• If You Are Having Trouble Logging In with Your Old Username and Password, Please use this Forgot Your Password link to get re-established.
  • Hey! Be sure to login or register!

pa11 with a 0235lycon

M

mattpearson

Registered User
Gentlemen,
I am pretty new to the experimental LSA pa11 crowd. I am trying to get educated on these.....the experimental part at least. Ran across one that an estate will be selling eventually, at first it just seemed like a re-done PA-11, but then I see the experimental sticker. Have not been able to look through the logs yet to understand anything about the aircraft as of this moment. (they haven't surfaced) Are there kits to make these? (haven't been able to come up with any) or are these generally re-built up PA11's that just go the experimental route. This particular one indicates on the registration that it's a 2006 Dowrick Charles Light Sport. Goggling that gets no place. (I am just guessing that's the guy that put this bird together?????
thanks for input.
 
If it's an R&D or exhibition experimental, there are some considerable restrictions on what you can legally do with the airplane.
And a 235 is a fair chunk of iron to hang on the nose of an 11, weight wise.
 
Could be a Wag-Aero Sport Trainer, or similar. Several of these have been built and some have been very nicely done. There was a local one I looked at a few years ago that was much nicer than any factory built one I have ever seen. It was in MN and then bought by a guy in Canada, but ever imported. Last I knew it was being kept in a hangar and not being flow

As already mentioned, the )-235 is a bit heavy for a PA-11 type. A friend has one on a factory PA-11 and regrets putting it on the plane (on floats). He told me the Cont. 90 was a much better performer on the plane.
 
PerryB said:
If it's an R&D or exhibition experimental, there are some considerable restrictions on what you can legally do with the airplane.
And a 235 is a fair chunk of iron to hang on the nose of an 11, weight wise.
Click to expand...

Any Experimental purpose other than LSA and AB has significant restrictions. There are a lot of others beyond Exhibition and R&D. Exhibition, Racing, AB, and LSA are the only ones with unlimited expiration, all the others have a expiration of one year or less.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
not commenting on legalities for others,.. my 46 J3 has 36 gallons of gas in the wings, (no nose tank) supercub tailfeathers, and an O235C1. All legal by field approval. It's been a while since it's been in the air but it's a sweet flyer. So I don't know about your legal situation, but as far as the folks who say it won't fly well, .. I respectfully disagree. There may be better combinations and considerations, but I would say don't let the simple fact of an O235 engine lead you to another solution. It makes a J3 perform quite well and flies fine while doing so.
 
I had a friend with a no electric 0-235 J-3 modified to a PA-11. he was a keep it light when empty person and it flew great.
 
Bump it up to 150 hp and you will like it much better. Does the PA-11 have the nice J-3 style fuselage with the inverted V looking out the cockpit, I like that so much more than the PA-18 where you look at the bottom of the V right in front of you.

A J-3 flys perfect with an O-235, or O-320, I wonder what the person with the float plane didn't like about it?
 
Last edited:
If you ever get to fly a really light cub you can feel the difference that a few pounds make. I'm not talking about climb abilities, I'm talking how nice it flies. I can feel the difference between my 12lb prop and my Alum prop. A little weight makes a noticable difference. Sweetest cub I ever flew was 550 lbs.

Glenn
 
Last edited:
supercub1999 said:
Bump it up to 150 hp and you will like it much better. Does the PA-11 have the nice J-3 style fuselage with the inverted V looking out the cockpit, I like that so much more than the PA-18 where you look at the bottom of the V right in front of you.

A J-3 flys perfect with an O-235, or O-320, I wonder what the person with the float plane didn't like about it?
Click to expand...

If you are refering to my statement, the owner who has had the plane for decades, told me the plane just didn't feel as nimble and performed more 'sluggish' than with the 90 HP. Stated that he really regretted getting talked into puting the O-235 on the plane. He had it in for total rebuild/cover and the guy doing the work talked him into it, instead of rebuilding the 90.

I had a 7AC-CONV Champ with an O-235, so I have a little bit of experience with the heavier motor. I didn't mean to say it was a terrible choice, just that it makes the plane feel heavier. I really liked the Champ, it was a great performer, but it took a little getting use to the nose heavy feel of it. Adapt and overcome!! I sure wouldn't walk away from a good deal on a plane with one, just stating the differences.
 
There was a good article in Vintage magazine years ago about luscombes with engines ranging from A65 to 320. The author liked his, which had an O320, but admitted that the ones with smaller engines were nimbler & more of "a joy to fly.".
 
cubdriver2 said:
If you ever get to fly a really light cub you can feel the difference that a few pounds make. I'm not talking about climb abilities, I'm talking how nice it flies. I can feel the difference between my 12lb prop and my Alum prop. A little weight makes a noticable difference. Sweetest cub I ever flew was 550 lbs.

Glenn
Click to expand...

All I’ve ever had on my J3 is a metal prop, but the 36ish pound difference between a full nose tank and half full is significant in the handling department.

I’ll take good handling over excess hp any day of the week.
 
the plane that is in question is registered as N491CD, shows as a Dowrick Charles Light Sport with a 0-235-C1B engine, in the picture I received it looks like a PA-11 (and is placarded expermential)..............guess I am now thinking that Dowrick Charles is the guys name that originally put this thing together or ? Anyone ever here of Dowrick Charles Light Sport?
 
This is the FAA registration record for N491CD: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=491CD
It shows only that the number is on hold and is not assigned. That implies the the airplane in question never had it's airworthiness certificate issued. It appears that you may have to document the entire build process and become the builder yourself.
You mentioned that you actually saw a registration certificate? Perhaps you only saw the paper from the FAA showing a reserved N number?

When you have the opportunity see if you can find any build records which the builder documented. Hopefully he did.

If you decide that you want this airplane it may be wise to consult with a DAR who will help you get it certified, before you part with any funds.

It appears also that you have leverage for a low price.
 
Builders will often use their name as the model of their build for experimentals. It is pretty easy to tell a WagAero fuselage by looking at a few specific areas if you are curious if that is the kit origin.

(this is not to say they are bad. I fly a WagAero PA-11-like clone behind an O235 Lycoming)
 
appreciate the comments....OOOPS I got that number wrong it's N401CD....appreciate the comments, I will take a look at the wag aero and see if I see similarities.....this process would be much easier if the owner that knew the builder was still alive.......
 
It might be interesting to talk to the builder, but you have what you need from the registration records.
It's an experimental / amateur built, mfr'd in 2006.
Looks like the current registered owner acquired it 2 years ago,
registration is current & valid thru 2020.
IMHO everything else you need to know should be in the logbooks & other records (operating limitations, W&B, etc),
and in the condition of the airplane itself.
​
It is what it is, inspect it before you buy it like you would any other airplane.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
Cub "Clone" Kits
Replies
15
Views
14K
Crash
Crash
T
Newbie with Old Question
Replies
3
Views
2K
Taledrger
Taledrger
F
Interested in building an experimental PA-18
2
Replies
31
Views
11K
cdenora
cdenora
P
What would you do, sell or piece out?
Replies
2
Views
2K
P.o.P
P
Cardiff Kook
1st Cub- 100 HP Legend Texas Sport Experimental or 100 HP Cubcrafter Sport Cub
2
Replies
31
Views
5K
alaskadrifter
A
Back
Top