cfiaime@ihnp4.UUCP (Jeff Williams) (01/07/85)
For those of you interested, there is a news item in the February Private Pilot magazine concerning the Valmet Starhawk. This is the first public mention of the airplane in the United States. Now that the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, I will be able to put an exclusive pilot report on the net about the airplane. As a teaser, there is only one Starhawk in the western hemisphere, but there are several firms looking at placing it in production. The information that I am at liberty to publish will not be able to mention the future of the airplane very much at all. When it is produced, however, it should be a very popular sport airplane. Basic performance figures: Empty weight (prototype): ~1250 pounds Gross weight (prototype): ~1925 pounds Useable weight (prototype): ~675 pounds Useable fuel 50 gallons Engine: Lycoming O-360 (180 horse) Takeoff roll: ~500 feet (not accuratly measured yet...) Landing roll: ~500 feet (ditto...) Rate of climb ~1700 feet per minute Cruise speed: 120 knots at 7000 feet Service ceiling: 18,700 feet (at least. My technique at that altitude was probably not good.) The pilot report should be on the net by Wednesday, of all goes well. Jeff Williams AT&T Bell Laboratories ihnp4!cfiaime