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Firestar II stall speed...

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Arizona Flyer

Joined: 09 May 2013
Posts: 31
Location: Casa Grande Arizona

Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 12:32 pm Post subject: Firestar II stall speed...

I bought a pre owned Firestar II and all my research indicated a 30mph stall speed. I was shocked on my first landing at my short airstrip when it dropped from about 4ft. and bounced hard yikes! No damage but I approached at 42mph and backed it off just before the runway threshold, a quick glance showed 36mph right before it stalled which would be 35mph. My Firestar log book list the weight at 419 lbs. I am so fortunate I was not higher when this happened. This makes me concerned for other new Firestar pilots who may also experience this somewhat dangerous surprise with a 30mph stall speed in mind. I would have never tried to slow it down so much on a longer runway but I had to for the short strip. On the next 3 landings I kept 42mph approach and 40mph at threshold and held that speed until my wheels were 1ft or 2ft above the ground then cut power and did well then. Is 419 lbs heavy or around normal for this airplane? Is 35mph stall speed common? I've spent a few days extending my runway to accommodate for a 5 mph faster Firestar than I expected. I have learned a lot from the fine folks on this forum. I just joined to make my first post. I will do my best to be a valuable contributor here. Thanks for any replies

_________________
"Life should be lived as a bold adventure, I refuse to tiptoe through life just to arrive safely at death"

rowedenny

Joined: 09 Mar 2008
Posts: 338
Location: Western PA

Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 1:13 pm Post subject: Firestar II stall speed...

Welcome,

You have an experimental bird with an uncertified pitot static system. Test fly at the largest field available, practice stalls at altitude to learn the indicated airspeed at stall and as with all high drag, low weight aircraft fly it down to a foot high before you flare.



Dennis Skid Rowe

Mk3, PA



On May 9, 2013, at 4:32 PM, "Arizona Flyer" <heracesthesun(at)yahoo.com> wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 I bought a pre owned Firestar II and all my research indicated a 30mph stall speed. I was shocked on my first landing at my short airstrip when it dropped from about 4ft. and bounced hard yikes! No damage but I approached at 42mph and backed it off just before the runway threshold, a quick glance showed 36mph right before it stalled which would be 35mph. My Firestar log book list the weight at 419 lbs. I am so fortunate I was not higher when this happened. This makes me concerned for other new Firestar pilots who may also experience this somewhat dangerous surprise with a 30mph stall speed in mind. I would have never tried to slow it down so much on a longer runway but I had to for the short strip. On the next 3 landings I kept 42mph approach and 40mph at threshold and held that speed until my wheels were 1ft or 2ft above the ground then cut power and did well then. Is 419 lbs heavy or around normal for this airplane? Is 35mph stall speed common? I've spent a few days extend!

 ing my runway to accommodate for a 5 mph faster Firestar than I expected. I have learned a lot from the fine folks on this forum. I just joined to make my first post. I will do my best to be a valuable contributor here. Thanks for any replies 

 

 --------

 &quot;Life should be lived as a bold adventure, I refuse to tiptoe through life just to arrive safely at death&quot;

 

 

 

 

 Read this topic online here:

 

 http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=400204#400204

undoctor

Joined: 21 Oct 2008
Posts: 212
Location: Bethelhem, PA

Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 1:22 pm Post subject: Firestar II stall speed...

Also, something my flight instructor taught me taking GA lessons; if you 

stall too high above the runway, goose the throttle as soon as you feel 

it break and you'll touch down a lot gentler.  Happened again a few 

hours later concentrating too hard on gusty cross winds, and it works!!



Dave Kulp

Bethlehem, PA

FireFly 11DMK



On 5/9/2013 5:13 PM, Dennis Rowe wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   



 Welcome,

 You have an experimental bird with an uncertified pitot static system. Test fly at the largest field available, practice stalls at altitude to learn the indicated airspeed at stall and as with all high drag, low weight aircraft fly it down to a foot high before you flare.



 Dennis Skid Rowe

 Mk3, PA



 On May 9, 2013, at 4:32 PM, "Arizona Flyer" <heracesthesun(at)yahoo.com> wrote:



> 

>

> I bought a pre owned Firestar II and all my research indicated a 30mph stall speed. I was shocked on my first landing at my short airstrip when it dropped from about 4ft. and bounced hard yikes! No damage but I approached at 42mph and backed it off just before the runway threshold, a quick glance showed 36mph right before it stalled which would be 35mph. My Firestar log book list the weight at 419 lbs. I am so fortunate I was not higher when this happened. This makes me concerned for other new Firestar pilots who may also experience this somewhat dangerous surprise with a 30mph stall speed in mind. I would have never tried to slow it down so much on a longer runway but I had to for the short strip. On the next 3 landings I kept 42mph approach and 40mph at threshold and held that speed until my wheels were 1ft or 2ft above the ground then cut power and did well then. Is 419 lbs heavy or around normal for this airplane? Is 35mph stall speed common? I've spent a few days exte!

   nd!

> ing my runway to accommodate for a 5 mph faster Firestar than I expected. I have learned a lot from the fine folks on this forum. I just joined to make my first post. I will do my best to be a valuable contributor here. Thanks for any replies 

>

> --------

> &quot;Life should be lived as a bold adventure, I refuse to tiptoe through life just to arrive safely at death&quot;

>

>

> Read this topic online here:

>

> http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=400204#400204

>

>

t41pilot

Joined: 05 Sep 2011
Posts: 38
Location: Howard City, Michigan

Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 3:58 pm Post subject: Re: Firestar II stall speed...

I also had the same "Surprise" with my Firefly on the first couple of landings. The approach looks good and then Bango. My firefly puts on the brakes as soon as power is removed, so now  I carry some rpm all the way to flare and then back it off for touchdown. I do my approaches between 45 and 50 with no flap. I know Kolbs can land short. It's just a matter of power management and flap. I'm still doing the no flap approach because my landings are better at the quicker speed. But with more experience I know I can land shorter. As far as Airspeed calibration, I compared my indicated airspeed to my GPS ground speed on a calm day and they were within 1 mph.  I use a dual static port setup. One on each side of my nosecone. I made homemade ones by drilling out 1/4 inch Nylon bolts through the centers lengthwise and holding them in place with nylon nuts. Head of the bolt outside and the nuts inside with some thread to spare for air tubing hookup.  Then I just slipped the static air tubing over the ends and clamped in place. The tubing fit tightly over the threads as it was but clamps make good insurance. The cost is next to nothing. If you find an airspeed problem, check the incidence of the pitot tube. If your indicated airspeed is Ok then you are in the same boat as me.  Just practice...practice...practice with a little sight seeing in between.

_________________
Gregg Kaat
2011 Firefly

wakataka

Joined: 11 Aug 2012
Posts: 48

Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 7:34 pm Post subject: Re: Firestar II stall speed...

I had the same experience on the first few landings with my Firestar 1. If you bring it in slow, it will just quit flying all at once about the time you expect it to begin to settle. So far, I've found that wheel landings work better than stall landings. That way you can bring it in a little hot and avoid that sinking feeling when it quits flying before you're ready. That doesn't work so well on short fields, though. 



I've only got about 30 hours in the Firestar so I'm sure there's  things I've yet to learn about it, but so far it seems like a very honest little airplane with only a few minor quirks.



You didn't say what engine you had on your Firestar. My Firestar 1 with a Rotax 377, BRS chute, and a basic set of instruments weighs 325 empty.

_________________
There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact.

Mark Twain

frank goodnight

Joined: 27 Dec 2011
Posts: 126

Posted: Fri May 10, 2013 5:01 am Post subject: Firestar II stall speed...

Hi ,

Not trying to be a smart alec or a know it all. I believe that most pilots would agree

when flying a new --to you -- airplane alone and for the first time one should at least

go and do a couple of approach stalls before the first landing that way no surprises .  

 Even then it's hard to believe how fast a firestar will drop out from under you with

low power and low airspeed.Good luck , landing a fire star does get very easy after a while.

Frank

Firestar 2

From: Arizona Flyer <heracesthesun(at)yahoo.com>

To: kolb-list(at)matronics.com

Sent: Thu, May 9, 2013 3:32:43 PM

Subject: Firestar II stall speed...



 --> Kolb-List message posted by: "Arizona Flyer" <heracesthesun(at)yahoo.com (heracesthesun(at)yahoo.com)>



I bought a pre owned Firestar II and all my research indicated a 30mph stall speed. I was shocked on my first landing at my short airstrip when it dropped from about 4ft. and bounced hard yikes! No damage but I approached at 42mph and backed it off just before the runway threshold, a quick glance showed 36mph right before it stalled which would be 35mph. My Firestar log book list the weight at 419 lbs. I am so fortunate I was not higher when this happened. This makes me concerned for other new Firestar pilots who may also experience this somewhat dangerous surprise with a 30mph stall speed in mind. I would have never tried to slow it down so much on a longer runway but I had to for the short strip. On the next 3 landings I kept 42mph approach and 40mph at threshold and held that   

 [quote][b]

zeprep251(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Fri May 10, 2013 5:05 am Post subject: Firestar II stall speed...

Do your practice approaches at 2000' above the ground on your first flight.Make it as long a flight as you can but close to the field.Find out where it stalls,how slow it will fly,and what it feels like before it quits.A sensitive altimeter is a great plus on your first fact finding flight.The first flight is usually a little scary,but nothing is as dangerous as crow hops.Make the first approach to landing a long one and the advice to fly it down to a wheel landing is not bad either,but you can do full stall landings too as long as it's from a few inches above the ground.

    If you don't care for the abrupt stalls these high performance aircraft provide,you might consider VGs.I didn't have them on the FS2 I built in 1999 and I loved that plane for the 750hrs I had it, but I have them on the MK3 and have flown other MK3s from 65-100hp with and without VGs and they make such a dramatic difference when you are slow that I would REALLY recommend them on ANY Kolb.(Sorry John).

  G.Aman FS2 503 750hrs MK3C Jabiru 2200a 800hrs.

   

  

     

  

    --

rickofudall

Joined: 19 Sep 2009
Posts: 1392
Location: Udall, KS, USA

Posted: Fri May 10, 2013 6:02 am Post subject: Firestar II stall speed...

Travis, one the world's best people, clued my in after I had become dear friends with Mr. Hydraulic Press while straightening main gear legs.Wheel land, wheel land, wheel land. It's that simple. Don't even try for a full stall landing, just wheel it on.

 



Rick Girard



On Fri, May 10, 2013 at 8:00 AM, frank goodnight <frank.goodnight(at)att.net (frank.goodnight(at)att.net)> wrote:

  	  Quote: 	
		  Hi ,

Not trying to be a smart alec or a know it all. I believe that most pilots would agree

 when flying a new --to you -- airplane alone and for the first time one should at least

go and do a couple of approach stalls before the first landing that way no surprises .  

  Even then it's hard to believe how fast a firestar will drop out from under you with

low power and low airspeed.Good luck , landing a fire star does get very easy after a while.

 Frank

Firestar 2

 From: Arizona Flyer <heracesthesun(at)yahoo.com (heracesthesun(at)yahoo.com)>

To: kolb-list(at)matronics.com (kolb-list(at)matronics.com)

 Sent: Thu, May 9, 2013 3:32:43 PM

Subject: Kolb-List: Firestar II stall speed...



 --> Kolb-List message posted by: "Arizona Flyer" <heracesthesun(at)yahoo.com (heracesthesun(at)yahoo.com)>



I bought a pre owned Firestar II and all my research indicated a 30mph stall speed. I was shocked on my first landing at my short airstrip when it dropped from about 4ft. and bounced hard yikes! No damage but I approached at 42mph and backed it off just before the runway threshold, a quick glance showed 36mph right before it stalled which would be 35mph. My Firestar log book list the weight at 419 lbs. I am so fortunate I was not higher when this happened. This makes me concerned for other new Firestar pilots who may also experience this somewhat dangerous surprise with a 30mph stall speed in mind. I would have never tried to slow it down so much on a longer runway but I had to for the short strip. On the next 3 landings I kept 42mph approach and 40mph at threshold and held that   



  	  Quote: 	
		  



get="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List

tp://forums.matronics.com

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-- 

Zulu Delta

Mk IIIC

Thanks, Homer GBYM

It isn't necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy.

   - Groucho Marx

 

  [quote][b]

_________________
The smallest miracle right in front of you is enough to make you happy....

Arizona Flyer

Joined: 09 May 2013
Posts: 31
Location: Casa Grande Arizona

Posted: Fri May 10, 2013 9:19 am Post subject: Re: Firestar II stall speed...

Thanks so much guys I really appreciate the input! t41pilot & wakataka; We are flying in a parallel universe with the exact same experiences. My Firestar II is 419lbs and it's pretty loaded with a Rotax 503DC, electric start, EIS, ASI with dual pitot tubes, fuel gauge, Facet aux fuel pump, 3 blade Ivoprop. Being only 148 lbs I really expected a 30mph stall speed. During my short flight with my light weigh I had to turn the trim knob all the way for level flight. Looking back, and not having flown for 11 years, even with my long experience flying these types (Quicksilver Sprint II, Quicksilver Sport, Buccaneer SX amphibian, Rans S-12, Avid Flyer Mark IV, Rans S-7) I should have taken the Firestar to a longer airstrip.  zeprep251(at)aol.com; Yes my first flight was a little scary and a few hundred feet up, the desert airstrip I made on my property that seemed plenty long on the ground (at)530ft well it sure got small looking down from above but I had planned to practice some landings at a slightly longer airstrip just south of my place where I had graded a runway for RC model airplanes, it is about 600ft and more open. That stall drop & 2 bounces on my first landing rattled me a bit and I drifted left off the runway but not much, and it took almost all of the length to stop. 'Get right back on that horse' I took off again and my 2nd landing was good but I still drifted left. I may have started braking at too high a speed but the runway end was coming up fast. Years ago I was very good at tracking my Buccaneer SX, Avid Flyer, and Rans S-7 tail draggers but I remember I took some practice and I was a little surprised at how rusty I was with the Firestar. On the 3rd landing I did pretty well, the 4th landing was perfect. I was exhausted from the last 6 weeks of getting all this work done, and nervous before my 1st flight, so after the 4th landing as I sat there with the engine running I figured I could probably get it into my strip but SAFETY FIRST, don't push it especially when tired so I parked the nose under a tree and tied it down. All this week I have been working on extending my runway and I am up from 530ft to 800ft now. Also I think I'll put on VG's from StolSpeed as a poster here said they brought his Firestar II stall speed down 5mph, from 35mph down to 30mph and says it handles better at slower speeds and also feels safer. Not that the Firestar is unsafe in any way but it would help with a shorter strip and add some piece of mind. That abrupt stall drop still haunts me but I know after a couple more flights and landings I'll be smiling ear to ear  For what it's worth, my yellow Firestar II was built in 1999 by Gary Aman and I bought it last month from 'Captain' Ron Larson of Port Charlotte Florida. A very good mechanic nicknamed 'Rotax Rick' did a rebuild on the 503 and has greatly helped me with questions & info. The airplane is in good condition and Ron only wanted $7,800 so I bought it. Rotax Rick, Travis & Brian at Kolb have said I got a very good deal at that price. It did cost me $3,075 to have Bill Wilmeroth at Deland Barnstormers transport it from Florida to Arizona and he did a great job. So happy with my purchase. Thanks again for the great input guys

_________________
"Life should be lived as a bold adventure, I refuse to tiptoe through life just to arrive safely at death"

dcharter

Joined: 13 Jan 2013
Posts: 13

Posted: Fri May 10, 2013 4:57 pm Post subject: Re: Firestar II stall speed...

When I first fly any new to me plane, I take it up to about 1000' agl and stall it. That way you know what your ASI is indicating when it stops flying. I've never went by word of mouth or anything else. My original firestar stopped flying at 27 indicated (at)330 lbs.MT weight.

aoldman(at)xtra.co.nz
Guest

Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 1:12 am Post subject: Firestar II stall speed...

Sorry for sounding like a SA but all this talk about bending gear legs.. I  have several hundred hours in a MK111c and have never bent anything . The only  person that bent the legs on my MK111 was a GA pilot ,the sudden stop flying  just above the ground took him by surprise. These aircraft are very predictable  and forgiving . If you have little experience on the Kolb do your long finals at  5o mph under power. If you flare between 45 â€“ 40 mph solo and very close to the  ground { within 12 inches } then cut the power with a little back pressure on  the stick you will arrive safely. Speed will disappear very rapidly once you  flare . If the tail end hits first then you have too much back pressure on the  stick. The more load you carry and or the slower you flare the more back  pressure required . The shortest landings you will get will be slow with the  stick well back . I always do this with some power on, that way if it goes wrong  you can vacate/abort without hurting anything.

 Sorry this information is not for a firestar as I have no experience with  them. Reading the posts to would appear that they handle very much the same as  the Mk111 . I just do not understand all the negative talk about the aluminum  gear legs. I do concede that the airport I mostly use is grass and very firm. I  only use the sealed runways for take offs . The only reason I make this post is  to point out that while the aluminum legs may not be as strong as some of the  steel ones they are still capable of a fair amount of punishment without  bending, I believe I have put this to the test over the years.

  

 Regards

            Tony {  Downunder }

             MK111c         

    

  From: Richard Girard (aslsa.rng(at)gmail.com) 

 Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2013 2:01 AM

 To: kolb-list(at)matronics.com (kolb-list(at)matronics.com) 

 Subject: Re: Firestar II stall speed...

  



  Travis, one the world's best people, clued my in after I had become  dear friends with Mr. Hydraulic Press while straightening main gear legs.  Wheel land, wheel land, wheel land. It's that simple. Don't even try for a  full stall landing, just wheel it on.

  

 Rick Girard



 



 On Fri, May 10, 2013 at 8:00 AM, frank goodnight <frank.goodnight(at)att.net (frank.goodnight(at)att.net)> wrote:

  	  Quote: 	
		           Hi ,

   Not trying to be a smart alec or a know it all. I believe that most    pilots would agree

   when flying a new --to you -- airplane alone and for the first time one    should at least

   go and do a couple of approach stalls before the first landing that way    no surprises .  

   Even    then it's hard to believe how fast a firestar will drop out from under you    with

   low    power and low airspeed.Good luck , landing a fire star does get very easy    after a while.

   Frank

   Firestar    2

         From: Arizona Flyer <heracesthesun(at)yahoo.com (heracesthesun(at)yahoo.com)>

To: kolb-list(at)matronics.com (kolb-list(at)matronics.com)

Sent: Thu, May 9, 2013 3:32:43    PM

Subject: Kolb-List:    Firestar II stall speed...

   

--> Kolb-List message posted by: "Arizona Flyer" <heracesthesun(at)yahoo.com (heracesthesun(at)yahoo.com)>



I bought a pre owned    Firestar II and all my research indicated a 30mph stall speed. I was shocked    on my first landing at my short airstrip when it dropped from about 4ft. and    bounced hard yikes! No damage but I approached at 42mph and backed it off just    before the runway threshold, a quick glance showed 36mph right before it    stalled which would be 35mph. My Firestar log book list the weight at 419 lbs.    I am so fortunate I was not higher when this happened. This makes me concerned    for other new Firestar pilots who may also experience this somewhat dangerous    surprise with a 30mph stall speed in mind. I would have never tried to slow it    down so much on a longer runway but I had to for the short strip. On the next    3 landings I kept 42mph approach and 40mph at threshold and held that    



 	  Quote: 	
		  



get="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List

tp://forums.matronics.com

_blank">http://www.matronics.com/contribution



	


	




  

-- 

 Zulu Delta

 Mk IIIC

 Thanks, Homer GBYM

  

 It isn't  necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy.

  -  Groucho Marx

 

[quote]



href="http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List

href="http://forums.matronics.com">http://forums.matronics.com

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[b]

pj.ladd(at)btinternet.com
Guest

Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 2:51 am Post subject: Firestar II stall speed...

Wheel land, wheel land, wheel land>>

  

 Huh?  Why?

  

 The object of landing is to stop flying   (stall) when you touch the ground.. Everyone can remember their instructor  saying `Hold it off, hold it off`

  

 I have never done a wheelie or even landed with any  more than minimum power. What is the point? One day your engine will lose  power and you will have to land in a small field. Treat every landing as a  practice for that  occasion.

 I always throttled right back as soon as  I  had the field made. Push the nose down a tad to maintain speed, clear the hedge  by the minimum safety margin, flare just above the ground and keep pulling back  as the speed decays.That way you are moving at the slowest possible speed when  your wheels touch. That takes the sting out of any possible rough ground, ruts,  tussocks etc.

 If you bang the tail down first sort out your trim.  the plane should not be in that configuration.

 I realise that this is all assuming perfect  conditions. You may wish to carry more speed in gusty conditions but that is  airmanship not basic piloting skill.

 Use VG`s. in spite of some opinions on the list,  they work. If they did not there would be no Mk 3s flying in the UK as without  the reduction in stalling speed they afford the plane would not have passed our  specification.

  

  

 Cheers

  

 Pat

   [quote][b]

Larlaeb

Joined: 02 Apr 2013
Posts: 75
Location: League City, Texas United States

Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 4:59 am Post subject: Re: Firestar II stall speed...

Surely there is a place for both types of landings and both should be practiced.  I certainly agree with you that getting in the habit of dragging in under power is dangerous but I also think that wheel landings can  provide more margin for error in high wind, gusty or other conditions that require a little more control.  In my experience being able to paste the wheels down when you want with good rudder control can really help.  



I don't think that takes away from the need to setup to 'make the runway' and be practiced in making landings with no power.  



Thanks,

Allan

zeprep251(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 9:40 am Post subject: Firestar II stall speed...

Amen Pat.

 



 do not archive



 



--

Allonsye

Joined: 21 Jun 2013
Posts: 4
Location: Denver, NC

Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 8:19 pm Post subject: Re: Firestar II stall speed...

Thanks very much for posting this topic AZ. As an aspiring Kolb pilot, I found the discourse exceedingly helpful.



Cheers and eternal tailwinds,

Paul



 	  Arizona Flyer wrote: 	
		  Thanks so much guys I really appreciate the input! t41pilot & wakataka; We are flying in a parallel universe with the exact same experiences. My Firestar II is 419lbs and it's pretty loaded with a Rotax 503DC, electric start, EIS, ASI with dual pitot tubes, fuel gauge, Facet aux fuel pump, 3 blade Ivoprop. Being only 148 lbs I really expected a 30mph stall speed. During my short flight with my light weigh I had to turn the trim knob all the way for level flight. Looking back, and not having flown for 11 years, even with my long experience flying these types (Quicksilver Sprint II, Quicksilver Sport, Buccaneer SX amphibian, Rans S-12, Avid Flyer Mark IV, Rans S-7) I should have taken the Firestar to a longer airstrip.  zeprep251(at)aol.com; Yes my first flight was a little scary and a few hundred feet up, the desert airstrip I made on my property that seemed plenty long on the ground (at)530ft well it sure got small looking down from above but I had planned to practice some landings at a slightly longer airstrip just south of my place where I had graded a runway for RC model airplanes, it is about 600ft and more open. That stall drop & 2 bounces on my first landing rattled me a bit and I drifted left off the runway but not much, and it took almost all of the length to stop. 'Get right back on that horse' I took off again and my 2nd landing was good but I still drifted left. I may have started braking at too high a speed but the runway end was coming up fast. Years ago I was very good at tracking my Buccaneer SX, Avid Flyer, and Rans S-7 tail draggers but I remember I took some practice and I was a little surprised at how rusty I was with the Firestar. On the 3rd landing I did pretty well, the 4th landing was perfect. I was exhausted from the last 6 weeks of getting all this work done, and nervous before my 1st flight, so after the 4th landing as I sat there with the engine running I figured I could probably get it into my strip but SAFETY FIRST, don't push it especially when tired so I parked the nose under a tree and tied it down. All this week I have been working on extending my runway and I am up from 530ft to 800ft now. Also I think I'll put on VG's from StolSpeed as a poster here said they brought his Firestar II stall speed down 5mph, from 35mph down to 30mph and says it handles better at slower speeds and also feels safer. Not that the Firestar is unsafe in any way but it would help with a shorter strip and add some piece of mind. That abrupt stall drop still haunts me but I know after a couple more flights and landings I'll be smiling ear to ear  For what it's worth, my yellow Firestar II was built in 1999 by Gary Aman and I bought it last month from 'Captain' Ron Larson of Port Charlotte Florida. A very good mechanic nicknamed 'Rotax Rick' did a rebuild on the 503 and has greatly helped me with questions & info. The airplane is in good condition and Ron only wanted $7,800 so I bought it. Rotax Rick, Travis & Brian at Kolb have said I got a very good deal at that price. It did cost me $3,075 to have Bill Wilmeroth at Deland Barnstormers transport it from Florida to Arizona and he did a great job. So happy with my purchase. Thanks again for the great input guys

_________________
"A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving" Lao Tzu (570-490 BC)

Dennis Thate

Joined: 18 Nov 2010
Posts: 362

Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 6:01 am Post subject: Re: Firestar II stall speed...

Success was not made possible by four leaf clovers or rabbitsâ€™ feet.



Practice!...Practice! ... Practice!

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Arizona Flyer

Joined: 09 May 2013
Posts: 31
Location: Casa Grande Arizona

Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:26 am Post subject: Re: Firestar II stall speed...

Allonsye; Glad this topic helped you my friend. Anything that comes to your mind please ask and I will do my best to help...

_________________
"Life should be lived as a bold adventure, I refuse to tiptoe through life just to arrive safely at death"

wakataka

Joined: 11 Aug 2012
Posts: 48

Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 6:47 pm Post subject: Re: Firestar II stall speed...

Below is a link to a video shot from an original Firestar. The last minute or so shows a deadstick landing from base leg at about 500 feet agl. The glide angle is not extreme. In fact, I can't tell much difference between glide angle at idle and deadstick.  I think what trips up a lot of pilots transitioning to ultralights is the ground rush during the last few feet of the descent. If you're not used to the wide visibility and the low to the ground seating position, it feels like the earth is rising up to smite thee and the temptation is to round out too soon. Without the engine to provide a burst of power, that can result in dropping it in from several feet up. The trick is to fly it right down the ground before beginning to roundout and flare.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uOCAwEj8VQ

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There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact.

Mark Twain

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