Savannah Owners

[Rudolph]

What a aerie to fly!!!!! We bought ZU ENP from Waldo Verster with 82hr and clock this week end 375hr with a month to go for having her 1 year. Well build Waldo!! and many thanks to John Waterson bring this aeries to us.

This is an aeroplane (Bakkie) you can basicly land any where where there is a opening in the field and then get her out very easy as long as you have 60 to 100m open space.

In this about 300hr we have no problems at all.

[Morph]

hmm, a little VFR on top there I see

[slysi]

hmm, a little VFR on top there I see

Is Darrel your twin brother

[Choppie]

Rudolph,

I share your feelings about this remarkable little aircraft. I started flying the savannah late last year and frankly feel that I wasted a good couple of months on the Cherokee 140 prior to that. Do not get me wrong here - the cherokee taught me valuable lessons, but had I started out on the Savannah I would have most likely have completed my licence by now and wuld be in the market for one of these.

The savannah is just like you said, me thinks the 1400 Nissan bakkie of aircraft - no good for loads, but always there for fun. I found this aircraft to be very "agile" and found the turn characteristics to be amazing. I could get it to turn on it's own wing in after just 5 minutes behind the stick. My first reaction was to get the nose above the horison in the turn and found it to climb during the exercise. I was quite amazing to not HAVE to keep the nose up at all cost plus having to ensure you are full bore on the throttle to make a medium turn. I did steep turns and lazy 8's , more steep lazy 8's in less than 10 minutes without having the fear of dropping out of the sky. The Cherokee could barely maintain a 20 degree bank without making you sweat - this one you could almost stick on it's side and maintain the bank without the regular contribution to the altitude god...

Everytime we do circuits I am amazed at the take-off roll. Still being used to the cherokee consuming a lot of tar prior to getting light on the wheels, this aircraft would leave the tar behind after 60 to 80 metres. The first attempt at take-off I did the standard centre controls and pick up speed, but this one continued the climb rate despite my attempts to aid it (like in the cherokee). All in all a hell of a nice ride.

Being larger than most I find it "interesting to strap onto my back". I spend a lot of time strapping the aircraft to my back, but once settled in I find that the limited space becomes almost of no consideration due to the amount of fun you have flying. It is almost better than s.. yes well....

[vernon11]

Mine will be finished in a mnth or two. I can hardly wait to start my conversion.
Vernon.

[Rudolph]

Here is the new Savannah VG X. Look if they now build it for our big "Boerseuns". You must see us me and my son PR fit into this aircraft!!!!!

[Rudolph]

Yes Choppie, I also believe it is one off the best and safest training aercraft you can fly. I had about 300hr on a trike before I done my conversion and took me 19 hours. Now I am enjoy every moment when I move in behind the stick.

[Stephan van Tonder]

If only there weren't so slow...... The new one I might actually fit into.

[Choppie]

Stephan,

Not really so slow... two up in the circuit I have to work to get it below 40mph for the flaps. At 75% power the Savannah will do a comfortable 80 mph and If you want to go at 100mph you will most likely have about 80 to 85% power set. What amazes me about this aircraft ( I am talking about the STOL wing ) is the rate of climb a stupid engine like a ratax 912 can do. My intro flight to this little aircraft I was told that the aircraft will be airbornre in 50 metres. I did not believe Fred Blockland. I thought to myself that he misjudged my weight and surely to get a fat ass like me airborne you will need at least 100 metres. Fred stepped on the brakes, opened the throttle and let go of the brakes. He waited briefly and pulled back on the stick. It rose like Lasarus out of the dead man... This little aircraft amazed me. We did some tricks up in the training area and returned back to FASI. On final Fred said to me that he will demonstrate virtually zero airspeed and no stall over the runway. We got to the runway and he proceeded to hang this little aircraft by the prop - slowly creeping up the runway. When we had out fun, he pushed the throttle in and the aircraft shot up like a rocket - no delay, no hanging back - just proceed to climb out.

I believe that Paul can hang the aircraft by the nose on the same spot over the runway. All youneed is a light breeze and the correct set-up and I am sure this aircraft will hover on it's prop.

Size is not problem. I am over 100 kg and reasonably tall. I have to get dressed into the aircraft, but once I have found my sit, I forget about how small the inside really is. The problem is that time goes by so damn quickly that I am considering buying one just to be able to spend more time in it in the air.

I have the Demo DVD of this aircraft and the nice thing about that DVD is the pilot makes a very flat 180 degree turn utilising only the rudder in the turn - WITHOUT loosing altitude. Aty one spot it almost looks like it is flying backwards - which I am sure you can achieve if you have a good headwind. I did a turn into the wind on final one day and realised that I had to add power to move forward - I managed to get the aircraft to stay in the same position - and not once did I feel that the aircraft was about to fall out of the sky.

Safe, Reliable, lots and lots of fun (you can not have more fun with your clothes on - I tell you), affordable flying - sounds like an advert doesn't it...

[Stephan van Tonder]

Choppie - I flew Fred's yellow/black one for my flight test and yes all the things you describe I also felt. It was also very stable in a cross wind landing only needing a small amount of rudder correction. It basically lands itself and I don't knock them and they are great aeries but I must say that one never made it past 85 mph even when I had it just about flat out. Yes once ensconed inside it the size doesn't seem to be a big problem but I really didn't find it any fun getting in and out of it. Fred was halfway done with my paperwork in the office by the time I extricated myself from the plane. Perhaps once the new bigger ones hits our shores I might give it another go. I also believe the VG wing is a bit faster by about 6 mph or so at least.
Look if I can get one at a price that I can't refuse I won't refuse. They really do get airborne like a 'poep in 'n bad' even with my fat arse on board and I can't say that I didn't enjoy the hour I spent in it.

[Morph]

They are lekker aeries, very impressed with the demos John did at Morning Star on his country tour

[Massimo]

Im currently doing my license with Fred and i cant get enough of this aerie. The capabilities and tight turns and ease of the aircraft is amazing. This morning we landed at microland with half the runway left over. Yes the slatted version will cruise around 80 but the new VG cruises 90 with top speed over 100.
But wait till my 701 is ready ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
I must say though that going from trike to fix wing and being much more limited with the view is sometimes irretating. But both fixed and trike are absoultely awesome flying fun.

[Ian]

Choppie - I flew Fred's yellow/black one for my flight test and yes all the things you describe I also felt. It was also very stable in a cross wind landing only needing a small amount of rudder correction. It basically lands itself and I don't knock them and they are great aeries but I must say that one never made it past 85 mph even when I had it just about flat out.

If I'm not mistaken the yellow/black one first had a Simonini then a Rotax 582 in it ?

My Classic with slats does 90MPH 2 up straight and level at 5,500 RPM, 95 1 up, it has the 912S motor. I could adjust the prop, but then I dont have the great climb and reduce safety margins...

Every time I wish for a better cruise I just remind myself of the fantastic stall, land and climb capabilities and turn up the iPod volume ..

Put it another way, we fly from a strip nearby Grand central to Sun City for breakfast

At 55 MPH you get there in 75 mins
At 65 MPH you get there in 64 mins
At 75 MPH you get there in 55 mins
At 85 MPH you get there in 49mins
At 95 MPH you get there in 43 mins
At 105 MPH you get there in 39 mins

above times include take off, landing speeds

So what... who has more fun

cheers ian

[Ian]

Yes the slatted version will cruise around 80 but the new VG cruises 90 with top speed over 100.
But wait till my 701 is ready ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
.

One of my flying buddies has the 701, nice aerie, we fly at around the same speed and fuel consumption, one would think the 701 with shorter wings would be quicker, but there is almost nothing in it, less than 5 mph....he uses a prop with less drag than mine (I have the DUC windspoon, great for climb but pay in the cruise, he has a woodcomp, next I will most probably go for the Kiev)

What has eliminated his problem of stalling the inverted horz stab at slow landing speeds is fitting VG's under the elevator... works well for him.

cheers ian

[Stephan van Tonder]

Don't know if he had other motors in there but it had a 912s in when I flew it.