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Old 10-21-2009, 11:32 AM   #18 (permalink)
bestclimb
Smeghead
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: South Central AK
Posts: 933

escort - '99 ford escort sport
90 day: 42.38 mpg (US)

scoobaru - '02 Subaru Forester s
90 day: 28.65 mpg (US)
Thanks: 32
Thanked 146 Times in 97 Posts
Since when is it only legal to operate an aircraft from an airport? There may be state laws here and there, but nothing in the FARs (federal air regulations) as far as I know. The main reason I would not want to operate an aircraft from a road is obstructions such as power lines, skinny approaches betwix trees, annoying my neighors, other traffic. If I was flying over some empty bit of highway in rural Nevada or something and had to pee, I would think nothing of landing on the road and pulling off to do my business.

For the price it has a pretty limited target consumer. For about half, you could get any number of aircraft with similar (likely better) specs and a car (or a bunch of car rental at your destinations). I wish them well as the concept is neat and I like jack of all trades type things but I suspect this one will go the way of all the other caroplanes, aerocars and what not. Mediocre performance compared to it's contemporaries in all configurations at a higher price.

As far as the specs go, advertised specs with factory test pilot, with the aircraft constantly in perfect (or nearly so) rigging flown mostly in ideal conditions rarely end up doing so well in the real world.

If I want to keep a plane at home, (and I would love to) take the money from the place I currently live, add 100,000 from not buying this thing, and build myself a hanger home on a private strip. The premium for a lot on an airpark is about 30,000-50,000 over a comparable lot away from the airport at least it is up here, I have no idea what it is like down in America.
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