Aerostar

[real]

Hi,

We haven't heard from the Aerostar for months (or i've missed something). Any news, project still alive. Thanks

Real

[alan CXA651]

Hi.
A2A will let you know when they are certain it will make it to market , just keep looking in on the shop/twitter/and forum , all A2A products are worth the wait.
regards alan.

[real]

Hi.
A2A will let you know when they are certain it will make it to market , just keep looking in on the shop/twitter/and forum , all A2A products are worth the wait.
regards alan.

No doubt that all A2A products are worth the wait. I was just curious to see if there was any news.

Thanks

[Scott - A2A]

This is one of the most difficult times to discuss what is in development with the constantly changing landscapes (this is all good for everyone). I hate being so quiet and look forward to the veil being lifted. There are a lot of confidential discussions going on behind the scenes but I can say that we are now back to developing products for the public / our community, and the Aerostar (specifically the one we fly) is one of those projects.

Our artists don't want any screenshots released until the airplane looks the best it can be which is something we respect. As for how the Aerostar flies, I can say in reality it flies unlike any piston twin. It's mid wing design makes it handle like a missile. The Aerostar got a bad reputation when it first came out because of its high wing loading (small wings for its weight). It is still the fastest production combustion twin on the market. Many pilots were just not ready for the speed. When you make a jump in speed, you have to make decisions quicker and it's common to get behind the airplane for a while until you get used to the new speeds. Especially when in the pattern.

And like many aircraft designed for speed, they don't always fly well when slow. There is debate on this subject still today. Some long time Aerostar pilots will tell you it has no issues flying slow. But one thing they found was some of the controls would be masked and go dead when stalling with the flaps down. So this meant the turn from base to final is a common place pilots stall and spin into the ground. If you didn't watch your speed and let the airplane stall with flaps down, recovery was difficult. It soon became known as the "Deathstar."

Then an AD (Airworthiness directive) was issued by the FAA and all owners had three choices:
1. Land without flaps
2. Install a fin in the rear (like a rudder)
3. Install a specific vortex generator kit

Most by now have chosen #3, including the one we fly. As a result, the Aerostar has beautiful slow speed handling (please pilot's don't take this as an endorsement to fly the Aerostar too slow because it will still bite if pushed).

Personally I am most excited about making our Aerostar. This is something I need and want for my own training. And believe this aircraft will make a great trainer for any twin pilot. Flying around the country in the Aerostar is so different to the Comanche, in that the Comanche can pretty much get in and out of anywhere including unfinished strips. With the Aerostar you really should be flying into the same places you would fly a private jet. The argument could be made that it needs even more runway. This makes it FUN to simulate as, in a sim, you can try to get in and out of smaller places just for the challenge and know what it would be like (safer than in real life).

As soon as we can show more, we will. A lot of work is going into this airplane. It will fit perfectly compliment our current lineup.

Scott

[AKar]

Then an AD (Airworthiness directive) was issued by the FAA and all owners had three choices:
1. Land without flaps
2. Install a fin in the rear (like a rudder)
3. Install a specific vortex generator kit

In fact, the AD 83-14-07 went as far as prohibiting use of flaps for all operations in unmodified airplanes, unless specific CoG limitation was used. I don't know what that aft limit of 163.0 inches (instead of 166.0 inches when the use of flaps is prohibited) means in practice in Aerostar.

-Esa

[Scott - A2A]

I'm very conservative when testing the Aerostar or any twin for that matter with all of that weight out on the wings in the kinds of stalls we typically do for Accu-Sim flight tests. You don't want to get any kind of unstable rotational momentum with a twin. But I can say the Aerostar, with the vortex generators, does maintain excellent aileron and rudder control right up to the stall.

[real]

This is one of the most difficult times to discuss what is in development with the constantly changing landscapes (this is all good for everyone). I hate being so quiet and look forward to the veil being lifted. There are a lot of confidential discussions going on behind the scenes but I can say that we are now back to developing products for the public / our community, and the Aerostar (specifically the one we fly) is one of those projects.

Our artists don't want any screenshots released until the airplane looks the best it can be which is something we respect. As for how the Aerostar flies, I can say in reality it flies unlike any piston twin. It's mid wing design makes it handle like a missile. The Aerostar got a bad reputation when it first came out because of its high wing loading (small wings for its weight). It is still the fastest production combustion twin on the market. Many pilots were just not ready for the speed. When you make a jump in speed, you have to make decisions quicker and it's common to get behind the airplane for a while until you get used to the new speeds. Especially when in the pattern.

And like many aircraft designed for speed, they don't always fly well when slow. There is debate on this subject still today. Some long time Aerostar pilots will tell you it has no issues flying slow. But one thing they found was some of the controls would be masked and go dead when stalling with the flaps down. So this meant the turn from base to final is a common place pilots stall and spin into the ground. If you didn't watch your speed and let the airplane stall with flaps down, recovery was difficult. It soon became known as the "Deathstar."

Then an AD (Airworthiness directive) was issued by the FAA and all owners had three choices:
1. Land without flaps
2. Install a fin in the rear (like a rudder)
3. Install a specific vortex generator kit

Most by now have chosen #3, including the one we fly. As a result, the Aerostar has beautiful slow speed handling (please pilot's don't take this as an endorsement to fly the Aerostar too slow because it will still bite if pushed).

Personally I am most excited about making our Aerostar. This is something I need and want for my own training. And believe this aircraft will make a great trainer for any twin pilot. Flying around the country in the Aerostar is so different to the Comanche, in that the Comanche can pretty much get in and out of anywhere including unfinished strips. With the Aerostar you really should be flying into the same places you would fly a private jet. The argument could be made that it needs even more runway. This makes it FUN to simulate as, in a sim, you can try to get in and out of smaller places just for the challenge and know what it would be like (safer than in real life).

As soon as we can show more, we will. A lot of work is going into this airplane. It will fit perfectly compliment our current lineup.

Scott

Thank you very much for this update.

Real

[joedon58]

Thank you Scott for the Aerostar update..

[Mickel]

With the Aerostar you really should be flying into the same places you would fly a private jet. The argument could be made that it needs even more runway. This makes it FUN to simulate as, in a sim, you can try to get in and out of smaller places just for the challenge and know what it would be like (safer than in real life).

This is why I think this is going to be an excellent addition to the fleet. Not sure there is anything else currently that is at the level this will be at in this class, jet or prop. I'm sure the King Air 350 is pretty darned good, and the closest to this, but...

[Dogsbody55]

Thank you very much for the update on the Aerostar, Scott. Interesting reading, as always. I also hope you'll post an update on the progress of your real Aerostar?? Is it back on two engines??


Cheers,
Mike

[Jeeno]

The Aerostar looks an interesting plane to fly. Now it will be hard to wait for it

[Hook]

The Aerostar looks an interesting plane to fly. Now it will be hard to wait for it

After watching Scott's video about the Aerostar I want to fly it too.

Hook

[Al FR-153]

Thanks for the update Scott. Can hardly wait.

Have to pass this along from my Air Force days. New troops were often sent for a bucket of 'prop wash' and of course the old timers would send them all over the squadron looking for it. But there was one day that we had a C-124 Globemaster in the hangar and I heard a very experienced engine mechanic send his new troop over to the shop area for 'four vortex generators, one for each engine'. I almost died laughing. The C-124 was, if not the first, one of the very first aircraft to use the vortex generators because of the short 'low cord' wings for the size of her fuselage.

[Mustang01]

Any new warbirds we might be able to look forward to or are those days pretty much over with?

[Paughco]

Thank you very much for the update, Scott. Here are links to a couple web sites on the Aerostar: http://www.pilotfriend.com/aircraft%20p ... rostar.htm, and https://www.flyingmag.com/pilot-reports ... star-702p/. It's pressurized, right?

I'm looking forward to a day when the expert pilots of the A2A Misfit Squadron can fly Aerostars on a MP flight! No mountain too high; no bridge too low! What's the worst that can happen?

Seeya
ATB