No offense to James but most of the tricycle experimentals sure have a rinky dink nose gear.

I might opt for a tailwheel if going experimental.

Robert

Not if you fly/land them properly

We have 1000hrs operating off a strip that you guys call back country, and no problem. Some folk cant fly, even off 4000+' of bitumen.

Todd,

The G3 is an awesome machine, they are like pulling on an elastic side boot though. That is the biggest down side. Otherwise Clinton made some good comments

Go to Arlington, do the two week to taxi and have some pro's finish it off. While you are in Arlington drive down the road to Woodinville and see my good friend Robert Hamilton at Dynon. Then you will get the same quantum leap from Garmin to Dynon as you would expect. Customer service is awesome. I do have a GTN750 with that of course.

This is something I can help you with offline if you prefer.

No need for qualifiers... I too would opt for a tailwheel....

Somebody good with photoshop show us what a T/W Baron would look like..

Save the effort, it would look sweet!!!

Tail wheel would be my last choice for a "performance" many reasons.

1. Making s-turns to Taxi is a PITA and the view is horrible while taxiing
2. Harder to move around the hangar. My current tug will move all the planes in the hangar without me getting off the seat. It will not do the same for a tail dragger.
3. Requires more attention when landing, especially in crosswinds. Yeah, yeah, I know - I'm a lazy pilot.

Now, if I was looking for a short field slow moving soft field toy I would most likely get a tail dragger.

I know an RV-6 or -7 would not have the speed you're looking for.

But,

I really don't have to do S-turns while taxiing, and I can move it around in and out of the hangar with ease...by myself. No tug needed.

Arlen,

The RV's are probably the best EXP airplane out there, but they are just too slow for what I want to do now. I want to have the ability to make my FL trip as fast as possible without breaking the bank. The Duke is perfect for the family, but many times it will be just me and possibly one other. Burning 15 GPH at 220 knots makes more sense than 42 GPH at 215 when I do not need the extra room. My wife also simply is not comfortable flying anymore. It does not matter if it is the airlines, a Hawker charter, the Duke, or a powered parachute. She is almost terrified. It is time I start flying what I want and start enjoying aviation again instead of trying to provide an impossible transportation mode. My wife will ride the airlines. 2 hours of terror for her instead of 4 with me. I will enjoy aviation again

Todd, you have described my wife exactly. How does it get to this? I'm at the point of anger of it and mostly just because of all the things we should be doing together and are not. Sorry for the drift. Hope you find your "Hotrod" soon.

Todd,

Makes complete sense.

I'm looking forward to seeing your Rocket, or Glasair, or....

Todd, you have described my wife exactly. How does it get to this? I'm at the point of anger of it and mostly just because of all the things we should be doing together and are not. Sorry for the drift. Hope you find your "Hotrod" soon.

My wife has gone exactly the other way....

When we got married, she was terrified of flying in anything. Usually she would back out at the last minute, and we would cancel, but if we did fly, airlines or GA, she would take Xanex and overdose on it, pass out, and sleep for 24 hours at the destination.

Maybe 8 years ago, I took a Debonair in on a trade, and we were going on a visit that was 2.5 hrs each way by car and .5 hrs each way by plane. She did not want to kill a whole day and she did not want to be zonked out so she decided to skip the drugs... She acutally liked it... She said she liked the Debonair better than the Cessnas I had owned so I told her I would keep the Deb. I said it would be "Her" airplane.

At first we could fly if the WX was good and no bumps, but she would get anxious if there was turbulence and if there were clouds, it was head down with tears.... But she has even gotten over that, and summer before last we were flying over lake Erie, between Thunderstorms with some ice coming off the prop blades banging on the nose, and pretty bad turbulence.... She looked at me and matter of factly said, "I dont like this..." I replied, "I don't either... But we're OK." "Alright." she said, and went to sleep.

We have now flown all over including to Alaska and it is a wonderful thing. For those of you with scared spouses, I know your pain, and I feel for you.... Thankfully my wife decided to quit being afraid. She said being afraid just wasn't worth the effort any more, and it was over.... Why she could not have decided not to be afraid 20 years sooner, I will never know, but I am very thankful that she finally did....

We just recently flew to Phoenix on a Crowd Killer and all I heard, all the way out and back, was, "We are NEVER doing this again! "I" have a Baron and we should use it...."

Seattle next week on another crowd killer, and I will hear it all again... It's great!!!!!

Doug,

You hit the nail on the head. It really has nothing to do with flying - it has to do with a person's basic mental state pertaining to your life in general. She has went from not really worrying about anything to worrying about everything. It started ever so slightly when we started having children and has gotten worse over the last 17 years.

She is basically experiencing the fact that she is mortal and feels that she only has "so much time" to make sure everything is perfect that she does. She has to raise the children as good as possible, keep her husband in line , and do everything else that is "needed."

I have long since given up trying to make everything "perfect." When God calls me home it will be on His time. I'm not worrying anymore.

Todd:
For Specifications of the Radial Rocket go to the web site RadialRocket.com. The performance numbers are for the 360 HP carb. version which was not able to lean. Mine is 430 HP. Talk to Jeff Ackland, the builder and designer. My instructor is a retired F-4, T-38 driver and he has a Rv4 and Glassair 2s with a 550. He say my rocket is the best plane that he has ever flown. Payload is a conservative 460 lbs. Mine is IFR, 2 G3x screens, autopilot etc. and it sounds great.

Jimmy

Jimmy,

Price??

I can buy a pretty darn nice 260+ knot Legend fairly close to a decked out Legacy.

Sometimes I really wonder how things would have turned out if I told my wife years ago, "You are not riding in my airplane, ever. See you there."

I only tried to kill us a couple three times over the years with her in the airplane. I really don't understand what the big deal is...

I have been on a pretty good run since I bought the Baron.

Amen!