Newbie Dumb Question

[dkel]

Sorry in advance for the dumb newbie question.

 

Is there a listing / comparison / compendium of the 4 place versions of the eze? I have searched and found Co-Z, but have not found others that surely must exist.

 

I have seen numerous Co-Z posts, so assume most here are co-Z builders. Are there others. If so, what are pros-cons of other kits / designs, etc.

 

Thanks

Doug

[John Slade]

Hi,

Yes, most here are Cozy builders. The other well known 4 place canard is the Velocity. This is a kit rather than plans (see arguments on these issues in another thread) which killed it for me, and its a bit fatter, heavier and slower.

 

Next there's the Aerocanard (aerocad.com) which is a little wider than the Cozy but otherwise very similar. There aren't as many Aerocanard builders, but a nice option with this model is the ability to buy a lot of the parts premolded. I found building the basic parts very satisfiying, very quick and inexpensive, so this wasnt an advantage for me.

 

Another model I've heard of is the SQ-2000. I don't know much about it other than there aren't many builders about.

[Dave Clifford]

I think that Speed Queen went under a couple years ago. Something important to consider when deciding on which plane to build,,plans vs kit.

[CBarber]

The SQ-2000 (Speed Queen) is trying again, check them out at http://www.klscomposites.com/ . I don't think they have a huge builder base though.

 

I am building a Velocity ( www.velocityaircraft.com ), and I am biased as to my craft as those who are building Cozy's are to theirs (www.cozyaircraft.com). It is a very personal choice. Do your own research. Speed, weight, cost etc. vary per individual builder, model and options (Velocity has two base models and their size and speed vary). I concede that The Velocity kit is more expensive to start than a Cozy plan and material.

 

With a Mazda Rotary I am hoping to get in the air for about $50k....a huge amount for some, chump change for others (pretty huge for me). They appear to be similiar aircraft on their face, but are still very different planes.

 

Try to balance what is important to you and not the more opinionated of the group. Many assurtions of fact, are still just opinions, IMHO. Again, do your homework. I like all three of these planes as well as other four place such at the new RV-10, Lancair etc.

 

For me, I like the Velocity and am putting my money into my dream. FWIW.

 

All the best,

 

Chris

[marbleturtle]

We all went through this phase of deciding what we wanted. I spent 8 months looking at everything I could get information about before buying the plans 2 weeks ago.

 

The Lancair IV is probably still my favorite. Watching that turbo-prop rip across the flight line at the Oshkosh faster than the P-51's was a sight to behold. But even if I flew somewhere once a week, I couldn't justify spending that kind of money when it would be cheaper to fly commercially first class and avoid what I hate about flying commercially.

 

I like the Velocity. The amount of room you get is nice and there are quite a few very nice examples flying around. There are also a few finished aircraft available for sale because a number of builders want to fund their new Lancair project. (I met two at the show.) My father is thinking about buying one. I ruled out the Velocity because of the up front kit expense and I wanted to cruise at speeds over 200 mph.

 

The SQ 2000 is beautiful on paper. http://www.klscomposites.com Their facilities are near to where I live. I called to arrange a visit, but then cancelled. I just wanted to learn more about the plane. Instead, when I called, I got something closer to a time-share presentation. I had been in sales for 10 years. I know the difference between a helpful sales person and a sales person who considers themselves a "closer." I inquired around and heard some things that confirmed my suspicions. I won't repeat them, you can do your own research if your iterested. It may be a fine design, and KLS Composites may be a wonderful company. But a company presents itself through its sales department... and their sales department gave me the heebeejeebees. I didn't want to spend a hard earned day off fending off an ABC salesman while simply trying to get information. I was curious though why they didn't have a display at the Oshkosh show.

 

The Aerocanard is a variation of the Cozy. I was actually leaning toward this until I learned legal battle that was going on between Nat Puffer (the designer of the Cozy) and Aerocanard. I didn't want to get stuck in the middle. I listened to what both sides had to say, and then mad a personal decision about who I thought was the most credible. I did not see them at the show either, and I've heard rumors that they may be out of business as well.

 

That left me with the Cozy IV. I can build a 4 place 220 mph airplane for what I would spend on a nice car. I can get started for low cost and continue building as funds are available, not worrying about making monthly payments on a kit. I can hold off on the expensive items (ie: engine, avionics, etc.) until the end so I don't have to worry whether or not some event in my life will prevent me from finishing. Building from scratch is not a concern after hearing from some kit builders who are quoting times to build that are similar.

 

Everyone has different opinions about what they want and what makes a great airplane. Just do the research. Whatever choice you make, you will not regret it.