Unique featues of Cessna 150 and Beechcraft Skipper? Any differences?

Question

Unique featues of Cessna 150 and Beechcraft Skipper? Any differences?

Answer 1

Beech BE-77 Skipper:

Better Visibility

More Room

More comfortable

More Modern (relatively speaking)

More "big" airplane features (rudder trim, switches, general layout, etc)

It will spin but requires a bit of unconventional control input. In the Spin it recovers nicely.

IT IS SLOW.



Cessna 150/152

Cheaper

More common

docile

almost bulletproof for student errors.

150/Continental 0-200 engine more prone to icing

Better known to instructors

Doesn't really like to spin and often will recover on it's own after only a turn or two unless you really force it to stay there.



Piper PA-38 Tomahawk

Roomy almost as much as the Skipper.

Fastest of the group

aircraft feel "heavier" mor solid on the controls.

However: The T-Hawk is known for being unpredictable in the stall and will spin easily. When it spins it WILL NOT self recover as the Cessna 150/152 will.

Lots of bad press out there on the Tomahawk, most from people who have never flown one.



Point: If you are going to get into a Skipper, make sure your instructor/check pilot is familiar with the type. Almost every month I fly someone who learned "Put to edge of the cowling on the tree line/horizon,etc" In the Skipper (and to a lesser extent the Tomahawk) this will get you into trouble as the edge of the cowling is below the bottom edge of the windshield. Most pilots new to the Skipper tend to over rotate on takeoff and enter an excessively steep climb angle until they learn the airplane.

Answer 2

Micah sums it up well.



Beech made a poor job of marketing the skipper and today there pretty rare. If your planning on learning to fly then as visibility from the cockpit is vital the the Piper PA38 Tomahawk is better than either, the skipper is next best best and the C150 trails in third. This just shows that it's salesmanship over engineering.



Ian M

Answer 3

Having flown both aircraft I might be able to help out here.



I'm not entirely sure what you are asking about the 150's ailerons. There is nothing unique about them. You may have seen a upturned trim tab placed on the left aileron but aside from that nothing noteworthy.



On the subject of how lateral stability is achieved, again, the principles are no different between the two aircraft. I do seem to recall a rudder trim on the Skipper I flew and you won't find a rudder trim on a 150. (at least none that I've seen).



Rudder control systems for small aircraft are pretty much the same as well. Either cables or torque rods move the rudder left or right depending on which pedal is depressed.



If you're trying to decide between the two aircraft I can tell you that the skipper offers much better visibility and will be more stable on approach. The price will also be a good bit higher than a 150.



Hope this helps



Micah