Highlander Questions

[Bart]

Hi,

New here and considering a Highlander build for off runway use here in Alaska. The biggest attractions for me are it's apparent rugged construction, light empty weight, baggage space, and low stall speed. I'm curious about a couple of things though.

First, I read somewhere in this forum, the aircraft was designed for a gross weight of 1550 lb. As I'm not primarily concerned with LSA requirments, can anyone expound on this?

Second, I'm trying to get an idea of the panel space. Can anyone supply the panel deminsions, width, height at ends and center?

Lot's of questions and few answers,
Bart

[xpflyr]

I believe the Highlander is gross at 1550 but to keep it in the Light Sport cat. they cap it at 1350, the max.
The panel is 8 x 33 but you can make it bigger if you want.10 x 33, etc.

[Bart]

Thanks for the info.

[nichzimmerman]

Hi, I've been following the Just section of this forum for some time, waiting for the day I can join the proud owners/builders of the Highlander and get rid of my certified airplane. I hear the Highlander is grossed at 1550, but i'm not sure about how the rules work. If I fly it at 1500 lbs, and two weeks later my medical expires, can I simply go out and fly it at 1320 lbs, or do you have to "certify" it as EITHER an E-LSA or regular experimetal?

Along the same lines, if I can afford an airplane after having a kid, is there anything keeping me from installing a small bench seat in the giant baggage compartment so that wife and junior can come along? I'm looking for legal issues, but mainly safety issues that concern this. Thanks!

-Nick

[xpflyr]

"Along the same lines, if I can afford an airplane after having a kid, is there anything keeping me from installing a small bench seat in the giant baggage compartment so that wife and junior can come along? I'm looking for legal issues, but mainly safety issues that concern this. Thanks!
-Nick"
Nick, as long as it's not certified as Light sport ( only 1 passenger ) and Junior doesn't weight more than 150 lbs, why not?

[Tralika]

When you finish building your plane you will have to establish the gross weight. That is one factor will determine if it qualifies as light sport or not. It can't be a light sport on one day and normal on the next. As for the third seat? That would disqualify it from light sport. I suspect you would have to show some engineering to the DAR to get it approved. I suggest you get acquainted with these folks http://www.eaa42.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or http://www.eaa-1129.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Johnny C!]

I fly on a Class III, and I have intended &
I am planning to install a third seat for my son.
The original intention was mount a child seat,
then I realized he will out grow that soon, which
was taking me to a standard Just seat hard mounted.
"Doc" suggested a canvas sling seat. I have talked with
Shawn, at the factory about that, because he has the
sewing equipment & good experience at such stuff.
I haven't been down there for the last 3 weeks, so we
haven't talked further about it. I want it constructed with
loops at the 4 attachement points and then use non locking
carabiners to attach it to the fuse frame work. That way it
will be light & readily removable should the need arise. I will
buy a seat belt kit from AS, and there are plenty of adequate
attachment points in the back of the luggage area for those,
also.
The local DAR said he didn't see any issues with my intent,
as far as he was concerned. The real question is what the
insurance companies will think. I haven't made any inquiries
to them yet...

John

[Dave Krall CFII SEL SES]

We rigged ours in a similar way Johnny, but simpler seat I think.

Climbing quality, anodized carabiners clipped to airframe and seatbelt end brackets secure 2 simple, lap-type seatbelts with quick release buckles for use both in securing cargo (they wrap around an awkward outboard motor real well) plus, a person can be quite comfortably seat-belted in by just sitting on a sculpted foam floor cushion with their back against a flat cushion on the aft cargo bay panel. Very versatile.

[danerazz]

Remember, it is not the DAR's job to determine airwortiness, it is his (or her) job to determine COMPLIANCE with type standards and rules like the 51% and other regs. As it is an EXPERIMENTAL airplane it is up to the builder to determine airworthiness. Some DARs may decide to make airworthiness more their job, but that is not what they are there for. If you want to mount a sling-seat on the belly of the plane and strap your five-year-old in it you can. You don't have to prove the engineering is sound to the DAR.

[preacoupe]

You may be right in what a DAR is supposed to do, but I'm thinking that DAR does represent Designated Airworthiness Representative, the operative word here is Airworthiness.

As for the 1500 lbs vs 1320, and LSA or not, I remember some owners of Piper J-4s and Ercoupes that just missed out on the LSA numbers. They wanted to lighten up their craft by a few pounds so as to qualify as an LSA after having been certified previously. I think it was Joe Norris of EAA who answered them with the fact that once a plane is registered, that's it. It can't be different things on different days. It can't be changed. So, as I'm new to all of this, I think that if you want an LSA someday, you might not want to go with the 1500 lbs now. I would just check before committing.

Also, don't forget about the medical. Just don't have it denied, revoked, or rescinded, otherwise you're dead as far as LSA goes. Let it expire....

Dennis