Thread: TST 14M on W&W
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Old May 16th 17, 12:26 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default TST 14M on W&W

I have no information on the advertised TsT-15 M on Wings & Wheels, so I cannot comment on its history and reliability, but if it helps, I can give some data on the one owned and modified by Bob Carlton.

Purchased in 2009, modified with PBS TJ-100 turbojet engine. First displayed at 2010 SSA Convention in Little Rock, AR. First flight in May 2010.

Since then it has been used as a test and recreational aircraft over hundreds of flights. Most flights are either Demonstration flights or involve Instruction and Training for pilots transitioning into other aircraft that utilize the PBS TJ-100 engine (SubSonex, BD-5J, Arcus J) through an FAA Approved Training Program. (See "AOPA Pilot" magazine July 2015 or "Kitplanes" magazine August 2015.)

I won't make assumptions about the advertised glider's engine system, as I have no knowledge of its operational features or reliability. {The TJ-100 has been extremely dependable.) The following are my observations on the aircraft as a pure glider, with the engine retracted.

Several dozen pilots have taken training in the TsT-14 Jet, and over the course of the last seven years, the glider has been extremely reliable. No damage, no particular "quirks" and generally a nice glider to fly. Handling is well coordinated and light on the controls. Performance is mid-range, with a 40:1 L/D, but a limited (110 kt) Vne, due to the Light Sport certification limitations, although Bob's aircraft is actually classed as "Experimental, Exhibition & Racing."

For more detailed information, I suggest you contact Bob Carlton, through his website desertaerospace (dot) com.