Microlighters

I love my Windlass but would like a 5mph more cruise and a better climb. Have a cut down wing from Solowings on the Windlass.

Have two choices - Upgrade or a 582 in the back.

Any ideas and comments from fellow MP`s

I am in exactly the same boat as you. I however have a Aquila 2 wing on my trike.

Hi Carel

My modest opinion is, to sell it and upgrade rather than a 582, I do not think an engine replacement will cost you much less than what you have to pay in on a faster trike after selling your Windlass. If you replace the engine you will only get a better rate of climb but your speed is depending on your wing, so in order to get better speed you wil have to pull in the wing all the time which I suppose is not what you are looking for.
A windlass will be a Windlass no matter what engine you put in the back, it is senseless to overspend on it, I think that with all the mods it will not increase the value of the trike with the same amount that you will spent on it.

Thats my opinion, your choice!

Enjoy Nam, I am an Ex Namibian and I envy you for living there!

I have the cut down wing that will allow a few extra miles. A windlass is like a Landrover, love them or hate them. I love Landrovers and Windlasses.

The market is so low that you do not sell an aircraft, you rather donate it to the new owner and recive a handling fee. Like most I have to sell before I can buy.

So will explore all avenues before making a final decision.

Carel

I agree on that, but the more you spend on it now, the more you gonna loose once you decide to sell it.
I had exactly the same windlass which I sold 8 years ago to buy an Aquilla and the Aquilla I sold recently with only 180 hrs on the engine and Airframe for less than the value of a new engine and prop just because the monthly hangarage and landing fees became too expensive for me who was flying on average about 1 hour every 3 months, I am also a Windlass fan and if I ever buy a a trike again it will definately be a Windlass product, still battle to agree on the Land Rover (Joking).

At this stage you seem to be in a difficult situation and either way you are gonna lose!

Houtlepel koop weer vir jou n Windlass en kom stoor hom in Aliwal ons betaal R10.00 per maand vir n groot hanger en geen landing fees maar begeer julle teer runways.

Klink na n bargain, sou minder kos om elke keer Aliwal toe te ry en daar te vlieg as om my trike hier te hanger. Ek is nie baie gepla oor teer runways nie, ek spandeer nie baie tyd op die runway nie!

Hi Carel
I had the same choice 2 years ago and went for the conversion to 582. It was worth every penny. The first time you take up a passenger on the Reef altitude you know it is worth every cent. I did the conversion myself and as far had no problems at all. In total with a new propeller it worked out at about R37k. I'm not sure what it will set you back at the current prices.

Cheers
Derik

I have been pondering this for quite some time now and have listened to many varying views on the subject.

Yes the improvement in performance will be great in the Windlass (I also like my Windlass a lot, and I trained on a Windlass with a 582). I have flown, with my softness as PAX, pulled the bar in as far as I can and am still able to maintain level flight with RPM running just below 6500 (obviously with my 503). So the the under carriage, wing and engine combo is well "balanced".

I am not totally against buying a 582 trike. But I want to buy cash, then sell my Windlass, I do not want to be dependent on the sale of the Windlass, so I gotta save a little more money .

There are a couple of reasons that I would like the 582, but the two most important are:
1. I can take PAX with me that weigh more than my softness. (My old man really wants to go fly with me, but at 105 kg's I'm not comfortable taking him with, with the 503)
2. I do not like flying on the margin all the time. If something happens, if I need to abort a landing, if I need to get out of a situation, especially if I have a PAX, with the 503 it's not easy at the elevation that we are flying at.

Those are my views on this, would like some more comments.

I am not into taking a passenger. Softness not fly mad (Rock climbing) and I fly alone 99,9% of the time. Fly long distances and a 5mph increase will make a difference. Fly for fun but the extra power when needed will be appraciated. My Windlass has recently been rebuilt and is close to "new".

Should I buy a new plane, the Windlass will stay.

The 852 engine route also seems quite "affordable" and worth the effort.


Now to source a 582 engine on the forum at a Christmas give away price.

More pics of 582 in Windlass. Trike belongs to Nico van Dyk from Uis.

Our runway isn’t very long (350m with trees on the end = 150m safe takeoff). I hated flying on the absolute margin (6500 rpm with 2up) and when you want to take up a friend you had to make sure to keep within the limits of your plane. We take off at 4000asl and any passenger above 95kg's with 50l of fuel was pushing the limit and that sinking feeling you get every now and then was not for me. I also wanted to share my passion with the family and some of them are a bit on the wrong side of 95kg's. After the upgrade I took up a friend one afternoon weighing 125ks with 40l of fuel. The amount of torque and power on that 582 is worth every sent and I could easily cruise on 5500 rpm. So I still had a good margin to climb if I needed to with lots of power in reserve. It just makes the flying envelope so much easier to maintain and you always know that there are power available when you might need it.