Sling 4 Around the World

[GrahamW]

It is so exiting following this thread. Lekker to know that there are good stories coming out of SA. Well done!!!!!!!!

Now to follow their progress around the world.

Just a thought, but it would be nice if a Sling were the prize in next years Raffle.

[ColdFingers]

Well done from all of us at MGL - completely, utterly unheard of performance of everybody involved. Guinness book of records stuff for sure.

Great looking aircraft. You could put this next to your bed (or your bed in the hangar).

Right - now don't worry about Osh. Not worth the rush. Osh is there next year as well. Get it nicely painted and dolled up and be there next year at the right time for an even greater impact. I want you guys to be around next year too.

Rainier

My sentiments exactly! Keep it safe.

[jimdavis]

Well said Rainier

Right off topic: Orthin, are you in Western Australia. Saw the flying machine in your avatar at an airshow at Cunderdin, I think, a few years ago.

Jim

[John Waterson]

Congratulations to the Sling 4 Team. Well done, you have produced a beauty.
Mike and James take cair and all the best for a safe and timely arrival at Oshkosh
John Waterson and the Savannah Africa Team

[Orthin Opter]

Well said Rainier

Right off topic: Orthin, are you in Western Australia. Saw the flying machine in your avatar at an airshow at Cunderdin, I think, a few years ago.

Jim

Back of the moon mate; it sez so on the avatar...

[GL]

The Sling 4 is ready to fly but CAA are sticking to their 40 hour proving requirement so James and Mike have wisely decided to abandon plans to get to Oshkosh.
Their disappointment must be huge.
Nonetheless they will still do the around the world trip, but starting in a week or two's time and to their own time and agenda. -
A wise decision!

[PJL]

The Sling 4 is ready to fly but CAA are sticking to their 40 hour proving requirement so James and Mike have wisely decided to abandon plans to get to Oshkosh.
Their disappointment must be huge.
Nonetheless they will still do the around the world trip, but starting in a week or two's time and to their own time and agenda. -
A wise decision!

I agree totally it is far better to first get all the ducks in a row.

PJL

[Chalkie]

Hey guys,

The correct decision. You might have a proven engine, but you have a brand new airframe.

Do all the required testing and then set off on a world adventure, rather than a test flight of 24 hour or so.

Remember: rule number two...

[scavanger]

Hey guys,

The correct decision. You might have a proven engine, but you have a brand new airframe.

Do all the required testing and then set off on a world adventure, rather than a test flight of 24 hour or so.

Remember: rule number two...

Agree 100% (by CAA & TAF Team).

I'm a big fan of the Sling and would've loved to see them make it to Osh, but safety must be the No.1 priority.

[Viv]

Oh well! So be it... I am nonetheless very excited to follow the journey you guys are about to embark on. Super-excited!

[Jayson v Schalkwyk]

To all at TAF

To get to Oshkosh would have been a bonus, but flying Sling 4 around the world is the end goal! Take this hiccup in your stride and get cracking - we all still keen to read your reports!!

Best of luck - still!!!
Jayson

[Wingnutter]

My opinion: It will be much better taking the refined, thoroughly tested aircraft with the bugs ironed out to Oshkosh next year, at the beginning of the show when it will get maximum exposure. It looks awesome and I'm sure it's going to be a winner!! The guys at TAF should start consulting to Boeing - what they achieved in the time they had available is unbelievable.

[savas]

best and unanimous decision, and by the way, the USA is filled with many big air shows for exposure.
so has it flown yet

[jpitman]

11h00, Saturday 23 July 2011 – The Sling 4 flies amidst a small change of plan

What an emotional roller-coaster! We’ve spent much of the past week keeping open the gap which would have allowed us to get to Oshkosh before the end of the show. Yesterday put the lid on that – with the CAA sticking to its guns on the 40 proving hours they require before issuing an authority to fly. That, together with the delay of the first flight from yesterday to this morning, we can’t complete the hours before tomorrow evening, Sunday 24 July, our latest practical leaving date to make Oshkosh before the show ends. Thank you Chalkie for putting it so pithily – “Take-off is optional and hurry, but slowly.”

Jean, who flew the first flight, says she flies absolutely beautifully. She certainly looked like a silver angel against the slightly hazy sky. The jury will probably be out for some days on how she flies relative to the standard Sling and of course also on exactly how well she performs. We’ll let you know our thoughts as we go and no doubt there’ll be no shortage of third party views. Since we now have no time constraint, however, we’re going to take a week to eradicate every last snag, re-apply for permissions (we’ll probably change the route back to an easterly one!) and leave for our circumnavigation holiday well rested and with the factory ready to go without us.

So date of departure is now Sunday 31 July, or as soon thereafter as we feel we’re 100% ready. Mike and Jean will still fly the first half of the trip to the US, and James and Jean the second. Most likely we’ll give Chicago a miss, but we’ll fly to LA instead – the location of our planned distribution centre in the US. Every which way we’ll be providing updates as we go – now probably more regularly than before since we’ve more time to do it.

Thank you everyone for your support. We’ve had a constant stream of visitors through the factory for the past few weeks, and the messages we’ve received since our change of plan have all been positive. Everyone seems to understand that goals need to be changed from time to time when circumstances require it. Boeing are 7 years late on some of their projects – it seems like The Airplane Factory may come out 7 days late on this one!

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[Chalkie]

James,

Great to hear from you guys, enjoy racking up the 40 hours, then have fun circumnavigating the world. She sure looks good.

As someone else said, there are many airshows in the USA, and now that the rush is over, you could visit a few. But what category will you market; if LSA is by definition 2 seat?