Sport Pilot Talk

Cub flyer · Joined: 10 Sep 2006 Posts: 593

I know it's not LSA but has anyone flown a Beech Skipper.

How did it fly? Thinking about adding one to the school

CharlieTango · Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 10:05 pm Post subject:

weak point was climb performance. a friend bought one but it wasn't usefull up here in the mountains

Cub flyer · Joined: 10 Sep 2006 Posts: 593

We're pretty low at 639 feet and good approaches/ departures. I used Piper Colts for years but switched 3 years ago to 180hp 172 for private and instrument.

Nice airplane but too expensive for a primary trainer. Nobody uses the back seat. I'd like an O-235 powered bird again but the 152 cabin is too small. Colts work fine but are getting old and land kind of hot. I flew an Alarus but I did not like the handling. Tomahawk is not really what I'm after so I'd like to rent a Skipper for an hour to see how it flies.

AZPilot · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 156

Skippers are "stout" little airplanes. The Tomahawk is a better performer with the same engine.

drseti · Joined: 28 Nov 2009 Posts: 1384 Location: Lock Haven PA

I'm a big fan of Beechcraft, having owned one for 30 years (and only recently downsizing to LSA). Their quality is unsurpassed. Skipper is no exception.

I instructed in Skippers perhaps 30 years ago, when they were new. They were reliable, and good honest trainers. The T tail gave them an interesting soft field takeoff characteristic. If you held the yoke all the way back, the elevator would become effective all at once, and slam the tail down! Stalls have a prominent break, but lots of buffeting prior. Can easily drop off a wing during accelerated stalls - so teach spin recovery techniques before letting a student do them!

If you get one, definitely join the Beech Aero Club (www.beechaeroclub.org), as Skipper is one of the half-dozen models that type club supports (along with Sport, Sierra, Super, Musketeer, and Duchess). It'll be the best $50/yr you'll ever spend. Lots of operational and maintenance advice, as well as help finding scarce parts, from a bunch of guys who know the Beech Aero Center models better than anyone else on Earth.

(Fair notice disclaimer: I'm a member of their Board of Directors, so perhaps somewhat biased. ) :wink:

Cub flyer · Joined: 10 Sep 2006 Posts: 593

Great. If you don't mind I have some other questions

How is the elevator response on a normal takeoff? Tendency to overrotate?

How accurate are the performance figures and useful load figures

Were there any big differences in the model years or serial number ranges.

How much pitch up or down with power changes on final.

Any other odd characteristics? Any for rent in the Northeast?

Cub flyer · Joined: 10 Sep 2006 Posts: 593

If I buy one I'll join the beech aero club. I fly a couple beech twins but only flew a single once. It was an old IO-346 powered Musketeer. I liked it and it flew well. Slow but the visibility was great and the panel layout was the best I have seen. Way ahead of anybody else at the time.

drseti · Joined: 28 Nov 2009 Posts: 1384 Location: Lock Haven PA

Cub flyer wrote:
How is the elevator response on a normal takeoff? Tendency to overrotate?

No, only when using soft-field techniques.

Quote:
How accurate are the performance figures and useful load figures

The ones I flew were new; the numbers were good. But remember that planes tend to gain weight with age (just like pilots!) I'd recommend getting any one you're planning to acquire up on scales, to verify wt and EWCG.

Quote:
Were there any big differences in the model years or serial number ranges.

None of which I am aware. That would be a good question to pose to the Beech Aero Club forums.

Quote:
How much pitch up or down with power changes on final.

Not a lot, if you trim for constant airspeed and do a stabilized approach. That's one of the advantages of a t-tail. You do get pronounced pitch-down with flaps, as I recall.

Quote:
Any other odd characteristics?

None that I can think of.

Quote: Any for rent in the Northeast?

Not that I'm aware.

drseti · Joined: 28 Nov 2009 Posts: 1384 Location: Lock Haven PA

Cub flyer wrote: only flew a single once. It was an old IO-346 powered Musketeer. I liked it and it flew well. Slow but the visibility was great and the panel layout was the best I have seen. Way ahead of anybody else at the time.

You'll find the Skipper has a lot of the same flight characteristics as the Mousketeer. Good visibility, good stability, comfortable and slow.

Cub flyer · Joined: 10 Sep 2006 Posts: 593

Hey I just read the bottom of your message. your just up the road from me. Stop by and say hello.

76N Tunkhannock PA.

Ask for Charlie

drseti · Joined: 28 Nov 2009 Posts: 1384 Location: Lock Haven PA

Thanks for the invite, Charlie. I have to go to Long Island in a week or so, to take delivery on my new SportStar. Maybe it and I will drop in on you, on our way home.

Cub flyer · Joined: 10 Sep 2006 Posts: 593

I'll rent the first hour.

drseti · Joined: 28 Nov 2009 Posts: 1384 Location: Lock Haven PA

You're on! :D