10
Reasons to Consider a
festival
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image for larger view)
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To be a good trainer for the US market, it is necessary for the airplane to be comfortable and familiar to flight instructors and maintenance personnel. Operationally, the airplane should be "normal" with no unusual requirements or flight characteristics. The festival has met these objectives well. |
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1. The Aerostar festival R40S is a conventional, all-metal construction, low wing, tricycle gear airplane with side-by-side seating which surpasses the ASTM Standards for US Special LSA. |
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2. The all-metal, flush riveted, three spar, cantilevered wing provides maximum strength at low weight with structural redundancy. The NACA 4415 airfoil provides excellent flight characteristics throughout the range of airspeeds, contributing to superior stability during low speed flight. |
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3. The flaps have 0, 15, and 30 degrees setting and are manually actuated by a Johnson bar style flap lever. The ailerons are "Frise type" and are generously sized to provide good roll authority. Each wing has an integral fuel tank with capacitive fuel level probes. The total fuel capacity is 22 gallons with 21.2 usable. |
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4. The roomy, 47" wide, heated and ventilated cockpit is protected by a structural roll bar, which also provides a firm grip support when entering and exiting the airplane. The seat and seat back are adjustable fore and aft, rapidly accommodating pilots of different sizes. Each seat has a 3 point seat belt. |
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5. The canopy tilts up and back, allowing easy access to the cockpit. The canopy can be left open for taxiing on hot summer days. The cockpit can be entered from both sides utilizing steps onto the wings and walk areas on the tops of the wings. |
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6. The controls are standard sticks, with throttle control activated thru synchronized Bowden cables. An optional left or right side throttle is available for the pilot/instructor seat. Torque tubes control the flaps and ailerons, while steel cables control the rudder and elevator. Rudder controls also steer the nose wheel thru push-pull rods. Pitch trim is activated through electrically controlled trim tabs on the grip. Brakes are toe operated. Dual brakes are available as an option. |
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7. The panel has plenty of space for a full complement of instruments and avionics. The Aerostar R40S can be equipped with optional night lighting and gyros allowing the aircraft to be used for Private Pilot instruction in addition to Sport Pilot training. |
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8. The landing gear is tricycle-type, with 5.00-5 tires and Matco hydraulic disc brakes standard on the main gear. The steerable nose wheel employs rubber shock absorbers enabling the plane to efficiently absorb the runway shocks, making grass strips a Festival specialty. The main gear struts are spring aluminum (similar to the spring steel struts of early Cessna 172s) designed to take the side loads and hard landings students can deliver. |
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9. The engine is the popular Rotax 912 ULS, 100HP engine, using a three-blade, composite, ground adjustable propeller. With a 1.500 hour TBO and the use of automobile grade fuel, the Rotax 4-stroke engines keep the maintenance and operation costs at an affordable level. |
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10. The festival is conventional in every way and maintenance personnel will be comfortable with the aircraft's construction and systems. "AN and MS" standard hardware is used throughout the airframe. All items subject to wear and tear such as tires, tubes, brakes and brake pads, wheel bearings, fuel filters, oil filters, and spark plugs are standard items sourced from U.S. suppliers. All instruments and avionics are also U.S. sourced. Custom paint schemes and avionics packages are available as options. |