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Bill
Campbell - Skylark
Meet The
Skylark...
The man who
designed Skylark, David Marsden, had three objectives in
mind when he sat down with a clean sheet of paper and
began creating lines and contours for a new airplane:
First, he wanted an aircraft that would provide superb
performance and handling, pilot-friendly manners in
cruise and final approach; Second, he wanted a sense of
style that would get away from the 'adapted' look--you
know, the look that says this concept started out as an
ultralight and was upgraded, and third he wanted comfort
for the pilot and passenger, enabling both to spend six
to eight hours in the sky and feel refreshed when
they're done flying for the day.
Performance and Handling
The Skylark has
the stability of a four-place airplane in cruise. It
easily achieves its efficient cruise speed of 135 mph
and has Vne of 179 mph. It has a landing gear that was
designed for the abuses with hydraulic toe brakes and
steerable nose wheel to assure good directional control
on the ground.
Skylarks are
powered by the Rotax 912 which start quickly, run
quietly and can be depended on to deliver plenty of
power when needed. The Rotax has been put through FAA
aircraft certification standards and testing. The models
provided for the Skylark come with the assurance of
reliability in the most adverse conditions. Start it up,
warm it up and run it up--you're soon ready to taxi onto
the active runway. Skylark is a joy to drive around the
ramp and out onto the runway. The superb visibility
under the sliding canopy takes the guesswork out of
where you're going and where the other traffic is.
You've got about 300 degrees of unimpeded sightlines.
Advance the
throttle and feel the surge of Rotax power as it
unleashes the Skylark and accelerates rapidly down the
runway. climbing skyward at 1000fpm. When you reach
cruise altitude you throttle back, adjust the trim and
settle in for some exciting perspectives on the
countryside below. With topped tanks (24 gallons),
you've got 525 miles of range at normal cruise, 100
miles more with economy cruise. When 'told' to turn, it
can, depending on the input, roll into a bank almost
imperceptibly, or nearly jerk your head off if you're
aggressive. In most cases, the dual sticks require
little more than a desire to move in any direction.
Response from the ailerons, rudder and T-tail are
instantaneous, smooth and graceful.
Private pilots can
opt to add lighting for night flying and upgrade their
panels for IFR flight.
Arriving at your
destination, for one of those $20 hamburgers, you enter
the pattern throttle back and trim for glide. Landings
in a Skylark are easy. Control at slow speed is just as
effective as at cruise. With a little extra stick
movement in the pattern, your Skylark changes heading in
the most natural way possible. There's no anxiety or
wondering if you're going to "assault the runway" this
time. With the final flare, the Skylark almost caresses
the runway and rolls out in 530 feet. Shut it down after
an hour or three and what you are left with in the
silence that follows is a sense of satisfaction: YES!
This is what flying was meant to be.
Style
Taxi over to the
fuel pumps with your sliding canopy open and feel the
welcome of fresh air during taxi.
On arrival you'll
soon see people headed in your direction. They're going
to want to know what it is, where you came from, how it
flies, what it costs, and where did you get it. Normal
questions. You get used to them.
The style of the
Skylark draws the attention of the curious and
appreciative. The elevated tail, the winglets, the fluid
lines of the cowl and turtle deck all inspire
admiration. This is an airplane that looks as good as it
flies. There's a practical side to the shape of this
design as it maximizes aerodynamic flow, limiting
frontal area and reducing drag wherever possible, like
over the flaps and ailerons. Those winglets are more
than sighting devices; they keep the air passing over
the ailerons at slow speeds assuring positive control to
the final flare.
Comfort
Skylark was
created with a roomy cockpit that will accommodate the
big and tall. It is wide, there is plenty of leg room
and you don't have to rub shoulders while cruising the
countryside. The seats are designed for long flights,
with plenty of padding, comfortable positioning and room
for movement. You not only fly in comfort, but you
arrive energized and ready to take up another activity
with a fresh perspective.
The roominess of
the cockpit is carried over into the baggage
compartment, which has plenty of space and weight
capacity. With full fuel, you still have room for 525
pounds of people and luggage. Whether you're headed off
on a camping trip, business trip or family visit,
Skylark can get you there quickly, in comfort and with
plenty of gear.
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