| 1.
Isn't a Challenger difficult to fly?
No, Challengers are not
difficult to fly, but they are a bit different than most
aircraft. It is highly recommended to get some flight
instruction before flying a Challenger even if you have a
lot of flying experience. Much noise has been made about the
rudder of a Challenger, and it's habit of wandering around
on the yaw axis, particularly with doors on. Some people
put finlets on the horizontal stabilizer, others put a
larger dorsal fin on it, others yet install vortex
generators in various locations. These all seem to have a
positive affect on the instability on the yaw axis. However
with finlets and a larger dorsal fin, you will loose some of
the Challengers legendary ability to land in a 30 mph cross
wind, and slip sideways to drop like a parachute into a
short field. Everything in aviation is a trade off, this is
no different. If you need to do a modification to straighten
it up a bit, I would suggest starting with vortex generators
on the windshield in front of the doors. This seems to have
a good effect without compromising much in performance. I
have found that once you get used to it, it really is no big
deal.
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2.
If I buy a Challenger kit, what else do I have to buy to
complete it?
Your
Challenger kit will come with everything you need to
complete the kit except paint and instruments. As far as
paint, you will need poly-brush to seal the fabric,
poly-spray to give it uv protection, and your color.
Basically the kit comes with fabric and glue. For more
information on covering and painting,
click here. You also will most likely add some
things to customize your Challenger, but the necessary
materials to complete the kit are there. Challenger does
offer an instrument package, which you can read about in the
"options" tab. Paint can be obtained from several vendors.
Wicks Aircraft Supply, and
Aircraft Spruce are a couple popular ones.
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3. How
long does it take to build a Challenger?
A lot
depends on what options you get. For instance, Stits wings
are considerably more time consuming to finish than
sailcloth. Things like doors, brakes, wheel pants, and
streamline kit, all add to the build time. The fastest ones
go together in about 80 hrs. 150 hrs. is more common for a
basic model, and 300 hrs. for a loaded model. Much depends
on the builder as well. I know some people will spend 300
hrs. on a paint job! Do you want to build or fly?
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4. Which
engine should I use?
The
447 is 12 lbs lighter than the 503, as well as cheaper.
There is really no reason to use anything bigger on a
single seat long wing. It will also handle a two seat
long wing and save you some gas. The biggest reason to
opt for the 503 on a long wing two seat is runway
conditions. If you fly from a short strip, have
obstacles, or have high density altitude, you may want
the 503. If you fly heavy on a routine basis such as
for flight instruction, better go with the 503. The 503
is plenty for all the Challengers. The 582 will give
better climb, but uses more gas and adds 20 lbs to the
airplane. It also adds the complexity of water
cooling. This is one more system that can potentially
fail, and bring you out of the sky. Not to mention the
cost of the 582 is a considerable factor. I do not
recommend the 582.
ROTAX:
The
Rotax 447 is the lightest Rotax engine available. At 40
HP it is great performer on a single seat long wing and
will even fly a two seat long wing. The 447 comes with
single carb and single CDI (electronic) ignition. It is
a very reliable engine, is has an economical fuel
consumption and is less expensive than the 503. Typical
fuel burn on a 447 powered Challenger is 3 gph. It is
possible to build a part 103 legal ultralight using a
447 on a long wing single seat Challenger. I also know
people who have a 447 on a two seat long wing. I once
met a couple guys at a fly-in in Carrolton OH. The had
flown in from West Virginia, about 100 miles over
unforgiving terrain on hot day, in a two seat long wing
powered by a 447. They were thrilled with it!
The
Rotax 503 is hands down the most popular engine on
Challenger aircraft. At 50 HP is powers all of the
Challenger models quite well. With dual ignition, dual
carbs and air cooling, it is the most reliable engine
Rotax makes. It weighs in 12 lbs heavier than a 447.
Typical fuel burn on a 503 powered Challenger is 4 gph,
but on a clipped wing two seat operating heavy it may
approach 5 gph. For most applications, the 503 is the
best choice if you like Rotax.
The
582 at 65 HP is popular among the float plane crowd. It
boasts enough power to get the heaviest Challenger on
floats up and out of the water. It has an impressive
climb rate. It is a dual ignition, dual carb, liquid
cooled engine. Being liquid cooled, it is more complex,
heavier, and less reliable than a 503. Also, liquid
cooling requires that radiators be mounted in the
airstream increasing drag. The 582 is a notorious
gas-hog consuming 6-7 gph on a Challenger. It is at
least 10 lbs heavier than a 503 depending on
installation. My experience has been that the 582 does
provide a much better climb rate for heavy Challengers,
float planes or high altitude applications. However the
cruise speed is not significantly improved because of
the increase in drag, and the fuel consumption is
considerable increased. The initial cost of the 582 is
very high as well. My recommendation for those needing
more power than a 503 is to consider a Hirth 3203.
HIRTH:
The
2702 Hirth at 40 HP is an excellent engine for a single
seat long wing Challenger. The 2702 is 4 lbs. heavier
than a 447, but it has quite a bit larger displacement
and therefore produces its peak power at a much lower
rpm than the 447. It is a very smooth and quiet
engine. It offers slightly better fuel economy over a
447, and boasts a much higher TBO than Rotax. (1200 hrs.
vrs. 300 hrs for Rotax) The 2702 also is the only 40 HP
engine that has dual ignition.
The
3202 Hirth at 55 HP is quite possibly the best all
around engine for the Challenger fleet. It offers
slightly more power than the 503, is 9 lbs lighter than
the 503, and offers considerably better fuel economy
than the 503. As a matter of fact, the 3202 with
electric start is lighter than a 503 without electric
start. It has a much higher TBO than the 503 (1000 hrs.
vrs 300 hrs for Rotax). It is a low rpm, high torque
engine that produces peak power at 5500 rpm. This
provides for a much smoother quieter engine than the
Rotax. It also is availbale with electronic fuel
injection. This option gives it a 10% reduciton in fuel
burn as well as eliminating the need for rejetting carbs.
It automatically compensates for altitude atmospheric
conditions to supply the engine with the optimum fuel
mixture in all conditions.
The Hirth 3203 at 65 HP is the ultimate
Challenger engine. It is at least 20 lbs lighter than a
582, consumes much less fuel, and is priced over $2000
LESS than a 582. It is aircooled, so there is no
complex installation, no cooling system to fail, and no
radiators in the airstream slowing you down. It has
dual ignition, and dual carb, or optional electronic
fuel injection. All the Hirth engines have a 250 watt
charging system vrs. the 180 watt Rotax system. As with
all Hirth engines it is available with electric start,
oil injection and recoil start, unlike the Rotax.
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