Is retractable gear obsolete for small GA?

[Bob_Belville]

8 minutes ago, pinerunner said:

I think the Cirrus is terribly overpriced for what it is. If I had that kind of money I'd keep my Mooney and get a seaplane (58' C-180 on 2870A's) along with a camp on a remote lake to fly it to. I can't honestly say if I'd trade in my M20E for a J or whether I'd trick it out big time. I'm having a lot of fun with my E.

I vote trick it out big time. They're not called "Super 21" for nothing.

[jetdriven]

1 hour ago, peevee said:

Well, whens the last clean sheet design retract 4 seat single that came out?

the pipistrel  Pantera is pretty exciting. RV-10 meh. 200k m20j basically.  Sling 4 is pretty cool but s but slow. 

[Bob_Belville]

ISTM portraying fixed gear as efficient is silly talk. When the servo holding up the retracting step was kaput on mt E it cost 6 knots. Granted that step is meant to retract and the leg is not aerodynamic but 6 kts!

Doesn't the Cirrus use horsepower, high wing loading, efficient engine cooling, and a sleek fuselage to get decent speed? That's in spite of dragging the gear/anchor.   

[mccdeuce]

If you put it into a wind tunnel - the highest drag is from the nose gear.  if there was only a way to get rid it --- !Tailwheel!!!

But seriously.  I am building a Glasair which comes in 3 different configurations.  Its a great way to compare everything. 

A Glasair with retractable gear will give you a boost of about 10knots.  That takes into account the drag changes of fixed gear and weight of the retract.  10 knots is 10 knots.  That said I am building a t/w version in which I can cruise at 180knots but can also land and takeoff from a completely different set of airfields than my M20 or a retract Glasair. 

Mission, mission, mission.

[Piloto]

Fixed gear planes will be considerable slower in icing conditions than retractable. There is no de-icing provision for tires and struts. A hard frozen main tire can steer the plane to the side upon touch down. Do not overtight the wheel bearings to avoid this.

José

Edited December 2, 2016 by Piloto

[Yetti]

What would you throw out to slow down to land?   "If you can't slow down enough to land, your gear is still probably up"

[Guest]

On December 2, 2016 at 10:27 AM, pinerunner said:

I think the Cirrus is terribly overpriced for what it is. If I had that kind of money I'd keep my Mooney and get a seaplane (58' C-180 on 2870A's) along with a camp on a remote lake to fly it to. I can't honestly say if I'd trade in my M20E for a J or whether I'd trick it out big time. I'm having a lot of fun with my E.

They may be overpriced, but they sure do sell a lot of them.

Clarence

[Bravoman]

On 12/2/2016 at 10:27 AM, pinerunner said:

I think the Cirrus is terribly overpriced for what it is. If I had that kind of money I'd keep my Mooney and get a seaplane (58' C-180 on 2870A's) along with a camp on a remote lake to fly it to. I can't honestly say if I'd trade in my M20E for a J or whether I'd trick it out big time. I'm having a lot of fun with my E.

And with the way they seem to depreciate over the first few years it's amazing that they have so many takers on new planes.

[midlifeflyer]

8 hours ago, Yetti said:

What would you throw out to slow down to land?   "If you can't slow down enough to land, your gear is still probably up"

Funny but true for some.  I taught at a flight school that had a similar problem. A no -flap landing was required on their pre-solo phase check. A good number of students, way too accustomed to using flaps as speed brakes, had very little ability to control their speed without them.

The school adopted a policy of teaching landing withou flaps until solo. A solution that wouldn't work ou too well for gear 

[DMJones]

I'm late to the discussion, but I sat outside the hangar yesterday watching my son do some pattern work with his instructor.  It made me smile every time I saw the gear come up.  That's priceless...