Versatile Performance

"I simulated a box-canyon turn-around in which I slowed as much as possible, about 40 m.p.h., held altitude with a little power, started a turn and then dragged the nose around with inside rudder and outside aileron. I couldn't think of a worse piloting technique. It was the kind of thing which made for such high stall-spin statistics. The airplane didn't care. It obediently pivoted around and felt like it didn't get more than 50 feet from its starting point. Magical! Absolutely magical!"

—Budd Davisson, Sport Aviation

It's been said that an airplane is a collection of engineering compromises flying in formation. While it's true that no airplane can do absolutely everything, the GlaStar comes closer than any other personal aircraft on the market today. Versatility is indeed the GlaStar's hallmark.

Let's start with speed—lots of speed. With a cruise speed of better than 160 m.p.h. (which, incidentally, is more than one mile an hour per horsepower—try that in your 182!), the GlaStar is ready to tackle some serious cross-country work. Top off the optional auxiliary fuel tanks, settle into the spacious cabin, and knock off close to 1,000 n.m. at a stretch. Trips that would be prohibitively exhausting and time consuming in a slower airplane suddenly are within your reach when you pilot a GlaStar. In fact, for trips of less than about 500 miles in length, a GlaStar will beat the airliners when you consider the time you won't spend standing in check-in lines and waiting for your bags. And of course, in your GlaStar, you can select any one of thousands of destinations not served by the airlines. The GlaStar was designed to be a traveling machine, and it delivers.

But wait: If the GlaStar is almost as fast as some production retractable-gear airplanes, does that mean it's a handful for the low-time pilot? Hardly! In fact, if one aspect of the GlaStar's incredible performance stands out above the others, it is without a doubt the airplane's "magical" slow-speed handling qualities and docile stall characteristics. Of course, these qualities aren't magical at all—they're the result of solid engineering and cutting-edge aerodynamic advances.

What's the bottom line for you, the pilot? In a full stall, the GlaStar never loses control authority in any axis. Period. Go ahead, haul the stick all the way back and hold it there. Now kick the rudder, roll the airplane with the ailerons, cross control it if you like. The GlaStar never departs from controlled flight. And thanks to the generous Fowler flaps, the stall (such as it is) occurs at a meager 49 m.p.h. (at maximum gross weight).

Such great slow-speed controllability makes the GlaStar an amazingly safe airplane. It also makes it amazingly fun to fly! Does a little low-and-slow sightseeing on a warm summer evening sound appealing? Well, trim your GlaStar for hands-off flight at 50 kts. and take advantage of its tremendous visibility as the scenery drifts past at ultralight speeds. Or imagine your favorite mountain airstrip—you know, that 800 ft. patch of rocks and ruts with the dogleg in the middle and the big trees at each end! Put your GlaStar into a 1,500 f.p.m. full-flap slip at 45 knots, round out smoothly and come to an easy stop with less than half the strip behind you. The GlaStar is a pussycat in the hands of the neophyte, but it will bring out the tiger in you as you learn to exploit its incredible capabilities.

And what's the use of flying into that wilderness strip without a big load of camping gear? No use! So, load 'er up! The GlaStar's cavernous baggage compartment isn't just for show. At typical builder-reported empty weights, the GlaStar boasts over 700 lbs. of useful load. That's a lot of freeze-dried beef Stroghanoff on the way in and a lot of fish on the way out!

What's that? You want even more versatility?! OK, how 'bout convertible landing gear?! Lots of kit aircraft out there are available as either taildraggers or trikes, but the GlaStar is the only game in town if you want to be in the woods with your tundra-tired taildragger on Saturday and be teaching your kid to hold the nosewheel off on Sunday. Using the same main gear legs and simple "plug-and-play" installation, the GlaStar can be converted from tricycle to conventional gear or back in a couple of hours! Installing floats, of course, is more complicated—that can take as much as an afternoon! Since the GlaStar was designed from the outset as a floatplane, no modifications to the airframe are required for you to go splashing and dashing in and out of your favorite aquatic destination. As with different kinds of wheeled gear, adding floats is a simple bolt-on proposition.

Oh, and yes . . . the GlaStar has been flown on skis, too!

Affordable Ownership

"For significantly less money than you'd pay for a late model Skylane you can have a brand-new, equally capable utility airplane that's a lot more fun to fly!"

—Peter Lert, Air Progress

Let's get it right out in the open: Flying isn't cheap. Few absorbing hobbies are. But in the face of an expensive, absorbing hobby, you look for value for your dollar. And the GlaStar delivers more "bang for the buck" than any other airplane in its class. In fact, the utility of the GlaStar is hard to come by in any other airplane at any price; in its price category, it is simply without peers.

Check out the other aircraft—kitplanes or certificated, new or used—in the GlaStar's price range and ask yourself these questions: Do they cruise at more than 160 m.p.h.? Do they stall below 50 m.p.h., while retaining full control authority throughout? Can they carry 250 lbs. of baggage in and out of short, rough airfields? Would they have room for that much stuff, even if they could carry it? Are their cabins spacious enough for two fully grown adults? Can they fly almost 1,000 miles without refueling? Do they offer a realistic, builder-verified build-time of around 1,500 hrs.? Are the kit parts well engineered of premium aerospace-grade materials? Are the manuals clear, comprehensive and professionally illustrated? Are they new, modern aircraft using the latest materials and technology, or are they tired, decades-old designs?

Other aircraft may match or exceed the GlaStar on one or two of these criteria, but we're confident that none will come close to offering the overall blend of performance, features and ease of assembly that the GlaStar does. That's real value.

Of course, the cost of acquiring an aircraft is only half the story; once you own it, can you afford to keep it? Here too, the GlaStar was designed to offer distinct advantages over its competitors. That's why the airframe is built of durable, all-weather materials. Compared to "rag-and-tube" airplanes, the GlaStar airframe is just about maintenance free.

Cost-of-ownership concerns also drove the design of the GlaStar's unique folding wing system. With hangar and tiedown rental rates going through the roof in many places, the GlaStar gives you options few other aircraft owners enjoy. For example, fold the wings and share a hangar or park three GlaStars side by side on a single tiedown spot. Or for even greater savings, put the GlaStar on a trailer and take it home with you! It'll fit in a typical garage and can easily be re-rigged for flight in less than half an hour with only simple hand tools.

Finally, because it is so safe and easy to fly, and because the kit comes from a company with Glasair Aviation, LLC's longstanding reputation for quality and stability, the GlaStar is simple and inexpensive to insure. Insurers recognize the GlaStar as an aircraft that can be operated with as little risk as anything else in the air, an aircraft that will hold its value over the long haul, and an aircraft that, should any mishaps occur, can be repaired easily and relatively inexpensively.

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