Experimenter

October 2013

Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.

Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/194874

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Tierry and his engineers used SolidWorks to design the entire aircraf. Tis image shows the forward fuselage. the stall occurs, and the pilot can exit from the stall using conventional technique (by reducing angle of attack). No tendency was felt to roll or enter a spin, even when I did stalls in accelerated turns." Clean stall at LSA gross is right at 49 mph (and 45 mph at AULA weight); with the full 35 degrees of flaps, it is a slow 42 mph. (For reference, at a landing speed of 60 mph and with Rafael on the stick, landing distance was 350 feet.) He performed some intentional "rookie mistakes," too, to see what the airplane would do. Rafael said, "I also tried to keep the stick full aft; the Sam's nose would drop, then oscillate above and below the horizon, regaining speed and stalling again without dangerous tendencies." As for yaw, he said, "During a steady turn at 30 degrees of bank, the Sam had a tendency to stay established in the turn or to decrease the bank angle, which is known as 'divergent spiral stability.'" Rafael took the flight envelope to VNE (155 mph) and said, "No flutter was felt." Overall, the tests showed "…longitudinal stability that results in a proportional stick displacement and force versus speed increase/decrease." As for general accommodations, Rafael said, "The cabin comfort is good. Not so noisy, and the cabin heating system is very efficient. The knob installed on the right side of the panel opens the orifice on the floor, and hot air entered the cockpit quickly." Rafael also called the Sam "docile and versatile." The manuals—pilot's operating handbook and the aircraft maintenance manual—are done. The finished, fully loaded, ready-to-fly airplane is $131,000 (FOB Lachute); early orders get some nice options at no charge. The ultrafast-build kit is $33,440. The standard kits, which include everything but the engine, instrumentation, avionics, emergency locator transmitter, painting, and primer, come in at $23,200. Options, of course, can pick that number back up. Order the whole Sam airframe kit, or as many subkits as you like in 2013, and take a 20 percent discount. Delivery slots are still available for most subkits, for delivery in early 2014. (Complete kit orders—regularly $29,000—now are on special at $23,200, with priority delivery.) Options include an additional (7-inch) Dynon panel for the rear cockpit, larger (6-inch) wheels, leather interior, wheelpants, stainless-steel exhaust, marker lights, parking brake, two-axis Dynon autopilot, and a BRS ballistic all-airframe parachute. The long-wing option will be available in 2014; the cross-country wing is scheduled for the following year. Learn more at: www.Sam-Aircraft.com. Tim Kern is a private pilot and has written for more than 50 different aviation magazines. He was a key builder on two aircraft projects and has earned the title of Certified Aviation Manager from the NBAA. EAA Experimenter 25

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