Depends on your goals I guess. If you want a kite, build one. How about a Belite? But you can still have your cake and eat it too like a CC Carbon Cub. LSA but still has 180hp.
Dan,
That's too bad that you were not able to fly along side the LSA. What engine do you have in your Cub and what does it weigh? Single seat ought to be fairly light.
If you didn't have the Cub, would you follow Bob's design for an under 1320 gross plane?
Its hard to describe the way a 700-800 lb airplane flys, especially when the cg isn't at or a little beyone the forward limit. It's going to be really tough to get that light weight and cg not bumping the forward limit with an o-320.
As long as your going with an o-320, you might as well have flaps. Since you have the power to haul stuff, you might as well have an extended baggage. Since a 320 isn't as easy to hand prop as an 0-200, you might as well have a starter, and electrical system......
Say goodbye to your 800 lb airplane, it's starting to look more like 950-1050, which an 0-320 will have no trouble with, but it won't fly like the 7-800 lb plane.
I'm starting to sound like that cubdriver2 guy!!!
Do you guys see this new medical rule going through at some point and wouldn't that do away with the need for LSA for most of us?
DRL,
I'm not sure how much "beefier" the Patrol is than the LSA. I've read that that you can build the patrol light and still do an LSA gross, albeit with not much left for people and fuel. I goal is a light, adequately powered but not overpowered plane. My wife is interested in having the faster than Cub cruise and I still want to be able to do ops on sand/gravel bars and the like for hunting and fishing and just to be able to be there.
My C-170 will do some of that stuff, but not really that well and it looks like the LSA will cruise about the same 120 mph as the 170 with just 2 souls on board. I have the plans for a Cub clone and now the LSA so guess I'm leaning toward the metal wing and the faster cruise and I have a 5 day trip to ID starting tomorrow to think about it before I decide which way to go. There is some advantage in the Cub where I can buy lots of parts if I don't feel like making them. I don't think BH LSA is there yet so that may tip the scale too....so many things to consider...also the label of "bastard child" on the SC site could be a badge of honor!!