US AOPA - why pilots drop out
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good grief... and they do get away with this, that's what's annoying.
But performance falls short, interestingly. At least the last time I flew a TB20, it was faster and had a better range.
But performance falls short, interestingly. At least the last time I flew a TB20, it was faster and had a better range.
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I have no idea whether rippng off an aircraft design, but with small changes, breaks any law.
If it did, the "737" business would be awash with litigation, because they are all basically the same (with small changes).
But I think it is no coincidence that they are not selling it over here. They will easily sell it to the developing world which on the whole does not care for IP, and domestically in China.
I also think it is no coincidence that Socata dropped the TB manufacture c. 2003 and never restarted it, and every 3rd party attempt to take over the mfg has also gone nowhere. The developing world is a major market for upmarket piston GA; not the USA where you have to fight Cirrus etc propped up by a raft of NIH prejudices.
I would be suspicious of a Chinese plane on QA grounds. It could be very good but only if they got really good engineers on the job.
The pricing is also too high - perhaps because they are buying in the engines etc. That is very hard to avoid - unless you also rip off a Lyco IO540-C4 down to the last nut and bolt (and then you would have real IP issues).
If this plane is a proper ripoff of the external dimensions, it has to have the same performance for the same HP, for same engine operating regime. I sometimes fly in a 1985 TB20 which flies exactly the same as my 2002 one (within 1kt at the same fuel flow).
Some Korean firm has ripped off the Cirrus also, though not quite so closely.
If it did, the "737" business would be awash with litigation, because they are all basically the same (with small changes).
But I think it is no coincidence that they are not selling it over here. They will easily sell it to the developing world which on the whole does not care for IP, and domestically in China.
I also think it is no coincidence that Socata dropped the TB manufacture c. 2003 and never restarted it, and every 3rd party attempt to take over the mfg has also gone nowhere. The developing world is a major market for upmarket piston GA; not the USA where you have to fight Cirrus etc propped up by a raft of NIH prejudices.
I would be suspicious of a Chinese plane on QA grounds. It could be very good but only if they got really good engineers on the job.
The pricing is also too high - perhaps because they are buying in the engines etc. That is very hard to avoid - unless you also rip off a Lyco IO540-C4 down to the last nut and bolt (and then you would have real IP issues).
If this plane is a proper ripoff of the external dimensions, it has to have the same performance for the same HP, for same engine operating regime. I sometimes fly in a 1985 TB20 which flies exactly the same as my 2002 one (within 1kt at the same fuel flow).
Some Korean firm has ripped off the Cirrus also, though not quite so closely.
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But "we" still fly the same 1960s crappy planes. A lot of people today won't climb into a knackered old 1970s Cessna/Piper
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