Al Downs Posted September 29, 2014 Report Share Posted September 29, 2014 Is the SW harder to learn to fly for students? I have a LS and several students have trained in it. Now I am considering an additional plane but don't want to spend what it takes to get another LS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted September 29, 2014 Report Share Posted September 29, 2014 The SW gear is more fragile than the LS. Also, the shorter boom means you need to travel the stick slightly more for pitch maneuvering. The LS has a little more cockpit space. The SW is lighter, and thusly performs better with the same loadout vs an LS. Other than that though, they are pretty much the same. We're wanting to get an SW to let people who trained in the LS use it to travel with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coppercity Posted September 29, 2014 Report Share Posted September 29, 2014 I have instructed many hours in each and have had one of each in my flight school. I put over 600 hours in our SW before trading up to the LS and now have over 1500hrs in the LS. Students seem to find the LS a little easier to fly, it requires a bit less rudder work and a little less pitch sensitive in the round out. The LS also has a more durable landing gear for student abuse. The SW can hold up to training with the right mix of instructors that have a good handle on the CT. If you have a lot of CT inexperienced instructors I would stick with an LS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WmInce Posted September 29, 2014 Report Share Posted September 29, 2014 Is the SW harder to learn to fly for students? I have a LS and several students have trained in it. Now I am considering an additional plane but don't want to spend what it takes to get another LS. I am not a light sport CFI. I trained in a CTLS before I bought my CTSW. I was told by a very reputable source that if you train in one, it is good for the other, either way you go. I found that to be correct. I personally don't think it would be harder to learn to fly the CTSW. There are subtle differences in flying the two models. In general terms, I have found that the CTSW is a little less stable in the lateral (pitch) axis. That is more apparent during landings. Additionally, I think the the CTSW requires a little more attention to rudder trim. When I am hand flying the CTSW, it requires more effort (cross check and pedal input) to keep the airplane flying in trim. That said, as with the CTLS, control response is excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GravityKnight Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 I fly both regularly. I prefer the SW due to being lighter. When I was training, I preferred the LS... solo'd in an LS. But took my check-ride in the SW. It was just the first few hours I liked the LS... something about the controls made it feel easier to handle. But once you get past that initial coordination I don't think the SW is harder to fly. My landings are noticeably better in the SW since that's what I prefer to fly... there is a slight difference in sight picture (slight). The LS is definitely more comfortable and roomy though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 Additionally, I think the the CTSW requires a little more attention to rudder trim. When I am hand flying the CTSW, it requires more effort (cross check and pedal input) to keep the airplane flying in trim. That said, as with the CTLS, control response is excellent. I have found that my CTSW is very rarely in perfect rudder trim. From flight to flight the trim changes, and I am either holding a little pedal pressure to keep coordinated, or fiddling often with the rudder trim wheel. Not a big problem when flying long legs and you can get to speed, set it and forget it, but when just buzzing around and changing power and speed settings a lot it seems to need more attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Cesnalis Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 I've flown a CTSW that had a rudder that would go hard over. The bigger 2006 tail fixed that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 I've flown a CTSW that had a rudder that would go hard over. The bigger 2006 tail fixed that. What do you mean by "going hard over"? Mine's a 2007 BTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Cesnalis Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 What do you mean by "going hard over"? Mine's a 2007 BTW. When I used full rudder then released the pressure on the pedal the rudder remained fully deflected, it would not return on its own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 When I used full rudder then released the pressure on the pedal the rudder remained fully deflected, it would not return on its own. Oh...that's a little scary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Cesnalis Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 Actually it was a little worse, at a point prior to full deflection the relative wind would take over and fully deflect the rudder and keep it there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 That sounds like something of "emergency service bulletin" magnitude... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Cesnalis Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 I thought it was just a 'feature' of a tadpole shaped, short coupled, small tail design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 Was the vertical stab or just the rudder enlarged? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Meade Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 When I used full rudder then released the pressure on the pedal the rudder remained fully deflected, it would not return on its own.Did this have anything to do with the strength of the rudder centering springs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Cesnalis Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 Was the vertical stab or just the rudder enlarged? I think the whole tail was enlarged, the trim tab went from partial to full span. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Cesnalis Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 Did this have anything to do with the strength of the rudder centering springs? Maybe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Meade Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 I think the whole tail was enlarged, the trim tab went from partial to full span.You mean the elevator trim tab, right? There is no trim tab on the rudder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Cesnalis Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 You mean the elevator trim tab, right? There is no trim tab on the rudder yes, i didn't specify since there is only one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Meade Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 yes, i didn't specify since there is only oneYeah, but we were talking about the rudder, not the empennage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Cesnalis Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 Yeah, but we were talking about the rudder, not the empennage. I was answering A-cept who asked about the extent of the tail enlargement which did include the enlarged stabilator trim tab. Was the vertical stab or just the rudder enlarged? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Meade Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 I was answering A-cept who asked about the extent of the tail enlargement which did include the enlarged stabilator trim tab. Well, OK, except that there is nothing in his question about anything except the vertical stab and rudder, the sticky uppy parts, not about the horizontal stab, the sticky outy parts. Nevertheless, I accept your point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 Well, OK, except that there is nothing in his question about anything except the vertical stab and rudder, the sticky uppy parts, not about the horizontal stab, the sticky outy parts. Nevertheless, I accept your point. I love these terms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug G. Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 But we need to be clear about the small sticky outy parts and the large sticky outy parts, or some of us might get confused. And, the large sticky outy parts have movey parts and droopy parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 I love these terms. Made me hungry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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