On May 9, 12:27 pm, Grant wrote:
Ok, ok, all sounds good, now I'm wondering how a Cardinal sizes up to
all of this. I kinda like what they have to offer. But maybe I'm
naive, good chance.

Grant,
We own a Cardinal FG 180hp and get about 7.5 to 8 gph cruising at
120kts. A well-rigged FG can get up to 130kts and RG version with
200hp can get up to 145kts. AOPA chose a Cardinal FG for their
sweepstake this year.

http://www.aopa.org/sweeps/

We love our Cardinal for its strutless wings (great for aerial
photography), roominess and big cargo area. We did several camping
trip last year with the backseat removed to carry our two bikes,
folding chairs, tenting equipment and our 50lbs mutt.

For more information about Cardinals, you can check this website
http://www.cardinalflyers.com/

There is a nice Cardinal article written by the webmaster Keith
Peterson. If you are interested in purchasing a Cardinal, I highly
recommend joining Cardinal Flyers Organization. The technical section
has a wealth of information, and the virtual digest where CFO members
share information is a fantastic resource for Cardinal owners.

Hai Longworth