a C42 Ikarus and a CTSW the Ikarus is by far the easier to land!!

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My home strip is 550 metres and mown to just over the wingspan! There's clearance on one side into a field, but the other side usually has cows in it and an electric fence running alongside the runway - strong crosswinds? Just get it right or go somewhere else for the night - LOL

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Corey, I think you are absolutely right, certainly in the UK the SW is certified in the microlight class which limits it to 475kg whereas the LS is certified to 600kg so just the extra weight does obviously affect the performance.

The SW seems a tad more sprightly when landing and I am aware of a fair few landing accidents involving damage to the nosewheel and gear. However that may well be from pilots trained on more forgiving microlights (like the Ikarus) then transitioning to something needing a bit more skill?

Not so many microlight trained pilots move to the LS. Those that have, like me, tend to come from the group A world and have different challenges moving to a lighter and more agile aircraft. I know I did after many years flying a Cherokee 6!!

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The SW flown by a pilot of same skill level, will do better in short fields than the CTLS both taking off and landing. I have one of each and the extra weight of the LS requires just a few more knts to keep it from sinking on a very slow approach into a short Feild. That said I put the LS into a 1000 ft strip daily and only use half of it. In 2000 hours of CT flying I have never had one do anything unexpected in slow flight. They are very predictable. A side note, landed on the third longest runway in USA yesterday, 13,501 ft. KCSM. Felt like u landed in Texas and parked in Oklahoma landing on 35, 300 ft wide as well! Controller warned to land long, the FBO is at north end of Feild.

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The SW flown by a pilot of same skill level, will do better in short fields than the CTLS both taking off and landing. I have one of each and the extra weight of the LS requires just a few more knts to keep it from sinking on a very slow approach into a short Feild. That said I put the LS into a 1000 ft strip daily and only use half of it. In 2000 hours of CT flying I have never had one do anything unexpected in slow flight. They are very predictable. A side note, landed on the third longest runway in USA yesterday, 13,501 ft. KCSM. Felt like u landed in Texas and parked in Oklahoma landing on 35, 300 ft wide as well! Controller warned to land long, the FBO is at north end of Feild.

How do you fare in crosswinds or gusty conditions with a very low approach speed?  (Or do you have a second runway option?)

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  • 10 months later...

Hello

 

The ctls & ctsw can both be flown on approach at 45 kts with full flap 35 for CTLS & 40 for CTSW with some power at most weights

Directional stability is slightly better on the CTLS Generally the Empty wt of the CTSW is less than the CTLS so a bit lighter but wing area is same

Winglets are different too.

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