Lancair 320 hull $75,000 1m liability $1850/yr. didn't seem so bad.

Not bad at all! When I told my hangar neighbor I was interested in a Lancair, he described them as "a crash waiting to happen." He continued on telling me they're unsafe, and "impossible" to land without entering a PIO.

It's a real shame that these aircraft have such a poor reputation. From what I can tell, they're wonderful. And a Glasair III seems even better.

I have owned a couple of Lancair 360s. Make sure you buy one with the late model hinged canopy (not the slidding canopy) Dont worry about outback gear and tail, unless you plan operating out of grass strips or dirt. I would also suggest the long engine mount, the engine will be is easier to work on and the long mount changes the CG and weight for the better. Fast, Fun plane as long as you remain proficient. After 45 minutes of flight my back would cramp, not for long trips.

Personally I love the looks of the 360 and Legacy but as so many have commented on, it's the most hated airplane made and possibly due to ignorance more than facts.

I spoke with a Lancair salesman at the Chino AOPA Fly In and he said I was nuts wanting one to commute in as he said it's only like 24' wide and would kill me. Then he turned around and bragged how a kid was doing his solo in a Lancair Evolution..

The other consensus I have found is that they are extremely difficult to sell.

Reading the actual reviews it seems that as long as one stay's above stall speed at all times your safe, but get close to it and you drop like a rock from Sears Tower.

I still want one as a commuter. I'm not a 6'+ 200lb+ person so I don't think it would be as cramped for me but what do I know. Maybe everyone is right about them.

V35 Bonanza is 1400 for $135k 1M.

My Glasair is $3500 for $150k $1M

Have not drove the 360, but the G-3 is bad to the bone... . My neighbor let me drive his, and the way he has the cushions arranged, my 220 fat ass fits good and he is 250.
My daughter is doing her solo this week so she asked my neighbor to take her up and let her experience something other than the C-150. They go do Knife edges and pull out at 210 kts at 6.5 G's and she said all she could see was grey B'B's
Dad we need one of those..LOL

I too am a biased Lancair driver. I built and fly a beautiful 360 that is a time machine for my wife and me. Yes, it is small. But it is also very very fast, so cheap to operate that it's probably less than driving, insurance is $2400 a year $120k hull and $1mm liability. The seating position and cushions are more comfortable than any plane I've flown or ridden in. Summary:

Positives:
* faster than a Glasair. 205 knots on 9 GPH or 190 LOP 8 GPH.
* better looking than a Glasair :-)
* very very economical to own and operate
* astoundingly comfy, even on 1300NM (7 hour) flights.
* wonderfully nice flight controls (yes, sensitive pitch)

Negatives:
* it is very small. Fine for me (6' 150lbs) and my small wife, but tight with larger people
* it is experimental and getting shops to work on it can be challenging. Fortunately I am PERMITTED to work on it, but don't always have the time to do so.
* heavy rain, ice, etc are a real concern.. Avoid them.
* don't get it slow at the wrong times. I fly the AOA.

Love the plane, but sometimes wish for a larger, pressurized and de-iced plane. But that will be a major cost difference. Ideal world would be to have both!

M

I'm surprised at the speed loss and so little fuel flow loss. I would have thought 9 GPH at, say, 50F ROP would be the same power as 8 GPH at, say, 50F LOP. Same power should be same speed.

A speed loss of 7.3% (190 down from 205) requires a power loss of 20%! Yet you only reduced fuel 11%. So something's not quite right here, or there is some other factor not evident.

How do you set your cruise fuel flow ROP and LOP?

Mike C.

I had an opportunity to go up in a Glasair III this morning and a Lancair 320 converted to a 360 after build this afternoon. I wanted to go up in both on the same day for a true side by side.

The Glasair is more comfortable, and I think handles better/more naturally. But there's something about the Lancair that I just can't shake!!!

Tell me, the Lancair incidents/accidents, I don't get them. I've read all the ntsb reports, and they seem to mostly be pilot error; Fuel starvation and not maintaining speed primarily. My experience flying the airplane is that it's very docile, but demands to be flown by the numbers. No less than 110 on downwind, 100 on base, 90 on final, and crossing the fence at 80 knots or a bit less, and fly the airplane on rather than hold it off. Seems to me if you do that, the airplane won't hurt you. But I read about all the accidents, and think surely it can't be this simple. Please help me understand what I am missing here.

I'm surprised at the speed loss and so little fuel flow loss. I would have thought 9 GPH at, say, 50F ROP would be the same power as 8 GPH at, say, 50F LOP. Same power should be same speed.

A speed loss of 7.3% (190 down from 205) requires a power loss of 20%! Yet you only reduced fuel 11%. So something's not quite right here, or there is some other factor not evident.

How do you set your cruise fuel flow ROP and LOP?

Mike C.

You are not missing anything. If you don't try to fly the plane like a Bonanza you will be fine. Just keep the speed up and remember if the engine quits you immediately pitch for 120 and find a place to set down. Leave the gear up and walk away from the plane. Call a cab and then the insurance company.

I also subscribe to that plan.

Those weights are wrong

And my ES stalls at 65-70kt, cruises 220KTAS so there are other flight envelope options

Is there ANY way a builder could get a CAPS chute into a Glasair or Lancair, if you built it yourself (or with factory help?) ??

Russ, I think what you are missing is that a forced landing either on or off airport is NOT very survivable in one of these things. YES, most folks have gotten slow (no I don't have the facts and figures) and stalled and spun it in in a Lancair/Glasair, but what about those that maintained good control all the way to crash and set them down nicely? I've heard nasty rumors (yep, admittedly hearsay, I'd like to see the facts too) that those didn't turn out so well either.