Microlighters

Can anyone give me some advice on a KR2, I can get one for around 45k.
2.2 VW motor.

What are they selling for nowerdays?

Ill ask Louis Crouse at Fisantekraal to give you a call or get his number and pass it on
Hes got a hot little KR2 here

Junkie wrote:Ill ask Louis Crouse at Fisantekraal to give you a call or get his number and pass it on
Hes got a hot little KR2 here

Thank's Junky

Eesh........

http://home.hiwaay.net/~langford/KRaccidents.doc

Seems like they cost the same as a proper funaral nowerdays.

Bennie, I think what you are really looking for is a plane that has never crashed before... Which brings up the question is there a microlight with a perfect safety record? Or any flying machine? (production that is) Saw an interesting article on SKY NEWS this morning that 737s ave been produced for the 8 years with structurally crucial parts that did not fit and had to be panel beaten into place

Biggles wrote:Bennie, I think what you are really looking for is a plane that has never crashed before... Which brings up the question is there a microlight with a perfect safety record? Or any flying machine?

Na, not realy.

Total number 87
Fatal 31
Total fatalities 37

Engine loss 32
Fuel loss 11
Electrical 6
Carburator 4
No reason given 4
Carb ice 3
Engine mechanical failure 3
Coolant system 1
Stall/Spin 20Loss of Control 19 Cross wind/high wind conditions 6
Gear retract related 3
Control system malfunction 3
Loss of control without related system malfunction 3
Loss of control during acro/unusual attitude 2
Lateral out of balance 1
Brakes 1
Improper workmanship/equipment/installation 7
Hard landing 5
Canopy loss 4
Prop failure 3
Landing short 3
Insufficient power/low speed takeoff 2
Medical/Health 2
Flight through an electrical cable 2
Flight into IMC 1

What these stats is telling me is that this is a good plane that is good value for money, but only if an experienced pilot with lots more experience than me is sitting in the captains seat. Maybe I'll get there some day but for now I need to fly something more forgiving even if it means that it must be mush slower or more expensive. It is a matter of know you’re limits as a pilot and your technical expertise as an AP and compare it to the characteristics of the plane you need to fly at the time and not what you want to be flying. Little bit frustrating but taking it one step at a time might mean that you get the opportunity to some day fly what you wane fly. I think I should not buy it because it is cheap and traveling at speeds that I would like to go.

Biggles wrote:Bennie, I think what you are really looking for is a plane that has never crashed before... Which brings up the question is there a microlight with a perfect safety record?

I don't think this is possible, the human factor and fuel mismanagement are your biggest killers. But you can get microlights with very good flight characteristics, well established, high safety records, not prone to stall and spin, glide well, wings don't break off etc. I might be a bit biased but the Quad City Challenger is one of them. Almost 4000 flying, excellent track record etc etc.

I personally would stay far away from home-built, from scratch planes, i.e. built to plan from scratch. (sorry Tailspin ) which is what I understand the KR2 to be. There are many of these standing in garages, not complete. Most builders start out enthusiatically and then after 1 or 2000 hours give up. Before doing so they start to skimp on the build quality and you as the buyer cannot see this. Even TS can vouch for problems he found i.e. foam being used as a filler in the firewall

Next, because each is hand built the flying charateristics are different. They could have dangerous stall/spin problems. These planes IMHO stand the greatest chance of having a mid air structural failure.

Well known kits are built well, stong, have had all the niggles worked out etc. Alternatively buy from a reputable builder, not your average garage builder who doesn't even fly.

I would personally recommend Bush Baby, Rans, Kitfox, Challenger, Cheetah. I don't know the composite planes well enough to comment.

Outright to me right now the Bush Baby is the best local option. Locally built, very good support, well priced etc. The most difficult part is the wings, but with guys like Boet Laubscher around who will build the wings for you, you can't go wrong. There is also a good fully built second hand market for them and you can get a excellent 582 based low hour plane for R200K. Definately my next buy.

Bennie

Been looking through the accidents and have to say the KR2 doesn't sound like the most forgiving of machines... although it seems the vast majority of stalls resulting in accidents are due to low speed turns and low altitude... . engine outs on take-off and PIC trying to get back to the runway... I think any instructor drums into his students that you do not do that!!

But thanks for posting these accident reports. It seems the states is very lax about homebuilds.

P.S. Well put Morph, I think you have hit the problem on the head