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ShawnM

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Everything posted by ShawnM

  1. Glad to hear all is good John. Treat the NLG properly and it'll last a good long time. Give it a thorough inspection on a regular schedule. On your landings, hold the nose wheel off as long as possible and let it come down softly. Make sure the breakout torque is set properly and the air pressure is correct on the nose wheel. Both equally important. The reinforcement kit can't hurt, just be sure your mechanic doesn't tell you the engine has to come out to install it, it doesn't.
  2. If money were no object I'd own a Pilatus PC-12 which doesn't have NLG issues, but alas I'm just a poor ol' SportCruiser owner, but I'm not complaining. My plan of attack would be to first determine which leg is on the plane. Is it the original 2010 NLG? Any log entries of it ever being inspected or replaced? Once you determine which leg you have I'd perform a VERY THOROUGH inspection of the leg, spindle and fork looking for bends or cracks anywhere on the leg. This will require you to of course removed the wheel pant completely and also remove the wheel. Clean and degrease everything and then go over it from top to bottom with a fine toothed comb. If everything checks out and you find no damage then why replace it? If it ain't broke..... The SB requires you to inspect it and if you find nothing wrong you can leave it alone. Then there are subsequent inspections for compliance. A thorough inspection of the NLG should be part of your preflight inspection anyway. As DeltaFox pointed out above, it's the most delicate part of the airplane. Always has been and always will be. No matter which NLG is on your plane. But if you have $5000 burning a hole in your pocket then order up a complete new NLG and have your favorite LSRM replace it for you. Let us know what you find out and your plan of attack.
  3. Congrats on the purchase John. I remember the feeling when I bought my SportCruiser which is also my first plane. The feeling I had flying my very own plane home was priceless. Enjoy !!
  4. Congrats on the purchase Louis, looks like Santa brought you a very nice present this year. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the plane. Great job on the negotiating and glad to hear the engine is in very good shape. A few new rubber parts is no big deal. Merry Christmas as well.
  5. When they moved the Sebastian operation to Utah, Bountiful bought all the inventory of NLG's to fix the numerous grounded planes they had. When CSA finally goes belly up I guess I'll go into the NLG business.
  6. Brutal? That's my version of "sugar coating" the truth, did I not do it right?
  7. Here's my take on model year breakdown for SportCruisers: 2006 to 2009 = legacy aircraft (still the best) 2010 to 2020 = new orphaned aircraft 2020 to 202? = soon to be put up for adoption after the next bankruptcy filing
  8. I personally would be curious as to why the prop was replaced, it was done a reason and I would want to know why. I'm sure there are some who might not care. Given there has been other damage to the plane as noted in the log entries I personally would want more info but that's just me. As for the price, it's worth what someone is willing to pay for the plane. I guess I shouldn't say if it's overpriced or not because my answer is only relevant to me. Would I pay $85K USD for this plane, no way. Main reason being the current NLG and the avionics and this is without knowing the full history. There is a current 2009 SportCruiser owner here in the US who just removed all his TruTrak avionics because they were failing (minor gremlins kept popping up) and he spent about $20k buying the latest Dynon Skyview (uninstalled). Add to that the cost of a new NLG, if it's needed, and you are talking an additional $25K on top of your purchase price. Will the Trutrak or NLG fail? I have no idea but for me the gamble is too large. It's really hit and miss when the legacy SportCruisers come up for sale. There have been some really great deals out there recently so if you can be patient you might find a better choice. I do know that importing a plane into Canada can take 2-4 weeks but have no idea of the fees involved. I know a guy who imported a helicopter into Canada from the US and it was a smooth transition. By no means am I trying to talk you out of buying this plane, if you love it and are comfortable knowing it's history and what expenses could be around the corner then please buy it. I just wanted to share my opinions about this particular plane, its asking price and what I've learned. I hope others will chime in and offer up some insight for you as well. Here's a topic on one e-bike in particular. The rear baggage area has a max load of 40 pounds or 18 kilograms. This small e-bike actually fits in the wing locker.
  9. Hi Louis and welcome to the forum. Good luck on your purchase. Here are a few things that jump out at me: It does still have the original nose gear and you would want to do a thorough inspection to the leg itself, the fork (which is a 2 leaf fork) and the spindle that the nose wheel rotates around. You are looking for cracks in the leg and fork and to see if the spindle is bent aft. It does only have 225 hours so it's quite possible it's still in good shape if there were no hard landings. The TruTrak avionics can be problematic. Check the logbooks for any service records. They were installed by the factory for a very limited time and are now 11 years old. I know of two other legacy owners (pre 2010) with TruTrak and they both have had issues with the units. As far as I know they are no longer serviceable and would need to be replaced with Dynon if/when they no longer work. The Garmin 327 transponder and the SL-40 radio are both great units. The GRT S100 SX in the center panel came out after 2009 so if it were installed here in the US when the plane was registered here as N422RB then it was done illegally without a LOA from the manufacturer. Check the logbooks for this installation. Look in the POH to see what originally came in the plane. Likely it was a Garmin 496. The instrument panel supports would have to have been modified to get the transponder installed that low in the center panel. You can't know this without removing the center panel. Have you looked through the engine logbook? Any 5 year rubber changes? Carb overhaul? The gearbox hasn't reached TBO so that's good. The ad says the prop has 32 hours TT, why was it replaced? Time limits or was there a prop strike or other damage? It's a great prop. I see in the one pic with the yellow card that that is a flap replacement. Check for any damage to the wings area around that flap for damage. I see per the ad it has the return line so this is good as it was an expensive SB to comply with. It was mandatory after May 31st 2019. There are a few smaller things to look for but the more expensive one I listed. I don't know how far I can stretch a Canadian dollar but the conversion rate to USD for this plane would be about $66,500 USD. Given that it may need a NLG, I don't know of course without an inspection, this will be an expensive install because you'll need to add the firewall stiffener kit as well. Last I heard the NLG assembly was between $3000-$4000 dollars. The firewall stiffener kit was free last I heard but it can be costly to get installed because of the labor. Plan on maybe $5000 if you have to hire a specialist to do the work. I have no idea how the rules are in Canada. The price might be a bit high given what it MIGHT need, just my opinion of course. A plane with so few hours is nice if it was taken care of. Not real good for the engine but if it runs great that's good to know. It's barely broken in with a lot of life left in it. I'll keep digging and see what else I can find Louis. I remember seeing this plane years ago for sale as N422RB. For those of you in the US, read the log entries that Louis posted pics of, this is why you don't use an A&P to service your LIGHT SPORT, just clueless.
  10. Hi Coryb, welcome to the forum and you picked a great plane to purchase. The legacy SportCruisers (pre 2010) are lighter and faster the the later ones. Here's my opinion and suggestions for you: (take them at face value, $0.00) 1 - There is only one acceptable and legal solution for ADS-B if the plane is a S-LSA, you are correct. The GTX-335 is only OUT and HALF the picture. In my opinion it's useless without some sort of ADS-B IN to actually "see" the traffic and weather around you. This is where the problems start. The only option would be a portable ADS-B in box linked wirelessly to your ipad. Not the best solution at all in my opinion. This is what they call "clutter" in the cockpit. Please know, you will get no support from the factory on a 2008 aircraft. You can buy some parts but support is non-existent. Converting to E-LSA would be the best thing you could do, in my opinion of course, as this will allow you the freedom to update the aircraft with today's newer avionics. ADS-B won't be the only change you'll want to do to the plane, ask me how I know. I've done a lot of upgrading to my 2007 because the avionics were old and discontinued. I assume the 2008 has the Garmin 496 GPS in the panel? Both the 396 and 496 are discontinued and cumbersome to navigate. It probably has the SL-30 or SL-40 COM and a 327 transponder. The 327 transponder is great and still good to use today. Switching to E-LSA will allow you to install the Aera 660 and the GTR-200 COM in the same holes in the panel and bring the plane into the 21st century. An amazing combo and then coupled to ADS-B IN/OUT, it's nothing short of awesome. Lots of very cool features and it'll lessen your workload immensely. And of course increase the "wow" factor. Cost for the E-LSA conversion varies around the country, I paid $400 about 4 years ago here in Florida. I've heard it can run up to $700+ in other parts of the country. Finding a DAR that can do the conversion is another issue. Have a look at the DAR directory for one in your area and find out who may be able to help you. Contact your local FSDO as well and they can point you in the right direction. Converting any legacy SportCruiser to E-LSA is worth every penny it costs. It'll save you from banging your head on your desk for hours. Again, ask me how I know. 2 - I'd be glad to help you find a DAR that can help you if you want. I've been through the process and know several around the country that can do this. Before converting to E-LSA you have to be certain that the previous owner didn't do anything illegal to the plane by changing our or adding something that wasn't legal per S-LSA rules. The factory allows ZERO changes from the way it rolled off the assembly line. If anything is different from what's in the equipment list in the POH it'll have to be removed. If he/she did it'll kill your chances of getting the conversion done. Get a pre-buy inspection by someone who knows the aircraft and what it came with from the factory. I can't stress this enough. There are owners out there who add things they are not allowed to and it'll bite the next owner in the a$$ if you are not careful. Legally, it can't even pass an annual condition inspection if something is different/changed on a S-LSA. 3 - If you mean insurance rates, you shouldn't see any change in coverage or the premium, if you do it'll be very minimal. I've seen some actually go down. Let me know if I can be of any help, glad to do it.
  11. Welcome Joe and good luck with your training. I bought my SportCruiser about half way through my training and finished up in my own plane. I was glad to do it this way, no need for any "transition training" after I got my SPL. As RTK stated, keep and eye on the usual suspects for aircraft sales. All 3 websites are a great source for used aircraft. Ask any question you have as someone here has the answer for you. Good luck in your search for a plane as well, they are awesome to own and fly.
  12. It may be the same plane and if so it's only flown 5 hours in a year. Not good at all for an aircraft engine. Even then the owner stated it was an E-LSA (if it's the same plane) and he's stating it again but the FAA registry still says it's a S-LSA. If I remember correctly it had major wing damage and had a wing replaced. I think it was an off airport landing if I remember correctly. A new wing is not a deal breaker for me but I think it is for many people. A thorough inspection of the plane and logbooks is certainly in order. I would even do some measuring of the plane to be sure it's still straight. I'd be glad to look at the logbooks with you if you like. It also needs carpet, seems odd it's missing on a plane with only 175 hours.
  13. I forgot to answer in regards to IFR and night flight. Many legacy SportCruisers are equipped for night flight so that's the easy one. Make sure you read the operating limitations for the plane you are considering as it's all spelled out in that document. As for IFR equipped, anything's possible, it just depends on how thick your wallet is. Your talking an IFR/GPS WAAS navigator, dual radios, redundant everything, heated pitot tube etc. The bill will add up quickly. You'll need to convert to E-LSA also. There are a few owners who have converted to E-LSA and then IFR equipped their plane but I'm sure it wasn't cheap. If you have that kind of money to spend and you want IFR equipped then you might look at the certified world for an older IFR equipped plane.
  14. Hi Jose and welcome. RTK is correct, I'm not sure what you've heard about the legacy SportCruisers but they are great planes. Lighter and faster for sure. After 2010 they planes got much heavier and more complex under the cowling causing other issues. The basic airframe itself hasn't changed at all over the years, there are a few subtle differences to the trained eye but side by side they are all the same plane. The newer ones have the modern Dynon avionics but that's about the only difference. A few changes in the flight controls and some taller winglets and a taller panel are the only differences. If you buy a legacy SportCruiser the first thing I'd do is convert to E-LSA and free yourself from a major headache, aka "the factory". Doing this allows you the freedom to make your legacy SportCruiser even better and safer than the current SportCruisers. If you need any help or a second pair of eyes to look at any SportCruiser don't hesitate to ask. I for one will help in any way I can as will others on this forum. As for your prospects and adding to RTK's great observations: N85PB: while this is a very low hour plane it has damage history. If you want to know more call the seller. This scares many people and will significantly affect the price. A very well equipped SportCruiser. Still has the first gen nose leg, with only 175 hours I doubt it's damaged but would need to be inspected for any cracks or bent spindle. Seller claims it's E-LSA but the FAA database still has it as a S-LSA. If it was converted in the last 30-45 days that would make sense as the FAA database lags by about that many days. N636SC: Also still has the first generation nose gear, would need inspected for sure with nearly 1000 hours. The Uavionics ADS-B out is not approved for a S-LSA SportCruiser and there is a wire on a ring terminal grounding the right instrument panel. I see other wires under the panel that are not conventional. There's also a nav light mounted on the rudder that is not factory nor allowed on a S-LSA SportCruiser. It may be the Uavionics tail beacon ADS-B out. Not authorized on S-LSA. You'd have a hard time getting this plane through the annual condition inspection by anyone who knows what they are doing. Interior could be stock as early SportCruiser could be customized by the first owner including paint and interior. It also has an unconventional 6 pack and I'm not a big fan of steam gauges, can you say 1970's Cessna? N999VS: Very nice plane an already E-LSA as RTK pointed out. This is a plus and can be a hurdle with some DAR's out there. Many have had problem trying to convert because of the DAR and minor discrepenticies with the plane. Like the prior two examples. That can also be factory paint as the buyer could have ordered it that way. What gives it away is the weird stripe in front of the N number. That was stopped in early 2008, for obvious reasons. So my money is on original paint. Still very low hours for a 2008. The only red flag I see is the TruTrak EFIS and EMS. Again, as RTK pointed out they are no longer supported and when they die you'll need to upgrade to Dynon....or whatever you like because it's an E-LSA. You can add ANY ADS-B out box you want, I'd recommend the GDL-82. If the NLG (nose landing gear) checks out there's no need to update it. The inspection procedure is in the NLG service bulletin and being that it is an E-LSA you are not required to replace it. Adding to this, the seller, Dave Bonnar, is a stand up guy and forum member. This plane is part of an estate sale, it was listed a while back then removed. Not sure if the sale fell through or what may have happened. I'd ask Dave Bonnar about this. N413PS: Nice plane but over 1000 hours, was it in a flight school? 796 is definitely not original but allowed. This plane has a 2" taller instrument panel so if you are height challenged you may find it hard to see over the panel during a steep climb out. Well loaded with all the goodies, just needs ADS-B if you plane to fly in rule airspace. (not sure it it's installed as the ad doesn't state this) I know I repeated much of what RTK stated and added a few of my own points and hope it helps. Ask any seller for a copy of the log books and they should provide you with an PDF emailed copy for your review. This is where I'd start with any plane you are considering. There are a few red flags with some of these planes. Unfortunately some owners think they can add/change anything they want on their S-LSA SportCruiser but the short answer is, you can not. The factory does not issue LOA's for changes to their aircraft. This is why going E-LSA makes the most sense. Any plane that is already E-LSA has advantages and a major hurdle has been cleared. Let us know if we can be of more help.
  15. Hi Sue, welcome to the forum. This is the best place for everything SportCruiser.
  16. Thanks again for looking into this Dave. If/when it's "un-archived" I'll post in that topic otherwise I'll start another one with the same title. Let us know what happens please.
  17. Yes, welcome to the forum. Like RTK I also started my training in a Remos and bought my SportCruiser about a third or so way in to my training and took my checkride in my SportCruiser. It's a great plane and a joy to fly, I love my SportCruiser. 😍 As for purchasing one, there's a lot to learn on that subject. Are you looking to buy a legacy SportCruiser, pre 2010, or a newer one? They have different handling characteristics and the legacy planes are lighter and faster than the newer ones. Is BEW a concern for you? Please do your homework when looking at a used SportCruiser, S-LSA or E-LSA. Where are you located? There may be an owner close to you who would be willing to take you flying outside of a "discovery flight" environment.
  18. Just make sure going forward that you resize all your attachments/images to keep this number down. I resize to small or medium using the image resizer program I posted a link to in that topic. See below for your PC images and Bob posted a link for an app for your phone.
  19. Glad to hear Maria is feeling better now. Looking forward to hearing about this battery over time. That's how my Rotax starts also. Gotta love a good battery. Does Full Throttle recommend keeping it on a trickle charger all the time?
  20. That's what happens with a 3-4 year old battery. Especially the lesser expensive ones made with recycled lead. Do yourself a favor and put a piece of tape on the battery and write the month/year and hours on the plane when you installed it. I know you will have a log book entry for it but this is a "quick glance" method for the age of the battery 14 months from now when you can't remember. Or for some of us, 14 days from now. It really looks like a great battery on paper but the proof is in, well, "Maria". I figured as much given the cost. Also, using "pure lead" in the Full Throttle and Odyssey batteries makes a difference over the lesser expensive batteries that use a "lead alloy".
  21. A little on the pricey side but wow, what a great battery. I'm now at 2 years and 2 months and it's still going strong and I never put it on my Battery Tender unless I'm doing avionics work on the plane. I might try the battery Bob just bought next time as the HCA (and CCA) is higher than the Odyssey. I know the Odyssey uses virgin lead as this is reflected in the price and I can only assume that the Full Throttle battery does as well. Bob's our test guinea pig on this new battery. Stay tuned.
  22. Looks great Bob just remember to remove the duct tape and vise-grips before your next flight. My Odyssey fit very similar but the cork on the strap that holds it to the firewall was thick enough to really clamp the battery in place and it doesn't move at all. Even if it could move up and down it would only be less than 1/8" at the most. The Odyssey also comes with threaded receptacles on top for bolts and brackets. The Odyssey came with the bolts and some right angle brackets to be able to attach all the terminals on the plane. When I bought my plane the previous owner added a short piece of rubber tubing around the positive lead and it's been working great ever since. Since the wires come off straight up this was the best solution I guess. I've seen all kinds of boots that come off battery terminals at a 90° angle from the bolt but never looked for or seen a straight one. Anxiously awaiting those "updates". Here's how my Odyssey is mounted and you can see the boot on the positive lead.
  23. That's the way I read it also besides you wouldn't get a LOA......... for ANYTHING so why bother? The Czechs can't even spell LOA let alone understand what it's for.
  24. I think they offer the EarthX battery as an option here in the US. Those batteries are very expensive, about 4 times the cost of a standard AGM battery.
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