JSchraub

Hey guys

Today I got a taste of the Columbia 300. My instructor has a student who owns one and the student took us up for some approaches today.. I didn't fly the thing but this bird is amazing. I was wondering if anyone had flown one and the cirrus? What are the main differences besides the avidyne and the g1000? Anyways it was a pretty bad ass flight even though I didn't get to log anything. What do you guys/gals think of it? There was a turbocharged one here the other day, that thing is sweeeeeeeeeeeet..

Pilotpip

The Cirrus has much better slow speed handling, stall habits and creature comforts. Columbias are made for 1 thing: Going fast.

They are both, however very nice aircraft.

JSchraub

Yeah that thing does haul ass... I've never seen a Cirrus cockpit. I was told that it doesn't have a prop control? Somehow it does changes pitch automatically. I was also told that the engine control page on the Columbia is taken from the Avidyne setup.

KiloAlpha

My former employer had a 350.

The main advantage Cirrus has is price; nearly $100,000 less the last time I checked.

Lancair's:
are built with more carbon fiber than Cirrus'
have speed brakes
have a more refined interior
- i.e. control stick is carved wood compared to plastic in the Cirrus
have a protective lining in the fuel tank

The Lancair is also very tame at slow speeds. It will fly at the stall horn with great control and predictability. Lancairs are nearly impossible to spin because of a rudder limiter (dont know if Cirrus has one or not, probably does)

Pilotpip

The prop control isn't automatic. The throttle linkage has a machined slot and the prop control cable goes in that slot. It adjust the prop to what they found to be the most common settings for a given manifold pressure. Once above a certain value (don't remember) it stays full forward.

Low speed handling in the 400 that I flew was decent, but the Cirrus has it beat. Aileron authority is much, much better. The flying charateristics of the Cirrus attract lower time pilots (and the accident rates would agree). The columbias are simply more airplane. They're faster, have more range, in some cases turbocharged and I think are better left to the hands of a more experienced pilot. Another little thing that I find nice about the Lancair is the choice of Avidyne or G-1000.

As for the engine control page, I don't know. It's a handy feature on both the Avidyne and G-1000.

KiloAlpha

Lancair now offers both the G1000 and Avidyne

JSchraub

The columbia does seem to be for experienced pilots the guys flying it when I went up fell behind the airplane quite a bit. Both of the guys are coming from a 172 and a 182 to this plane.