Light AviAtion mAgAzine

Through the Letterbox

Read all about it! Brian Hope extols the virtues of the LAA magazine

As you read through this magazine, i hope you are coming to realise the many benefits there are to belonging to the laa. another, as yet unmentioned, is the full-colour, monthly magazine that every member receives. light aviation is a quality publication available only to LAA members − it’s not available on the newsstands − and is packed with features about every aspect of the recreational flying scene.

Each issue contains an in-depth flight test, news of what our members are building and restoring, safety-related information and technical articles from our engineering department to help you better understand the design, maintenance and operation of light aircraft. our Coaching Scheme mentors often dispense much useful knowledge for pilots to hone their skills, and members regale us with tales of their exploits. the laa is a very broad church with members’ interests ranging from simple, low-cost microlights to high-specification, four-seat tourers, and from WWi replicas to state-of-the-art machines with glass cockpits that would have been the envy of many airliner cockpits of just a few years ago. Our members range from enthusiasts with an interest in recreational aircraft to commercial pilots with many thousands of hours, and from those who have built several aircraft to those who would rather enjoy the fruits of somebody else’s labour. But they all share a passion for aviation, a passion that is clearly evident in the pages of light aviation as it brings you the news, views and interesting stories from the recreational flying scene each and every month

Find details on line at w w w . l a a . u k . c o m

South African Smoooooth!

(Extract from Francis Donaldson’s Sling 2 flight test) Light Aviation January 2019

The Sling 2 has an airframe of essentially entirely rivetted aluminium construction, with fibre reinforced plastics used for such things as wing and tail tips, canopy frame and wheel spats. Unlike the popular Van’s kits, the Slings confine solid rivets to the factory-assembled wing spars and leave the amateur kit builder with the much easier process of blind riveting, the rivets being set using a pneumatic squeezer, which largely de-skills the process.

Looking through the weight and balance documentation for G-SnGZ, the aircraft falls nicely within the weight and cg range whether flown solo by a lightweight pilot or a pair of heavyweights, and we had to fully load the very back of the rear baggage bay during the test flights to approach the aft cg limit specified in the POH.

Unusually among Rotax powered aircraft, the max gross weight of the Sling 2 is a massive 700kg, allowing 279kg payload – this is one aircraft where two average sized people (86kg each) can load up with full fuel (146 litres) without exceeding max gross weight, which working generously on a 22 litres per hour consumption, gives an endurance of six-and-a-half hours!

With the prop controller on the take-off setting yielding an RPM of just under 5,800 at full throttle, the take-off was entirely uneventful despite a brisk crosswind from the left, the more critical side with the clockwise turning (seen from the back) four-stroke Rotaxes.

Rate of climb at max gross weight is over 900ft/min at 74kt – not bad for the 115hp turbocharged engine, considering the aeroplane’s size and weight. levelled off, and with the prop set for cruise, she hums along very comfortably at an indicated 117kt, burning 25 litres an hour at 5,400rpm. Bringing the throttle and RPM back to 5,000 with 28in of manifold pressure yields 103kt, burning 19 litres an hour.

She’s by no means the fastest in her class but nevertheless very respectable bearing in mind the aeroplane’s load carrying capability, fuel burn and comfort levels.

Meet the Members

Ajay Prince From Light Aviation, January 2019

Welcome Ajay, can you tell us something about your career to date? I am a freelance IT consultant working primarily on software for banks. I did my schooling in India, followed by a Bachelor of engineering in electrical and electronics Engineering in Malaysia. I then did my Masters in Microsystems at Heriot Watt University in edinburgh. Subsequently, i returned to India to work for an Icelandic IT company which, after an initial stint in India, offered me a chance to work in iceland for a couple of years, following which i was offered the opportunity to move to the UK.

What started your interest in aviation? My grandfather, who was in the Indian Air Force, introduced me to flying. When I was five years old, he let me sit in a parked MIG fighter at the Sulur Air Force base in the south of india.

In what, where and when was your first flight?

My first training flight, which was a trial flight, was in C152 TF-FHI in Reykjavik. I got on well with the instructor and decided to do my PPL there. How did you hear about the LAA? I was flying C152s from a flying club at Biggin Hill for a couple of years after I revalidated my license in the UK. i was looking for ways to fly more economically when i came across the laa and was fascinated by the versatility and running costs of types such as the jodel. i have been a member since april 2017.

Has the Association helped you meet your aims? the laa has helped in owning and operating an aircraft economically. We were lucky to get a fantastic LAA inspector who painstakingly helped us find a good Jodel. He is also a coach and subsequently, through the laa coaching system, I also learned to fly the Jodel with him. to learn in such an informal setting i.e. from a grass airfield, on a vintage plane and from a great instructor, was very different compared to flying from the controlled airports i had been used to, making it a very special experience. I thank the LAA for making all of this possible.

What made you choose a Jodel? As a newish pilot, I was looking for an aircraft that was similar to the C152 in terms of mission, which mostly involved one to two-hour flights with the occasional longer flight.

Unable to afford the annual costs for CAA types, I was set on looking at a suitable laa type, and jodels seemed to tick a lot of boxes. It is a simple aircraft and has proved to be affordable to maintain so far.

How did you get on converting to a taildragger? The first few lessons were eye opening to say the least. However, I kept hearing from other taildragger pilots, who had watched me during my training, that it would soon all become second nature at some point. Some four or five lessons later, it did indeed come together.

Would you recommend other pilots go the LAA route? For anyone who is not able to afford hiring an aircraft and wants to expand their horizons, i would seriously recommend buying a share in an laa type. Your money certainly goes farther.

I have limited experience, just 135 hours in the 152, and 80 in the jodel. the Jodel is a more enjoyable aircraft to fly although it requires more skill, but in turn that makes you a better pilot. Would you like to go touring? this is something that has been on the back of my mind since I got my PPL. i have only been as far as le touquet but I would like to fly to Scotland and Venice-Lido this year or next. If time allows, I would love to plan a flight to india. LAA

Right Ajay Prince with the Jodel D112, G-INNI, which he shares and flies from Kent.