All,
I'm interested in ArrowCopter #10 (G-1010, the only one registered in Australia) as a second hand purchase. It is an AC10 build 2012 rotax 914 with about 500 hours.
- People say the Arrowcopter is a heavy machine but what does that actually mean? I found when flying the machine as a passenger that it was stable but also seemed to have enough agility, and it has a good cruise speed compared to other machines. Note I live in subtropics where it is humid and temperatures in the high 90's (35 degrees) in summer which will impact power.
- Fuel economy, is it considerably worse than equivalent machines due to its weight?
- The UK regulators would not certify the Arrow in the UK (deviant in fugoid above 75mph?) does this mean the gyro is dangerous / prone to PPO? It does seem to have a high thrust line but has a reasonable horizontal tail.
- Have any of the Arrows crashed? If so, what was the cause?
- This particular machine had a bird strike on the prop, which was replaced as well as the gearbox (just to be safe). Anything to be concerned about long term from this?
- What is the difference between the AC10 and AC20? I think they are the same machine (renamed AC20 after Austrian type certification).
-
- Given that this one is an early Arrowcopter, are there any recommended updates based on customer experiences?
- If you have an opinion about the pros/cons of the arrow versus other euro machines (J-Ro and Eclipse)
- Variable pitch prop, the current owner mentioned it didn't seem to make a difference in power/economy - doesn't seem right as you should be able to set it for power for takeoff / manoeuvring and economy for cruise?
- What are some of the typical problems that folks are experiencing with the Arrowcopter (eg. regular replacement of parts)? Any extra maintenance concerns specific to the Arrow?
- What should I look out for when inspecting a used Arrowcopter to buy
- I have seen that the bottom of the tail on this machine has dragged sufficiently to have worn down completely the composite bottom of the tail. I assume it isn't a big problem to fix.
-
- Anything else to consider?
Thanks for the feedback!
Regards
Dean
I'm interested in ArrowCopter #10 (G-1010, the only one registered in Australia) as a second hand purchase. It is an AC10 build 2012 rotax 914 with about 500 hours.
This will be my first machine and should have finished my training by Christmas.
There is so little info on the web about this machine its hard to find out some of the details, so I have a number of questions for the folks on this forum familiar with the Arrow:- People say the Arrowcopter is a heavy machine but what does that actually mean? I found when flying the machine as a passenger that it was stable but also seemed to have enough agility, and it has a good cruise speed compared to other machines. Note I live in subtropics where it is humid and temperatures in the high 90's (35 degrees) in summer which will impact power.
- Fuel economy, is it considerably worse than equivalent machines due to its weight?
- The UK regulators would not certify the Arrow in the UK (deviant in fugoid above 75mph?) does this mean the gyro is dangerous / prone to PPO? It does seem to have a high thrust line but has a reasonable horizontal tail.
- Have any of the Arrows crashed? If so, what was the cause?
- This particular machine had a bird strike on the prop, which was replaced as well as the gearbox (just to be safe). Anything to be concerned about long term from this?
- What is the difference between the AC10 and AC20? I think they are the same machine (renamed AC20 after Austrian type certification).
-
Is the Arrowcopter a good first machine (ie. is it easy to fly, forgiving of mistakes as I learn)?
- Given that this one is an early Arrowcopter, are there any recommended updates based on customer experiences?
- If you have an opinion about the pros/cons of the arrow versus other euro machines (J-Ro and Eclipse)
- Variable pitch prop, the current owner mentioned it didn't seem to make a difference in power/economy - doesn't seem right as you should be able to set it for power for takeoff / manoeuvring and economy for cruise?
- What are some of the typical problems that folks are experiencing with the Arrowcopter (eg. regular replacement of parts)? Any extra maintenance concerns specific to the Arrow?
- What should I look out for when inspecting a used Arrowcopter to buy
- I have seen that the bottom of the tail on this machine has dragged sufficiently to have worn down completely the composite bottom of the tail. I assume it isn't a big problem to fix.
-
Are Arrowcopter back up and running? They went insolvent not so long ago and seemingly they got refinanced but it isn't clear if production has started again, ie. if I need spare parts will they be available?
- Anything else to consider?
Thanks for the feedback!
Regards
Dean