Skyraider, Flying K Sky Raider, Experimental Amaterubuilt Aircraft, Kit Built Aircraft.

by Dan Johnson

www.bydanjohnson.comn

Although the 26-hp Rotax 277-powered Sky Raider I flew 3 years ago did respectably well, the twin cylinder 40-hp Rotax 447 makes for smoother operations, especially at lower power settings. You can do all you want in the air while running the engine at 50 or 60% power. 

Less vibration is present and therefore the airframe is less subjected to this ongoing form of damage. The Rotax 447 float Raider is so sprightly that the only reason I can see for the 50-hp Rotax 503 is if you love that engine (or already own one perhaps). 

Maybe if you live in a high elevation or if you are particularly large, the bigger Rotax is needed but the 447 was certainly sufficient for me (average FAA weight) on a hot, humid day in Florida (roughly sea level). Nonetheless, many buyers pick the Rotax 503, so well-regarded is this engine. 

Should you make this decision, Flying K will insist you buy the larger elevator option for $150. The 277-powered Sky Raider I flew weighed only 237 pounds. You’d have to add a lot of stuff to exceed the 254-pound weight limit when built that lightly. 

This suggests keeping a float Raider with a Rotax 447 inside the 314-pound limit isn’t unreasonable. After Rappe got me secured inside the cockpit, I was ready to head out onto the open water of Lake Parker. It’s a big lake that I’ve flown several times. The day was mild and inviting and I couldn’t wait. 

Duty called first, though, and I was required to make several passes before Ultralight Flying!’s editor in chief Scott Wilcox’s camera. We’d arranged to do this where the lighting was good, but that meant I had to maneuver in a narrower portion of the lake before I could see how she would fly. This proved a good lesson as you’ll see.

On the Sky Raider a pull starter was located under the control panel, hanging off the firewall. This isn’t a handy spot should the engine die out on the water but it was accessible and I was able to do starts on the water while strapped into the seat. A more convenient handle operates the flaps. Closely placed just to your left as you sit looking forward, clear detents are also easy to find (though I must admit I found the lever a tad awkward to position). Flying K has addressed this with an optional push-button flap hand for $175. 

After a few landings, I got the detents down pat and don’t believe I’d order the option. The floats ($2,800) are new to Flying K and it showed in the lack of water rudder. Taxiing on floats is an interesting experience. If you face directly into the wind or up to about 45° cross, the aerodynamic rudder works well. Downwind you use a little prop blast to keep it going. I used 4,000 rpm for downwind taxi. Slightly more than that seemed to offer good authority. Water rudders can change this whole equation and make the ultralight more maneuverable in tighter conditions or when the wind is blowing uncooperatively. 

Float Raider’s aerodynamic rudder is still the same as the original but Flying K is adding one that is 11 inches taller to bring more control for float operations, probably offsetting the common floatplane need for a ventral fin. I doubt this will eliminate the need for the water rudders, though. The first takeoff was gentle, with one notch of flaps to help break water, and a steady, slow increase in power. I’d checked traffic through the overhead skylight and I was in the clear for several minutes at least. Because I went slowly, the Raider and I didn’t get off as quickly as subsequent trials but the effort was simple. Getting up on step was easily identified and the float Raider zipped up to liftoff speed quickly. 

Two flap positions are possible; one is 10°, the second is 35°. They work quite effectively on this genuine ultralight, and I observed that Sky Raider can fly approaches at 40 mph using flaps. The flaps were good aerodynamic surfaces, steepening the approach path correctly but also helping slightly, I believe, to help break the surface quicker. My only gripe about the flaps is that even when I slowed to 45 mph, the flap handle took considerable muscular effort to fully deploy. 

Visibility on approach is quite good in the little Sky Raider and with the overhead skylight, your upward vision is also excellent. Skylights seem one of the “bright” ideas in ultralights, especially when flown in other traffic like the crowded conditions at the Lake Parker Splash-In. Almost as soon as you leave the water, float Raider’s cooperative handling makes itself obvious. High points are deserved for the Sky Raider’s handling. Again, I recalled my flights in the earlier Sky Raider, two Kitfox models, and SkyStar Vixen. All offered very snappy aileron response, and generally light forces overall. So does the float Raider.

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