N941WR
Legacy Member
This evening a friend picked me up in his Cozy Mark IV and gave me a ride to the other side of Charlotte?s Class Bravo airspace so I could pick up my RV-9 and reposition it for two days of Young Eagle flying planned for this weekend.
Alex and Ken landed and taxied in with the 180 HP Cozy. Let me say, that I just like the looks of all the canards, probably because they don?t look like every other plane out there.
Alex had the plane kneel down and slide a rod out of the left side so they could exit. Ken climbed in the back. I took the right seat, and Alex the left.
My first impression was that I really need to lose about 30 pounds! My second impression is that I now understand how this aircraft got its name. Alex, Ken, and their wives are all very thin, so they don?t suffer from the big butt syndrome I do.
The leg room for my 6? frame was very tight and you have to slide your legs into a hole with no view of the rudder pedals or brakes. My right hand fell right into position on the side mount stick, which felt very natural. The seating position took me a long time to get used to because you are laid back, not upright in all the RV?s.
Ken then hit the gear extension switch and we were raised to taxi and takeoff position. That was a very strange feeling!
Engine start was also a bit odd because it is way behind you, along with the noise and vibration. The cool part is you can taxi with the enormous canopy tilted off to the right.
Once the canopy was closed and runup complete, we departed. Directional control at low speeds is via differential braking and it always bothers me to feel the plane slow down as one brake is applied on the takeoff roll.
The takeoff roll was typical canard but then again, there were three of us on board and 3/4?s fuel.
I have flown two different Velocities in the past and was NOT impressed by their handling. Both Velocities I flew (one 200 HP and one 310 hp versions) were pitch sensitive and dead in roll and yaw. Thus, I was expecting similar feel when Alex turned the plane over to me.
Boy, was I surprised. His Cozy flew very nice. Response in all three axis?s was well balanced and it was obvious this craft was designed for long distance cruising. Alex has his craft set for IFR travel and I?m sure it suits that purpose very well.
Landings are a bit fast but that is in keeping with the breed.
After we picked up my -9, I was able to keep up with the canard without a problem and we flew formation together. It was pretty obvious to me that my long wing, over powered RV-9 can easily out climb his plane. Someday, when we have more time, we will do a drag race and see who has the faster plane. The results of that should be interesting.
I liken the Cozy Mark IV to a four passenger RV-9, if there were such a thing. It has plenty of room for two people and lots of baggage or four people who are going on a lunch run.
The RV-10 should only be compared to the Velocity and on that score, the Velocity gets more cool points but I think the RV-10 is a better plane.
Would I build a Cozy? No, but mostly because I like going into grass strips and canards and grass strips don?t go together, unless you are landing at SC00.
This flight reinforces the need for Van?s to develop an RV-9 2+2, at least for me it does. Ken, are you reading this?
Alex and Ken landed and taxied in with the 180 HP Cozy. Let me say, that I just like the looks of all the canards, probably because they don?t look like every other plane out there.
Alex had the plane kneel down and slide a rod out of the left side so they could exit. Ken climbed in the back. I took the right seat, and Alex the left.
My first impression was that I really need to lose about 30 pounds! My second impression is that I now understand how this aircraft got its name. Alex, Ken, and their wives are all very thin, so they don?t suffer from the big butt syndrome I do.
The leg room for my 6? frame was very tight and you have to slide your legs into a hole with no view of the rudder pedals or brakes. My right hand fell right into position on the side mount stick, which felt very natural. The seating position took me a long time to get used to because you are laid back, not upright in all the RV?s.
Ken then hit the gear extension switch and we were raised to taxi and takeoff position. That was a very strange feeling!
Engine start was also a bit odd because it is way behind you, along with the noise and vibration. The cool part is you can taxi with the enormous canopy tilted off to the right.
Once the canopy was closed and runup complete, we departed. Directional control at low speeds is via differential braking and it always bothers me to feel the plane slow down as one brake is applied on the takeoff roll.
The takeoff roll was typical canard but then again, there were three of us on board and 3/4?s fuel.
I have flown two different Velocities in the past and was NOT impressed by their handling. Both Velocities I flew (one 200 HP and one 310 hp versions) were pitch sensitive and dead in roll and yaw. Thus, I was expecting similar feel when Alex turned the plane over to me.
Boy, was I surprised. His Cozy flew very nice. Response in all three axis?s was well balanced and it was obvious this craft was designed for long distance cruising. Alex has his craft set for IFR travel and I?m sure it suits that purpose very well.
Landings are a bit fast but that is in keeping with the breed.
After we picked up my -9, I was able to keep up with the canard without a problem and we flew formation together. It was pretty obvious to me that my long wing, over powered RV-9 can easily out climb his plane. Someday, when we have more time, we will do a drag race and see who has the faster plane. The results of that should be interesting.
I liken the Cozy Mark IV to a four passenger RV-9, if there were such a thing. It has plenty of room for two people and lots of baggage or four people who are going on a lunch run.
The RV-10 should only be compared to the Velocity and on that score, the Velocity gets more cool points but I think the RV-10 is a better plane.
Would I build a Cozy? No, but mostly because I like going into grass strips and canards and grass strips don?t go together, unless you are landing at SC00.
This flight reinforces the need for Van?s to develop an RV-9 2+2, at least for me it does. Ken, are you reading this?
