As an aeronautical engineer, I am very interested in purchasing a EFIS-equipped Lancair IV-P kit (http://www.lancair.com/main/iv_ivp.html) and building it with the aid of their builder’s assist program. I am aware that this is no small feat and that building such a kit requires time and dedication; however, I am quite certain that I could complete it in 8 to 10 months (6 months if everything goes smoothly… but that never happens !)
I was simply wondering if anyone in here has experience with the Lancair IV-P, or simply any Lancair kit and if they could be kind enough to post any feedback pertaining to performance, maintenance, engine TBO, customer service, or any flying experience/anecdote, etc…
Thank you, it is great to be part of the flight aware community
I knew a group who built a IV-P. They worked every day for more than two years as if it was their job. They were all trained engineers and retired from aviation jobs. They took the extra time to make sure everything was perfect. By contrast, another party started building one in the same hangar at about the same time. They cut corners and made their plane fly 6-8 mos sooner. I’ve known of a couple others to build their own IV-P’s and all I can say is it is no easy task. Personally, I enjoyed watching my friend and his group build their plane. I can see why some people enjoy this. For me, I think there are alot of nice, certified and safer planes available. It’s a rocket at cruise but also on approach. My friend’s plane crashed and burned.
I’ve been lucky to see the IV-P Propjet a few times. Hmmm.
Yeah… It seems that the more time you’re willing to spend with a certified Lancair builder, the less time you’ll spend building the actual aircraft. However, this does come at a certain price… that will have to balance out against the time/money you’d spend were there no one to assist.
I am also aware of the IV-P’s landing characteristics. The safest way to get around would be spending a little more time in the cockpit with the Lancair instructors… I guess we’ll see in due time.
The reason why the IV-P is so attractive to me is basically the sheer performance available at “so little” cost. Airplanes like the Columbia 400, Ciirrus SR22 Turbo or Mooney M-20 may offer comparable performance on some points, but at 500 000$ +. Also, the IV-P’s highest certification is in utility class, while the SR22 and Mooney Acclaim’s is only in normal class. There are a lot of other excellent points, such as the use of Carbon Fibre and other polymers that reduce the weight of the aircraft at absolutely no strength or endurance compromise, range, etc.
No more than what can be heard on the video after the fact, “WTF happened???”
One can only imagine that the desire to bring their kit to “life” by starting the engine caused them to overlook the fact that the landing gear it was sitting on was only sufficient for holding it off the ground during construction.
Believe it or not, those spindly little chicken legs are standard-issue.
Yeah, i know that one’s not a turboprop. But this picture was too big. They look even more twiggy in this photo though.
It appears that the right main becomes unlocked and just folds up. Rumor is though that he didnt have any brake fluid or anything in it yet. Don’t know where that rumor came from, but it wouldnt surprise me at all.
I do not think that anyone has had problems with the structural integrity of the Lancair kits’ landing gear (except for our poor buddy who failed his run-up !). What most people find challenging however is the increased landing speed of these aircraft, and that is why Lancair offers courses on high-performance aircraft such as the IV-P. Obviously, the IV-P is not for new pilots with deep pockets but a high-performance machine that can be a hassle to keep up with.
