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ANN's
Annual 'Best of Breed' List: 2005's Planes of The Year -- SportPlane
Thu,
05 Jan '06
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Compiled and Administered
By ANN Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell
Finally...
after all our cool retrospectives and prognostications, it's
time to name the best birds of the year, this time though, we
select from among the SportPlane genre. One of the most difficult
tasks we face each year comes in the form of our Annual 'Best
of Breed' selections. Formerly announced at Oshkosh, we decided
to fold these announcements into our Year-End Wrap-Up in order
to take advantage of the rest of the year's events and input,
as well as to make such an announcement truly representative
of the full year.
This
is a difficult process, in that there is a limited sample from
which to select (especially in terms of current certificated
aircraft) and the outstanding quality boasted by most of the
industry, these days. It got even worse this year as a number
of designs were updated, modified and tweaked to make some already
worthy planes even better values than before. In other words,
the 2005 list was a BEAR to decide on. Sit back, check it out
and let us know what you think of our choices for the year.
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Glasair Aviation Sportsman 2+2
This is not your Father's GlaStar...
it's something even better.
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Fly
this with your eyes closed and you'll swear that you're
flying a GlaStar… which is a really good thing…
but open your eyes, and see all the extra room and payload,
and you'll know that the seemingly perfect little GlaStar
SportPlane has finally been topped… by it's own kin.
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Sportsman 2+2 gives its pilots reason to brag about 155-161
mph cruise speeds (180-200 hp), and a Vso of only 48 mph...
making the S2+2 an easy STOL performer needing as little
as 375 feet for takeoff and 260 feet for landing. Climb
rates range from 1950 fpm (solo) to 1000 fpm (gross). At
65% power and standard tanks, the S2+2 will get you 886
sm down the road. It has 1000 pounds of useful load, and
a small bench seat behind the two front seats (good for
an adult or two small kinds... or an amazing load of crap,
uh, gear). Its up to you, because even if you fill both
seats and gas it all the way up, there's still 300 pounds
of useful load left.
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The
stretched and tweaked Sportsman 2+2 is every bit as good
as the GlaStar was (high-praise--it was on my Top Ten
list for years)... and maybe just a little bit nicer,
in terms of load-carrying, and overall stability and control
(the very tight static/dynamic pitch profile is even better
defined... which we weren't sure was possible til we flew
it). A solid company backs this bird and the value is
exceptional... especially when you add in the availability
of their new builder's program and financing packages.
One final note... on a set of Montana Float Company's
amphibs, this thing is absolutely amazing. Highly recommended.
FMI:
www.glasairaviation.com
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