Arctic Tern/Insterstate S1-B.....performance, handling???

I'd love to hear some opinions from those with first-hand experience on how a Tern does.

Maybe also compare it to one of the Cub family.......obviously not to an -18, but maybe to a suitably modified -12 or -14? Thanks, DAVE

This may have been disucced before.

Anyone want to re-up the discussion?

Dad previously owned two Terns, this is what I've heard him say:

Lots of wing dihedral for better stability.

Big flaps on a faster wing, would do what a modified 12 would do.

Flies faster at cruise than a cubbed out 12.

Great headroom, huge baggage standard. Watch out when empty, they are nose heavy(many owners have said this)

I saw a video in which the Tern pilot stated that he would fill a collapseable water jug and stuff it in the tail when he needed to stop real short and keep the tail down.

Dave,
I had a Tern back in the 80's and as I remember it, it was a solid straight forward airplane. Heavy on the aileron but good authority. Docile stall with a good recovery. Comfortable and warm. Light on the tail when braking without a load. I felt it was very comparable to a Citabria. Built very stout but, the bolt on the shock tower will bend. Built with the mechanic in mind. Seems like it only had a 1650 # gross with a 1200 # EW. Bill Diehl is still around, if you are looking for specifics. - Steve Bryant

Thanks guys.

The converted Interstate had the lower (1650) gross. The Arctic Tern was higher than that.

I've heard two guys around here that told me the Tern would do what a Cub will do. One is a guy with a lot of Cessna 180/185 and 206 time, not sure how much time in -18's, though. The other guy owns an S1-B1, and had a Cub (PA-11), but flies alone alot.....meaning, he's not really aware of what an airplane piloted by someone other than himself will do.......meaning=a legend in his own mind, and not learning any tricks from other pilots.

I hope we get some other discussion here. I guess I'll use the search function on this site. There must have been at least a couple -18/Tern comparisons

Thanks DAVE

Dave,

I don't really have any meaningful experience in the Tern. I checked out in one WAAAAYYYY back, but never flew it operationally. Politics changed.

We had two of them at one time. They initially had some quality control problems when new that were eventually sorted out. I think Bill had a hard time keeping good folks on when he was basically building aircraft on an order basis, and as a consequence the quality suffered at times, and at other times it was great.

One of the airplanes got bent early on, but I don't remember how or in what circumstance. The other soldiered on till it was just plain wore out up in the Wrangells. They worked it out of Glenallen for many years and many thousands of hours. Knowing the hours they put on their airplanes, I'd bet they must have had a lot of hours on it when they got rid of it. They eventually replaced it with a Husky, I suspect due at least partially to parts availability questions. The guys who flew it loved it, and didn't want to give it up, I can tell you that, and they used it hard, off airport.

They are an interesting design, with a lot of good ideas built in for the bush work. Frankly, I think timing just wasnt' right at that moment for that type airplane.

That's all I know on that subject.

MTV

Dave,

Just saw a Tern on floats at the annual MN seaplane convention last weekend. It was for sale (sign in the window said: "Super Cub equivalent".

Looked like a good, well-cared for bird. I think he was asking $88K (is that good or bad for a Tern on floats nowadays?)

The performance off the water wasn't spectacular, given the wind conditions being fairly breezy with a nice chop. :-?

HUGE baggage compartment! One of you Alaska types who was with me muttered something deragatory but even he smiled when he saw it. 8)

Brad

I put some pictures of it on Zane's site:

http://www.backcountrypilot.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=160&pos=10

http://www.backcountrypilot.org/gallery/displayimage.php?&pos=-1968

From what I have been told the Tern has the same airfoil as the Taylorcraft. I saw one at the Valdez fly-in and looked it over and it has the same double camber as the Taylorcraft. It also had the same paint scheme as the ones Bill was doing at his shop in Anchorage. I saw the Tern leave at one point during the show and the fellow on the PA system said that it was Bill himself.

Jim

Apparently Bill still keeps a 4-place exp. Tern at Hood on wheels. I think I know the a/c.

I keep meaning to stop and say hi to him when I see him messing with it. I guess I should put some action behind my meaning. The 4-place has gotta be a cool a/c if it'll still fly slow nice!

Thanks for the responses Brad, Jim!

DAVE

Spotted salmon for my own boat in the mid-80's on Bristol Bay with a 2-place Tern on floats. Handled nice, but felt like everything was faster than a cub, including rotation and stall. Didn't like to have the power off, and didn't like to fly slow in spite of those huge flaps. Responded REALLY well to aileron. The wing was really good. I think that I remember that it flew the same loaded or empty. Seemed very durable and well engineered.
Had a friend with one. He was really ham-fisted and flew that way... absolutely no finesse. His plane took a lot of punishment and held together without grumbling or extra maintenance.
Very roomy and well laid out. Not a cub, but nice in its own way.

No prob DC. I think the 4 place was called an Arctic Privateer. I'll see if I have a picture of it somewhere.

Brad

It is posted on another site that the owner of the company bart miller died in an accident at the new company hangar.I had talked to him a few times and seemed really enthusiastic abouthis new improvements.I wonder what the fututre of the company will be.Condolences to his family.

http://www.vnews.com/10242006/3409550.htm

Condolences

Mark

Very sad, he was a real nice guy. I flew up there 3 times over the last few years to see his progress. He always showed me around the shop and was excited to be getting close to final FAA approval. He'll be missed,

Tim