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AMD Zodiac XL

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jim.lanier(at)charter.net
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject: AMD Zodiac XL

I went by the airport to take a close look at the factory made XL. 

Beautiful aircraft. I took notice of some of the differences compared to 

the kit. It does have piano hinge ailerons, dual sticks and a rudder 

that is slightly different. The trailing edge has an overlap piece about 

an inch wide riveted down the entire length. I guess they chose to use 2 

skins instead of a folded skin as in the kit.

Anyway, I plan to get checked out in the aircraft and start having fun 

while I build my kit. I will return with a camera and take some close up 

pictures of critical areas and put them up on my ftp server for anyone 

who wants to view. I noticed the brake line dress was interesting. I 

will have to photograph that for sure.



Jim

mwtucker

Joined: 11 Mar 2008
Posts: 16
Location: Charlotte, NC area

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:07 pm Post subject: Re: AMD Zodiac XL

I'm planning to fly a factory-built 601XL at Palm Beach Flight Training (Lantana Airport) in West Palm Beach next week...  I want to get a couple of hours of dual to see how it flies....  Anything I should be looking for in particular?  Then, it's up to Sun-n-Fun!

jmaynard

Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 394
Location: Fairmont, MN (FRM)

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject: AMD Zodiac XL

On Wed, Apr 02, 2008 at 06:07:39PM -0700, mwtucker wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   I'm planning to fly a factory-built 601XL at Palm Beach Flight Training

 (Lantana Airport) in West Palm Beach next week...  I want to get a couple

 of hours of dual to see how it flies....  Anything I should be looking for

 in particular?  Then, it's up to Sun-n-Fun!


	


What kind of experience do you have? If, like me, you're used to flying 172s

and Warriors and the like, the controls will be very light and responsive in

comparison. Be gentle with it.

-- 

Jay Maynard, K5ZC                   http://www.conmicro.com

http://jmaynard.livejournal.com      http://www.tronguy.net

Fairmont, MN (FRM)                        (Yes, that's me!)

AMD Zodiac CH601XLi N55ZC (ordered 17 March, delivery 2 June)

_________________
Jay Maynard, K5ZC
AMD Zodiac XLi N55ZC

zodierocket(at)hsfx.ca
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:40 pm Post subject: AMD Zodiac XL

If you have flown Cessna's all you life keep this in mind, the Cessna is

a reactive flight, you input controls and wait for the plane to catch

up. After awhile you realize this issue and it becomes the norm so you

are less prone to over input controls. The 601 is instant, you input

controls which are light and have little to no lag before the plane

follows your moves. It takes little to no time to understand this and

you will realize just how responsive the plane is. Though it is very

easy to fly and learn on. Typically I say that It is a plane that you

can learn on and not one you will readily outgrow.



Mark Townsend  Alma, Ontario

Zodiac 601XL C-GOXL, CH701 just started

www.ch601.org / www.ch701.com / www.Osprey2.com



--

jmaynard

Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 394
Location: Fairmont, MN (FRM)

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:51 pm Post subject: AMD Zodiac XL

On Wed, Apr 02, 2008 at 09:37:40AM -0500, ZodieRocket wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   Typically I say that It is a plane that you can learn on and not one you

 will readily outgrow.


	


This is the exact reason I wanted an IFR-capable aircraft, and the reason

I've specified N55ZC as I have. I expect it to serve my needs for quite a

long time.

-- 

Jay Maynard, K5ZC                   http://www.conmicro.com

http://jmaynard.livejournal.com      http://www.tronguy.net

Fairmont, MN (FRM)                        (Yes, that's me!)

AMD Zodiac CH601XLi N55ZC (ordered 17 March, delivery 2 June)

_________________
Jay Maynard, K5ZC
AMD Zodiac XLi N55ZC

Larry Hursh

Joined: 16 Feb 2008
Posts: 125
Location: Edwardsburg, MI (near Elkhart, IN)

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:45 pm Post subject: AMD Zodiac XL

Lots and lots and lots of BLUE SKIES!!  Enjoy your flight and let us all know how well it flies! 

   

  Regards, Larry

  PS - Remember always - rubber side down.....rubber side down......LOL

  

 



 

  Larry Hursh 

  (N601LL Reserved) 

SkyriderSBN(at)Yahoo.com (SkyriderSBN(at)Yahoo.com)

   

  Keep your eyes skyward - always!

   

   



   [quote][b]

_________________
Larry Hursh (N650LM Reserved)

"One rivet at a time......one day at a time.."

CH650 (Converted from CH601XL)
1/2 done with fuselage
will be Corvair Powered

amyvega2005(at)earthlink.
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:34 pm Post subject: AMD Zodiac XL

i flew that plane for my BFR prior to flying my plne.  just flew it for at least 4 hours to get feel of the light stick qualities and you should be good to go..



JUan



--

psm(at)att.net
Guest

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:02 pm Post subject: AMD Zodiac XL

Hi Mark,



I agree with most of your comments on the differences between Cessnas 

and Zodiacs, but I think you missed the basic airplane quality that 

causes the difference - inertia.



As planes get heavier they have more inertia, and it is the inertia 

that causes response to be delayed from control input.  It is nice to 

get instant response to control inputs, but the other side of the 

coin is you get a stable platform for things like instrument 

flight.  You also gain payload as you gain weight, and this is 

important if you want to fly around with more than 2 people and very 

little baggage.



I think the Zodiac is a wonderful plane for recreational flying and 

learning to fly.  If you want to fly for business or commercial 

reasons, or you find yourself heading a large family, then a larger 

and heavier plane will be a much better choice.



Paul

XL fuselage

do not archive

At 07:37 AM 4/2/2008, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  If you have flown Cessna's all you life keep this in mind, the Cessna is

a reactive flight, you input controls and wait for the plane to catch

up. After awhile you realize this issue and it becomes the norm so you

are less prone to over input controls. The 601 is instant, you input

controls which are light and have little to no lag before the plane

follows your moves. It takes little to no time to understand this and

you will realize just how responsive the plane is. Though it is very

easy to fly and learn on. Typically I say that It is a plane that you

can learn on and not one you will readily outgrow.

amyvega2005(at)earthlink.
Guest

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:08 am Post subject: AMD Zodiac XL

Paul,

I must say your statement of using the Zodiac for just fun is way off Base.  WAY OFF BASE!  



In six months I have put 1000 hours on my Zodiac XL mostly for cross country Business Travel.  I own a business in Miami with my family that is normally a 4 hour car drive and my other business, Commrcial realestate takes me all over the state.



The XL is perfect for running around the state for meeting people.  Most people will meet you at the airport and most FBOs have great meeting and conferance rooms.



The plane burns 4.5 to 5 galons per hour and is easy to fly and maintain.  

Typical day for me is take off at 7 am for a meeting in Miami.  1.5hrs later i am in Miami, do my thing and fly back before  dinner to St. Peterssburg.  Trip time  total is 3 hrs and half a tank of Gas.



SO. Whats this about just a fun fly plane.   WAy Off BAse!



Juan Vega

601 XL 3300 engine

--

rsteele(at)rjsit.com
Guest

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:15 pm Post subject: AMD Zodiac XL

Juan, 

   I think a lot of us are waiting with great interest to hear how your

plane and engine hold up over time.

This is so much more flying than most could dream of doing.  Would you

care to share you maintenance schedule?  At this rate, you may be ready

to overhaul the Jab in another 6 months!



Keep us posted, and fly safe.

Ron



------

amyvega2005(at)earthlink.
Guest

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:33 pm Post subject: AMD Zodiac XL

at 100 hours the following has been done.



oil changes every 25 hours

tighten head bolts twice before 50 hrs

changed the plugs to resistor plugs

thats it.



plane is running strong.



Juan



--

psm(at)att.net
Guest

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 5:10 am Post subject: AMD Zodiac XL

Hi Juan,



I am happy to stand corrected.  However, I didn't actually say the 

Zodiac was "Just" for fun.  I said it was good for fun and 

training.  I am delighted to hear you are getting good business 

travel use from your plane.  It does sound like the perfect plane for 

travel around a single state - even a long one like Florida.



My goal in the post comparing Cessnas and Zodiacs was to put some 

measure (metric) into the comparison rather than just a brand name 

comparison.  The Cessna brand is a lot more diverse than the Zodiac 

brand.  Zodiacs all have 2 seats and roughly the same 

performance.  Cessnas vary from the low-and-slow 140 through assorted 

Citation business jets.  I felt Mark was not giving a fair comparison 

between Cessnas and Zodiacs when he said the Cessnas are less responsive.



I also wanted to point out that Zodiac owners might be happy with 

that plane for a long time, but the limits of seats and baggage 

constraints might cause them to want a larger plane at some 

point.  It is not just the handling characteristics that causes a 

pilot to want a different plane.



I could also have pointed out that the Zodiac is slow compared to 

some other GA planes, but I don't actually think that is a 

significant point.  While there are a few GA planes that are a lot 

faster than the Zodiac, I feel that extra speed doesn't often mean 

significantly less travel time in the distance that is really 

practical to fly yourself.  I feel long distance travel is a lot more 

practical by getting on the jet airliner than flying your own small 

plane.  I agree with you that the low fuel burn in a Zodiac is very 

significant when choosing which plane to take on a given trip.



Best regards,



Paul

do not archive



At 12:02 PM 4/4/2008, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  Paul,

I must say your statement of using the Zodiac for just fun is way 

off Base.  WAY OFF BASE!

amyvega2005(at)earthlink.
Guest

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:54 pm Post subject: AMD Zodiac XL

well..... ok, you are forgiven.... say twenty hale marys..



.... ten our fathers would do it 



Juan Vega



--

chris Sinfield

Joined: 28 Nov 2006
Posts: 270
Location: Sydney Australia

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:04 am Post subject: Re: AMD Zodiac XL

Juan

Was that 1000 hours in your Zodiac XL or 100 hours and a slip of the 0???

Chris.

Tim Juhl

Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Posts: 488
Location: "Thumb" of Michigan

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:32 am Post subject: Re: AMD Zodiac XL

Travel and the Zodiac XL - my XL isn't flying but I thought I'd stick my oar into the discussion regarding the practicality of the aircraft for travel.  



I owned a C172 for 23 years and a 182 for 7.  I have visited every state except HI, LA & MS.  Also been to Alaska and the Bahamas.  Much of that travel was in the 172 with only one pax.  I got the 182 when my family got older but now my kids are grown and no longer travel with us. I am a big fan of Cessna aircraft, have thousands of hours in them and yet I chose to sell my Cessna and build an XL.... 



True, the XL has some useful load limitations but by my estimates it should be faster than the 172 and at todays gas prices 5 gph sure beats the 8 or 13 gph I burned with the Cessnas.  I'm willing to put up with the XL's limitations in order to be able to travel affordably.  Like many other retirees, I made the choice to downsize rather than give up entirely on the activities I enjoy.  All in all, I think it has been a good decision but time will tell.



Tim

do not archive

_________________
______________
CFII
Champ L16A flying
Zodiac XL - Jabiru 3300A
Almost done! It'll fly in spring!

Jeyoung65(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:07 am Post subject: AMD Zodiac XL

Hi Tim, Do you know which state is the 49th and the 50th state? How did you  enjoy your trip to HI?    Jerry

 DO NOT ARCHIVE

  

  In a message dated 4/7/2008 11:36:56 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  juhl(at)avci.net writes:

  	  Quote: 	
		  -->    Zenith-List message posted by: "Tim Juhl" <juhl(at)avci.net>



Travel    and the Zodiac XL - my XL isn't flying but I thought I'd stick my oar into the    discussion regarding the practicality of the aircraft for travel.     



I owned a C172 for 23 years and a 182 for 7.  I have visited    every state except HI, LA & MS.  Also been to Alaska and the    Bahamas.  Much of that travel was in the 172 with only one pax.  I    got the 182 when my family got older but now my kids are grown and no longer    travel with us. I am a big fan of Cessna aircraft, have thousands of hours in    them and yet I chose to sell my Cessna and build an XL....  

	




Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides.

  [quote][b]

Tim Juhl

Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Posts: 488
Location: "Thumb" of Michigan

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:24 am Post subject: Re: AMD Zodiac XL

Alaska 49, Hawaii 50.  Only been to HI commercially (can't swim that far wearing an airplane.) Never went to Louisiana or Mississippi by light aircraft either.... never wanted to travel there in the summer which was the only time I could travel when I was teaching school.  I have a daughter in OK so when the XL is finished I plan to visit her with a slight dogleg to allow for a landing in those two states.



My longest trip was Michigan to Alaska to Seattle and return.  84 hours flying time and 3.5 weeks away from home.  All in a 172 cruising at around 100 kts.  It is a wonderful way to see the country.



Tim 

Do not archive

_________________
______________
CFII
Champ L16A flying
Zodiac XL - Jabiru 3300A
Almost done! It'll fly in spring!

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