Aerostar (no news)

[rightseat]

Just want to add that I keep checking in religiously for any news of the Aerostar. Any chance for some additional teaser shots?

Thanks

[Medtner]

One know the Aerostar is highly anticipated when you see a post with "No news" in it, and fully knowing that this is most likely true, one opens it anyway.

[OGfishm0nger]

One know the Aerostar is highly anticipated when you see a post with "No news" in it, and fully knowing that this is most likely true, one opens it anyway.

Well it got me to open it!

[Ron Attwood]

No fool like an old fool.

[Scott - A2A]

aerostar.jpg (414.87 KiB) Viewed 1351 times

We are in the process of re-making the airplane almost from scratch. It is looking incredible so far and we will show dev updates. But the first Aerostar news to come out will be the real one. The plan is tomorrow (Monday) we start the new engine for the first time, then annual it, then get it out of the tiny strip it's in. I'm not looking forward to that first flight out as there will be a span of time after reaching 90kts on the roll out and 140kts on the climb out that an engine failure would be an undesirable situation to be in. The Aerostar is mush and doesn't feel like it's flying well until 140kts. And because you have your flaps and gear down, it takes a long time to get it cleaned up and past 140kts. Which gives it a low and flat lift off like old Vietnam era jets.

I will be recording that takeoff, we're treating it like launching a rocket, double, triple checking everything before actually taking off.

The first time I took off with the Aerostar it was reminiscent of being a passenger in a tubeliner, looking out the window and when you reach the speed you "think" the jet will lift off only to realize it still needs more speed. Then you realize "wow, we are REALLY cranking here and have used a lot of runway so there's no going back."

So when in the front of the Aerostar you have this awesome clear view out front, which shows you the runway threshold coming at you at a faster speed than ever, knowing if there was an issue you would just be sliding through the threshold like a rocket. This is why the Aerostar with it's short thin wings needs a long runway to be safe. If you operate it out of big runways, it's one of the safest twins to fly IMO. Once you get used to the speed, landing the Aerostar is easier than landing a Piper Cherokee.

Scott.

[Medtner]

Great news! Godspeed on the inspection flight!

And remember to have a binary takeoff point - 80 kts by "taxiway X" and we're go, 79 and we're aborting.

[Scott - A2A]

I welcome controlled risk, like for example when I flew the Comanche 400 home. The engine hadn't run for 18 years. But the entire time, from the moment of applying throttle at takeoff until landing the engine could have quit at any time, smoke, etc. and I would have been on the ground in short order. But taking off with a twin out of a small airport with trees in front is just a lousy situation. There is very little you can do as you can't really turn more than a few degrees, it's pretty much straight ahead +/- 10 degrees. It's totally different in a 172, 182, etc. if you lose an engine. You can make turns and pick a spot.

Something many don't know about the Aerostar is, you really can't ever pull high g's in a turn (not that one would want too but...). Unless you are in a dive going 200kts, the wings just can't bite enough air. It just breaks through and stalls. It's the complete opposite of the Comanche 250, which can pull high g's at very slow relative speeds.

Personally I love these differences in airplanes and modeling things like this in the sim. And for me as an Aerostar pilot, I can't wait to try and takeoff out of small familiar strips and kill one engine at the worst possible time to get a genuine idea of what that would be like. My hope is to gain a better understanding and become a safer pilot. And I hope this airplane educates twin pilots to the true dangers they face every time they take off.

Scott

[Medtner]

Something many don't know about the Aerostar is, you really can't ever pull high g's in a turn (not that one would want too but...). Unless you are in a dive going 200kts, the wings just can't bite enough air. It just breaks through and stalls. It's the complete opposite of the Comanche 250, which can pull high g's at very slow relative speeds.

Personally I love these differences in airplanes and modeling things like this in the sim. And for me as an Aerostar pilot, I can't wait to try and takeoff out of small familiar strips and kill one engine at the worst possible time to get a genuine idea of what that would be like. My hope is to gain a better understanding and become a safer pilot. And I hope this airplane educates twin pilots to the true dangers they face every time they take off.

Scott

Which is why we are all so excited about the Accusim Aerostar. In the GA department, all the aircraft are on the "easier" side to operate and fly. A big twin like that will be a completely different story. And having two engines that live their own separate life, with possibly different hours, and different consumptions - different in all the minor details. That kind of nitty gritty tickles me in all kinds of right spots...

[AKar]

How is Aerostar's OEI performance at high weights? Is suppose it is better than most light twins, but still, I'd guess it is only downhill unless aircraft is clean, failed engine feathered obviously, cowl flaps closed, and flown at astronomical precision..

-Esa

[Scott - A2A]

How is Aerostar's OEI performance at high weights? Is suppose it is better than most light twins, but still, I'd guess it is only downhill unless aircraft is clean, failed engine feathered obviously, cowl flaps closed, and flown at astronomical precision..

-Esa

The Aerostar when compared to other similar light twins has excellent single engine performance, but I think most single engine pilots would find even it a bit unnerving to fly on a single engine. Last time we feathered and engine and flew around we were cruising at about 140kts, which is just on the edge of mush. And we were at low altitude as well. It does what it needs to do, getting you safely to an airport. In hot weather it's more problematic for both performance and engine cooling.

Scott

[bullfox]

Really looking forward to flying the Aerostar in P3D with my new computer.

[MarcE]

Do I remember correctly that the Aerostar is NOT turbocharged?

[AKar]

Do I remember correctly that the Aerostar is NOT turbocharged?

There are both turbocharged and non-turbocharged versions of Aerostar. The model 600 of A2A relevance is not turbocharged.

The model 601 is, apparently, basically the same model but with turbocharged engines. The model 601P further adds pressurization.

-Esa

[MarcE]

Do I remember correctly that the Aerostar is NOT turbocharged?

There are both turbocharged and non-turbocharged versions of Aerostar. The model 600 of A2A relevance is not turbocharged.

The model 601 is, apparently, basically the same model but with turbocharged engines. The model 601P further adds pressurization.

-Esa

Allright, thanks looking forward!