On Jul 7, 1:48�am, es330td wrote:
I
Are there any good alternatives outside the canard family?
This discussion seems to have come down to whether you should
build with aluminum or composites, leaving out wood and tube &
fabric. The way I see it, if you build your own composite airplane,
you are the manufacturer and should be pretty good at repairing hanger
rash by the time you are ready to fly. I know of at least one
compostite airplane that flipped over and was damaged, as one would
expect. The spar and wings were intact. The insurance adjuster said
repair it. Had it been an aluminum airplane he would have scrapped
it. What does all this prove? Not much. If one method was clearly
superior, the other would disappear. Sunlight may not bother
aluminum, but corrosion sure does. Until we start mining
nonobtainium, you're stuck with compromises. Take your pick.
More important in picking your plane is your mission
requirement. When you start your IFR training you will find the true
meaning of the old saying "The only time you can have too much fuel on
board is when you are on fire". You need to plan on at least a 20
knot headwind for some of those trips to TX, sometimes both ways,
(like the day you actually get to go). If the destination is imc, you
need altenate fuel plus 45 minute reserve (minimum). If you have a
barely 700 nm, no wind, VFR range, you will need to make an enroute
fuel stop on some trips. A five hour duration becomes more like three
if you have to plan the whole trip IFR. Better to land with two hours
fuel in your tanks than zero while diverting. Fuel exhaustion is
still a leading cause of accidents. Your four hour trip just became
closer to six.
Good luck in your research.

Denny