After a “COVID pause” that slowed down operations at Glasair Aviation, the company is once again selling kits. While the Two Weeks to Taxi program is still on hold, the Sportsman kits have been updated to reduce the builder’s assembly time.
Coby Young, Glasair’s Final Assembly Manager, says a lot of small changes have been made to the kits when it comes to cleaning up instructions, updating the bill of materials, prefabricating assemblies with many more small improvements that will make the build experience more enjoyable.
Some of the updated key features are a black interior and black cage, corrosion-proofed wings and flight surfaces, and a Quick-Build option to mirror the Two Week to Taxi program and instructions.
The Sportsman kit now includes many parts and assemblies that were previously sold separately as sub-kits.
“Quick-Build and Standard kits will contain the same components. For the Wing kit and Fuselage kits we have included all of the smaller installation kit BOM’s into the price rather than purchasing separately so overall the kit value is more significant” said Andrew Forrest, the company’s Supply Chain Manager. “The BOMs will follow our TWTT kit program, and these will follow our more up to date work instructions that we have been constantly updating.” The builders manual will still be provided as an overview and contain many useful tips and techniques along with instructions for jigs and assembly fixtures.
To simplify purchasing and build structure, all new Sportsman kits are available only with the “high gross weight” (HGW) wing and “hefty” cage. The standard “low gross weight” (LGW) wing is still supported for builders that previously purchased kits with this option. The airframe max gross weight will still be limited by fuselage selection of Fiber Glass versus Carbon.
The cost of a “standard kit” with fiberglass Quick-build fuselage, standard wing, tail, IO-360 FWF kit, and landing gear amounts to $104,000. Engines and avionics packages are available through Glasair Aviation and the builder can chose either an IO-360 or IO-390 engine and select from seven propeller choices, eight different avionics packages, or upgrade to a larger landing gear option.
Kit options and pricing are available in the Order Form from Glasair Aviation and accessories and parts through the Product Catalog. For sales and delivery times, call 360-435-8533 or email info@glasairaviation.com.
Quick Build versus Standard Kit
Quick-Build (QB) kit
- Flaps are built. The ailerons, elevator, rudder and horizontal are mostly assembled. The wings have the lower skins riveted and the upper skins are match-drilled.
- All flight surface components are corrosion proofed to a standard found on type-certified aircraft.
- All assemblies and sub-assemblies contain matched pilot holes, greatly reducing build time
- Fuselage and sub-assemblies are built to the same starting point as you would see in Two Weeks to Taxi.
Standard kit
- Some parts are corrosion proofed by the vendor but a large portion is left for the builder.
- All sub-assemblies are in part form.
- No flight surfaces are complete.
Kit Contents
Standard Tail/QB Tail
- Rudder, Elevator & Horizontal
- Rudder cap, horizontal & elevator fairings (fiberglass)
Standard Wing (HGW)/QB Wing (HGW)
- L & R wings, flaps & ailerons
- Wing tips, AERO LED NAV strobes & landing lights, hardware & electrical connections included
- Vortex generators
- Wing fold kit
- Aileron servo kit
- Main & aux tanks, fuel sending units, transfer pumps, fuel line & connections
- All cables assemblies for flaps & ailerons
QB Fuselage (Carbon/Fiberglass)
The QB Fuselage Kit will come with everything needed to build your plane except the Firewall Fwd components (see FWF Kits below, determined based on the powerplant selection), avionics instruments (panel included with fuselage kit), and specific landing gear option (main gear legs are included in fuselage kit, Trike or Tail Wheel Option kit selected below). The kit includes the following:
- Hefty cage powder coated
- Fuselage halves bonded & aligned, with all bulkheads installed. Interior painted 2020 refresh scheme
- Floorboards, seat pans, glareshield, and tail pull handle installed
- Fixtures BOM
- Control system rigging install kit
- Rudder pedal control install kit
- Yoke/stick weldment install kit
- Flap handle install kit
- Elevator/rudder pushrod & cable install kit
- Main and baggage door install kit
- Hatch cover install kit
- Instrument panel install kit
- Seat belt install kit
- Cowling install kit, includes lower cowling enhancer allowing greater exit area for engine cooling.
- Hi-back leather front seats are a standard part of the Sportsman kit. Rear seats are an option.
- Full interior install kit, cable covers, fwd tunnel covers, new 2020 refresh seats, front carpet, pilot & copilot door panels, bulkhead A cover, Glareshield cover.
- .150 windshield install kit
- Defrost manifold cover kit
- Transponder and VOR antenna install kit
- Reassembly kit (hardware)
- Dihedral/incidence install kit
- Main landing gear (only gear legs)
- Autopilot installation kit
- Flap and aileron pulley installation kit
- Center pulley installation kit
- Fuel system install kit (inside fuselage), header tanks & Andair valve install kit
- Window install kit
- Gear leg fairing install kit (unfinished)
- Pitot static install kit (pitot tube not included)
FWF Kit
- Engine mount install kit
- Shock bushing install kit
- Fuel injected booster pump install kit
- Oil cooler install, includes new oil cooler plenum
- New baffling and induction install kit
- Engine control install kit
- FWF hoses kit, prop, mixture & throttle cables included
- Firewall install kit
- Orcotek firewall blanket kit
- Cabin heat install kit
- Engine prep install kit
- Powerflow exhaust
- FWF wiring install kit, 60 AMP alternator included
