28-660: The CSA SportCruiser is a two-seat, single engine, tricycle undercarriage , fixed-wing aircraft that was introduced in 2006 by Czech Aircraft Works (CZAW), now named Czech Sport Aircraft . In January 2010, the SportCruiser was added to the Piper Aircraft line as the PiperSport under a licensing agreement with Czech Sport Aircraft. This arrangement was terminated one year later in January 2011. The aircraft
56-505: A fully built production model. The SportCruiser is accepted as a US FAA LSA, FAA homebuilt kit and the UK under BCAR Section "S". On 21 January 2010, Piper Aircraft announced that they had licensed a derivative of the SportCruiser and would market it as the PiperSport . Piper CEO Kevin Gould said: "The PiperSport is an amazing entry-level aircraft that will bring new customers into Piper and lead
84-592: A little kvetching about the Piper decision, to the effect of asking why they're going with the Sport Cruiser instead of developing their own airplane. To me, the answer is obvious: It makes no business sense for Piper to develop and build its own LSA. In the Piper Cub days, they were everyman's airplane company—as Cessna is now—but they're not that today. Piper is a niche manufacturer which has sustained itself with
112-477: A nosewheel. Also, a fixed-gear taildragger exhibits less interference drag and form drag in flight than a fixed-gear tricycle aircraft whose nosewheel may sit directly in the propeller's slipstream. Tailwheels are smaller and cheaper to buy and to maintain. Most tailwheel aircraft are lower in overall height and thus may fit in lower hangars . Tailwheel aircraft are also more suitable for fitting with skis in wintertime. Flight training Flight training
140-466: A range of 1,014 km (630 mi). No wind, standard day gross weight takeoff is achieved in 106 m (348 ft) and landing in 123 m (404 ft). The SportCruiser is designed to fit into the ultralight or microlight category in several countries as well as in the light-sport aircraft category in the United States. Between 2006 and 2010, it was available either as a kit or as
168-491: A small volume of a relatively broad model line. So it makes sense for them to buy an existing design out of the still-glutted LSA market. Whether the Sport Cruiser is the right choice remains to be seen. On 12 January 2011, after selling a total of 45 aircraft, Piper announced that the PiperSport would be discontinued. Piper CEO Geoffrey Berger stated: After a year working with Czech Sport Aircraft, Piper determined that it
196-419: Is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft . The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills. Flight training can be conducted under a structured accredited syllabus with a flight instructor at a flight school or as private lessons with no syllabus with a flight instructor as long as all experience requirements for
224-503: Is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or landing gear , that is arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has one or more nose wheels in a single front undercarriage and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity . Tricycle gear aircraft are the easiest for takeoff, landing and taxiing, and consequently the configuration is now the most widely used on aircraft. Several early aircraft had primitive tricycle gear, notably very early Antoinette planes and
252-435: Is arguably more suited to rougher landing strips. The tailwheel makes the plane sit naturally in a nose-up attitude when on the ground, which is useful for operations on unpaved gravel surfaces where debris could damage the propeller. The tailwheel also transmits loads to the airframe in a way much less likely to cause airframe damage when operating on rough fields. The small tailwheel is much lighter and much less vulnerable than
280-579: Is determined by the aircraft's Hobbs meter or Tach timer , therefore the student is only charged while the aircraft engine is running. Flight instructors can also be scheduled with or without an aircraft for pilot proficiency and recurring training. The oldest flight training school still in existence is the Royal Air Force 's (RAF's) Central Flying School formed in May 1912 at Upavon , United Kingdom . The oldest civil flight school still active in
308-410: Is essentially the reverse of conventional landing gear or taildragger . On the ground, tricycle aircraft have a visibility advantage for the pilot as the nose of the aircraft is level, whereas the high nose of the taildragger can block the view ahead. Tricycle gear aircraft are much less liable to 'nose over' as can happen if a taildragger hits a bump or has the brakes heavily applied. In a nose-over,
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#1732780353102336-484: Is in our company’s best long-term interests to discontinue the business relationship which distributed a Light Sport Aircraft manufactured by the Czech company and distributed under Piper’s brand by a separate distributor network. Clearly, the company has a different business perspective and approach to the market than Czech Sport Aircraft. After the Piper announcement the PiperSport importer and dealer network indicated that
364-517: Is of all aluminum construction with a low wing configuration. It can be fitted with either a 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS or a 120 hp (89 kW) Jabiru 3300 engine. Approved propellers include the Woodcomp Klassic 170/3/R. The SportCruiser has an optional Ballistic Recovery Systems parachute, auto pilot and Dynon or TruTrak EFIS . The aircraft is capable of cruising at 214 km/h (133 mph; 116 kn) with
392-531: The Curtiss Pushers of the pre-World War I Pioneer Era of aviation. Waldo Waterman 's 1929 tailless Whatsit was one of the first to have a steerable nose wheel. In 1956, Cessna introduced sprung-steel tricycle landing gear on the Cessna 172 . Their marketing department described this as "Land-O-Matic" to imply that these aircraft were much easier to land than tailwheel aircraft. Tricycle gear
420-868: The Yakovlev Yak-15 , the Supermarine Attacker , and prototypes such as the Heinkel He 178 that pioneered jet flight , the first four prototypes (V1 through V4) of the Messerschmitt Me 262 , and the Nene powered version of the Vickers VC.1 Viking . Outside of the United States ;– where the tricycle undercarriage had solidly begun to take root with its aircraft firms before that nation's World War II involvement at
448-453: The attitude required to land on the main gear is the same as that required in the flare , and they are less vulnerable to crosswinds . As a result, the majority of modern aircraft are fitted with tricycle gear. Almost all jet-powered aircraft have been fitted with tricycle landing gear to prevent the blast of hot, high-speed gases from causing damage to the ground surface, in particular runways and taxiways . The few exceptions have included
476-609: The Piper dealer network worldwide. Deliveries under the Piper name commenced with the initial customer receiving their aircraft on 13 April 2010 at Sun 'n Fun . The aircraft was offered in three different trim and avionics configurations, with higher end models offering the Dynon Avionics D100 glass cockpit and autopilot . All models were delivered with the Rotax 912S powerplant of 100 hp (75 kW). Piper indicated that they had carried out extensive test flying on
504-416: The SportCruiser before agreeing to add it to their line and that the aircraft's slow sales in the past had been related to marketing issues and not any deficiencies with the aircraft design. Piper planned to market the aircraft to flight schools as well as private owners. In analyzing the Piper decision to distribute the SportCruiser, instead of design its own LSA, AvWeb analyst Paul Bertorelli said: I heard
532-451: The aircraft are stronger nosegear, a Ballistic Recovery Systems parachute and leather interior both as standard equipment, a cockpit sunshade and modified pitch controls, plus a custom paint scheme. Previously the Sport Cruiser was available as a completed aircraft or a kit, but Piper offered it only as a completed aircraft, sold as a Special Light-sport aircraft in the US. It was distributed by
560-399: The aircraft would continue to be imported under a new name. Importer U.S. Sport Aircraft CEO Don Ayres stated that said his company was engaged in "business as usual...aircraft will continue to be sold and supported". The aviation press reacted with skepticism as to Piper's explanation for terminating its arrangements with CSA. AvWeb editor Paul Bertorelli said, "In my view, we are not getting
588-536: The aircraft's tail rises and the propeller strikes the ground, causing damage. The tricycle layout reduces the possibility of a ground loop , because the main gear lies behind the center of mass. However, tricycle aircraft can be susceptible to wheel-barrowing . The nosewheel equipped aircraft also is easier to handle on the ground in high winds due to its wing negative angle of attack . Student pilots are able to safely master nosewheel equipped aircraft more quickly. Tricycle gear aircraft are easier to land because
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#1732780353102616-406: The desired pilot certificate/license are met. Typically flight training consists of a combination of two parts: Although there are various types of aircraft, many of the principles of piloting them have common techniques, especially those aircraft which are heavier-than-air types. Flight schools commonly rent aircraft to students and licensed pilots at an hourly rate. Typically, the hourly rate
644-482: The detriment of the rest of the world. The company indicated that it will continue to develop the aircraft and planned revisions to the spinner, canopy, elevator, ailerons and wingtips in the immediate future. The SportCruiser is operated by private individuals and flight training schools. Data from Manufacturer General characteristics Performance Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Tricycle undercarriage Tricycle gear
672-536: The end of 1941 – the Heinkel firm in World War II Germany began building airframe designs meant to use tricycle undercarriage systems from their beginnings, as early as late 1939 with the Heinkel He 280 pioneering jet fighter demonstrator series, and the unexpectedly successful Heinkel He 219 twin-engined night fighter of 1942 origin. The taildragger configuration has its own advantages, and
700-509: The full story on its decision to exit the LSA segment. In a tersely worded statement a week before the show, Piper said it was terminating its relationship with the Czech supplier of its PiperSport LSA, citing 'differences in business philosophies.' That phrase is code speak for a significant behind-the-scenes blowup. In my opinion, either Piper concluded the margins on LSAs weren't worth the trouble and it would rather focus on jets or its Czech supplier
728-409: The way for those customers to step up into more sophisticated and higher performance aircraft within our line over time." The PiperSport is a minimally modified version of the existing SportCruiser. The plan was that it would continue to be manufactured by Czech Sport Aircraft, with Piper's manufacturing operation playing no part in the construction, although Piper was distributing parts. The changes to
756-713: The world is based in Germany at the Wasserkuppe . It was founded as "Mertens Fliegerschule", and is currently named "Fliegerschule Wasserkuppe". Pilots must first gain their Private Pilot Licence (PPL). They can then progress to a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), and finally an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL). Some countries have a Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL), but this cannot be used internationally. Separate licences are required for different aircraft categories , for example helicopters and aeroplanes . A type rating , also known as an endorsement,
784-407: Was doing something it didn't like. Or both." Czech Sport Aircraft reacted to the ending of the Piper deal by indicating that business would continue through the same distributor and dealer network and that the name of the aircraft would be changed back to SportCruiser. The company did indicate that the disagreement with Piper involved the geographical focus that Piper had put on marketing in the US to
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