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Wow - that really is quite impressive. And I think it is "plenty technical" for Hacker News. After all - hacking isn't just about computers per se. This is some

Wow - that really is quite impressive. And I think it is "plenty technical" for Hacker News. After all - hacking isn't just about computers per se. This is some pretty solid hardware hacking. Your "story" is so amazing - half the price of Cessna's attempt at the same thing?! However, Cessna's variant does have a second seat and a fair bit more load capacity. Q1) Could one sacrifice some pounds of baggage for a bigger pilot? I'm currently (sadly) ~240lbs. Q2) Is there a single factor which dominates the huge difference in price? It appears the Cessnas were produced in the US, until they moved production to China - making (apparently) a ~$71k difference in labor cost! But they still are selling for $150k instead of the original target $110k. So is it labor? Materials? Design? Engine? I'm very (hacker) curious! Q3) You mention the market being uninterested in "bare-bones" planes without radios, lights, navigation, iPod jacks etc. But while the "top tier" of those items are certain to be expensive, the "non-aviation grade" version of most of the sensors, GPS, radios etc have plummeted in cost in the years since the LSA category was created. An in-car GPS unit used to be $500+ minimum - now it is < $100 - with a bigger, brighter, higher resolution display, more CPU and map storage memory and fancy 3D navigation stuff to boot! Altimeter sensors are now basically "freebies" integrated into all sorts of consumer electronics. I find it disappointing (though unsurprising) that the aviation market hasn't pushed harder such that these systems are not such a major cost driver. Do you have any insight into why this is? Or have they really dropped in price, and a system which would have formerly added say, $50,000 to an aircraft now adds "merely $10,000?"

carleverett 13y ago
1) Unfortunately not. In airplanes, just as important as how much weight is in the aircraft is where that weight is. 230 lbs is the maximum pilot weight regardless of how much weight is in other parts of the plane. 2) By far, the single biggest factor in the price difference between us and a Cessna is the engine. Twice the horsepower is needed to fly the Skycatcher, but that translates to an engine cost of 3-4 times our engine. Historically speaking, engines have always been the price hog that keeps airplanes so expensive. 3) You are right on! This is a big reason why we are able to offer such good instrumentation while keeping our price down - the technology is so much better and cheaper than it was 10 years ago. These days entire airplanes are being run off of iPads with a couple hundred bucks of apps downloaded to them. I will say, the entire concept of "aviation grade" seems to be abused a lot in the aviation industry. I think airplane component manufacturers have gotten away with charging outrageous premiums for their products because of their perceived complexity. LSA has helped out a lot in lifting this veil. I think the aviation industry kind of sees us as a great case study in the direction of the market. If we succeed, the competition for more affordable airplanes will finally start heating up, and we'll start getting a slew of really impressive low cost airplanes. I genuinely can't wait. Flying is the coolest thing humans do besides explore space, and 100+ years since the invention of the airplane, you'd think a lot more people would be flying by now.

carleverett 13y ago

1) Unfortunately not. In airplanes, just as important as how much weight is in the aircraft is where that weight is. 230 lbs is the maximum pilot weight regardless of how much weight is in other parts of the plane. 2) By far, the single biggest factor in the price difference between us and a Cessna is the engine. Twice the horsepower is needed to fly the Skycatcher, but that translates to an engine cost of 3-4 times our engine. Historically speaking, engines have always been the price hog that keeps airplanes so expensive. 3) You are right on! This is a big reason why we are able to offer such good instrumentation while keeping our price down - the technology is so much better and cheaper than it was 10 years ago. These days entire airplanes are being run off of iPads with a couple hundred bucks of apps downloaded to them. I will say, the entire concept of "aviation grade" seems to be abused a lot in the aviation industry. I think airplane component manufacturers have gotten away with charging outrageous premiums for their products because of their perceived complexity. LSA has helped out a lot in lifting this veil. I think the aviation industry kind of sees us as a great case study in the direction of the market. If we succeed, the competition for more affordable airplanes will finally start heating up, and we'll start getting a slew of really impressive low cost airplanes. I genuinely can't wait. Flying is the coolest thing humans do besides explore space, and 100+ years since the invention of the airplane, you'd think a lot more people would be flying by now.