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Touring Motor Gliders Association (TMGA)

What is the status of the Lambada?


DTaylor

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  • 3 weeks later...

I saw this post for the very first time today. My working partner in Prague, Czech Republic brought it to my attention. My partner Nico told me to answer the question if we are planning to sell any SunDancers. The Lambada is very much alive. There are several used ones around the USA for sale, I know one person wants to sell his Lambada and purchase a SunDancer. The SunDancer is essentially a Lambada. The same airframe, wings and fuselage. The horizontal stabilizer has been modified to accompany some elevator counter balance, and she flies like a dream. The first two SunDancers delivered last year were aileron ships. The two that were recently delivered to the US are both flaperon ships. Meaning the whole trailing edge of the wing is an aileron or flaps. It slows way down in the thermal allowing easy centering. The flaperon increases the roll rate significantly over the aileron ships. The earlier Lambadas were all Flaperon equipped. However the flaps and aileron worked with only one mechanism. If you apply spoiler you have to take flap with it. In the European environment that may have been okay, but where we soar and play there are many times when you want only spoilers and no flap, or just flap and no spoilers. With the SunDancer that has been resolved. The spoilers and flaps are separated and it makes this a dream machine.

Because of the history of the Lambada, and the SunDancer is so very similar in shape and looks, etc, the SunDancer has under gone numerous flutter testings. The SunDancer is now probably the most flutter tested LSA in existence now. The Vne is set for 119 knots, but the safe speed is much higher, The 119 knots Vne is limited by the ASTM requirements and the requirements of the FAA as a sport aircraft rule. The Lambada has morphed into a SunDancer for the USA.

Two SunDancers will be at Cottonwood, AZ on Friday for the TMGA flying-in. One will be ready for demo flight or for flight lessons around the area. Some folks will be interested in obtaining their self launch endorsement. And of course AIRUSA can arrange to have a SunDancer manufactured for you. There are two on order possibility three that should be delivered in late December.

If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to call Joe Kulbeth AIRUSA 559-960-7873

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  • 8 months later...
Guest airusa

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE LAMBADA

A Service Bulletin will soon be released by the manufacture in regards to the reinstatement of the original Vne for the Lambadas here in the USA.  I just read it and edited it for the manufacture.  I am hoping that the manufacture agrees with the edited addition and publish it very soon.

 

Joe Kulbeth AIRUSA  559-960-7843

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  • 7 months later...

Joe, any update on the airspeed restriction / service bulletin previously placed on Urban Air built Lambada's?. 

Tim (N242TT.....new N number for S/N 111/13 previously N16UA.......I got tired of repeating UA multiple times to ATC at every freq change)

 

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  • 2 years later...

Does anyone know the official & current status of the Vne restrictions on the Lambada? It doesn't seem like the updated service bulletin mentioned in this thread ever came out.

I am interested to buy a Lambada, but it is very hard to get a clear and confident answer to the Vne status on a given ship. If the mods to the hinges are done, does that lift the Vne back to the log book?

There is some talk that the problem only existed in aircraft that had some elevator components made by a subcontract, but how do you know if a given ship falls in this category? And where is the documentation for a given serial number for certification?

Any details would be greatly appreciated.

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  • 1 month later...

Its my understanding that there is some variety of modification to the tail that needs to be done and runs about $12K. I believe the flapperon don't have the Vne restrictions but most (all?) of the spoiler only ones do.

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  • 3 months later...
On 1/27/2017 at 7:41 AM, tim wilson said:

Joe, any update on the airspeed restriction / service bulletin previously placed on Urban Air built Lambada's?. 

Tim (N242TT.....new N number for S/N 111/13 previously N16UA.......I got tired of repeating UA multiple times to ATC at every freq change)

 

 

Tim,  I'm looking at a Lambada for sale, but he's in AZ.  Any chance we could come to you in MD for a look?  We live in Haymarket VA.  Are you based at St Mary's?

Thanks

TR

703-946-9423

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