New Piper Sport

[Richard T. Russ]

Hello to all.

I have just finished completing the paper work on my ne Piper Sport. It is s/n 004 and I should be able to pick it up in a week or so or as soon as they finish the checkout and certification. It looks like we shoul be able to pick it up around May 18th and head for Oklahoma City (weather permitting). It will be strange not flying IFR anymore but my wife never liked IFR anyway.

 

Just thought i would let everyone know what's going on.

 

[Ben Fitzgerald-O'Connor]

Hi Richard,

Glad all going ahead etc. you'll have a lot of fun with your plane I'm sure. If you've got the SL30 (NAV VOR RX & Glidescope) in your plane, then you'll be able to make use of the NAV features as secondary navigation aids via the Dynon screens so that you can keep your IFR skills in (as long as you're flying under VFR conditions).

Be sure to post some photos once you've got your plane!

Regards
Ben

[Richard T. Russ]

Hi Ben,
It was nice hearing from you and I sure will. I did sell our Lance and looking forweard to picking up the Piper Sport next week. I suspect based on the weather forcast (VFR) it will be the 20th. It won't be quite the same flying VFR back to Oklahoma since for the last 40 years I didn't worry about it not being VFR. It just goes to show you as we get older we need to slow down and smell the (VFR) roses.
My wife and I look forward to picking up the plane in Ft Pierce and taking our time flying it home.
Keep in touc h,
Dick

[Wayne Ferson]

Hi,

I don't yet have a pipersport or cruiser but am interested in them. I have owned two light sports: first a Kappa KP5, now a Flight Design CTSW. I am interested in the pipersport because it looks like my wife's 15# dog could ride in the back while our luggage goes in the wing lockers; in my CT the only place for the dog is on my wife's lap.

Question: if your prop is pitched to, say 5500 rpm wide open throttle, what realistic cruise speeds do you see in these airplanes at about 5200 rpm?

WF

[Richard T. Russ]

Wayne,
I have no idea at this time. The spec sheet says 115 knots at 5300. We hope to pick our plane up the 8th of June at Piper in Florida and fly back to Oklahoma. I will have a much better idea then. We are removing the BRS system to provide better useful load which with it is only 16 gallons and no luggage. We will have to pack light (under 17 pounds to have 20 gallona of fuel..

I can live with that. I'll let you know how the trip went when we get home.

Dick.

[Wayne Ferson]

Thanks, Dick.

I hope you have a great trip. To be scientific, it would be great if you could write the down some density altitudes during cruise, then let it run wide open for two minutes or so to settle down and record the wide open throttle rpm and true airspeed. This is a key factor in evaluating cruise performance. Then, knowing the true airspeed at 5200 rpm and comparing it with the WOT rpm will tell a lot!

WF

[Wayne Ferson]

Hey, Dick:

Did you ever make that trip in your new piper sport? I am curious about the performance numbers. I was seeing 114 knots true at 5200 rpm, 5500DA in my CTSW today. Gotta love that. But, there is no place for the dog!

WF

[Richard T. Russ]

Hi Wayne,
I should have posted something earlier. My wife and I did make the trip and I now have 69 hours on my PiperSport. There have beenn some minor problems with the Dynon system but it looks like everything is working great. The following is the TAS at just under gross wt. at 3000MSL.115K at 5500 RPM, 107K at 5250 RPM, 103 at 5000 RPM, 90K at 4500 RPM. Considering the load I think that these speeds are reasonable. It has been suggested that if I change the prop pitch I can get a better cruise speed. Since my trips are for traveling I may do that. I really think you would like the PiperSport. with all the room especially for your dog.

[Chad Boot]

Hi Richard,

I have the woodcomp Klassic 3R prop (standard) it Is pitched to 22 deg and I get 105kt Tas at 4700 rpm.

Max rpm is 5200 and will do 113kt Tas

[Dave Fisher]

Hello Richard. First, thanks for sharing your insight to the PiperSport. My wife and I have almost made to decision to buy one. I was wondering how long it took from 'signing on the line' to actually flying your new plane?

[Richard T. Russ]

Hi Dave,
I ordered one from piper equipped with the Garmin 696 and a 330 Xponder, color Blue. This was in the middle of March. I told I should have it the last week of July or the by the middle of August. I didn't like that but decided that was the way it is. Then while on vacation in California I was reading the detailed specs and discovered that the useful load was not 600 pounds but instead 469 pounds. To me this was unacceptable. With me and my wife that meant 16 gallons of fuel and no luggage. When I talked to Piper I questioned this and the answer was mainly because of the BRS system. I ask them to take it out because I needed the 33-40 pounds for fuel and luggage and besides that I think it is a stupid option when a plane will land under 30 . They said they wouldn'r remove it so I cancelled my order. Then I spoke with Don at US Sport Aircraft and he said he had a couple of PiperSports in stock and he would sell me S/N 004 and remove the BRS system so I said I would take it. The down side is I had to own the plane before they would remove the BRS system. I bought the plane (contract) the 7th of May and have been waiting for the FAA to issue the C of A which should be tomorrow. Then they can remove the BRS and I plan on picking the plane up in Fort Pierce next week. I would suggest you call Donato at 772-349-4633. Tell him you spoke with me and see what he can do for you. US Sport is the company in Fort Pierce that is the importer to the US and does the assembly for Piper. They are also a Piper Dealer so you can order the plane from them directly if you want.
If you have any questions I will be happy to answer them. I'm also going to install the 696 myself and save several thousand dollars. Another story but a good and easy one.
I

[Wayne Ferson]

Dick:

Thanks for the TAS info on your sport. Sounds pretty good. If you were wide open throttle at 5500 rpm then you won't do much better by changing the prop pitch. At least in the CT, everyone pretty much agrees that the best overall setting is 5500 rpm at wide open and your normal cruise altitide. That's how I am pitched in my CT and it sounds like you are, too. Where you are seeing 107 cruise, I would see 116. Where you are seeing 103, I would see 105-107. - WF

[Richard T. Russ]

Thanks for your reply. I normally fly at 5250 RPM and around 4000-5000 msl. For the difference in TAS I don't think I want to mess with changing the prop pitch. I might bend up with a ghost chase

Best regards,
Dick