Sling Pilots Forum

Hello,

Rod here and currently living in Ocala, FL. Previously lived around the St. Louis area for 30+ years as a McDonnell Douglas/Boeing engineer. Started flying in 1977, but as life/work came into play, paused for a couple decades. Getting back into flying after that period, I built a Rans S-7S and then a Glasair Sportsman; both are in other pilots' hands now.

If the Sling HW was out when we were looking at the Sportsman, we would probably have been Sling HW owners instead. Ease of entry now and in the future was a criterion that moved us toward the Sportsman at that time. I was an enthusiastic Rotax owner with the 912 in the Rans and it never faltered. In disclosure, it did have the carb float issue, more than once, but that was more of the Bing carburetor design than the core Rotax. The Rotax 916 introduction in 2023 got me to start pondering things.

I saw a Sling HW fuselage in September 2023 at Midwest Sky Sports seminar and was impressed. Even though the Sportsman was serving us nicely, I talked my wife and myself into doing one last build; the deposit on a HW was just a couple days later. We didn't think our HW would be in queue until late '25 at best, but our Sling HW should be shipping from SA in this June/July. We'll be using Midwest Sky Sports build assist in MI and Midwest Panel Builders for the avionics.

I appreciate all the information I've found on this forum,
Rod Davis

Welcome! This should be an easy build: you've built two experimental aircraft before, and you're using a build-assist program.

I'm building a Sling HW at The Airplane Factory in Torrance. I started construction in November 2024 and first flight is probably late next month so I'm definitely in the final stages. The plans are excellent and easy to follow. Expect some usual "fit and finish" issues with the factory parts; I experienced some small variations in part shapes, particularly with the fiberglass ones, that I had to sand out.

Your kit will benefit from many of the "lessons learned" on Linda Sollars' airplane: for example, she had issues with the fiberglass door-frame flexing in flight, so Sling reinforced the door with more material. My kit is an earlier model so I spent two weeks in fiberglass hell; your kit has this built-in for free.

Welcome Rod! I am taking delivery of a Sling HWTD sometime this summer, a garage build for me. Currently entertained watching the boat cruising at 18kts from Durban.