astra slats/flaps

[meko500]

Hi, just looking for some imput on this system, good, bad, reliable, unreliable, operating techniques. thanx!!

 

[Easyrider]

I would like to know also.
The boss has got the wheels spinning in his head.

 

[Lead Sled]

I've got over 3,200 hours in all three varients of the Astra (Classic, SP, & SPX/G100) and another 600 hours or so in the Galaxy which has a similiar system. Yes, over the years, I've had a few problems with the system, but I'm a big fan of the airplane - I don't believe that there is any mid-sized airplane out there that will give you as much "bang for the buck". It's true that the Astra's slat/flap system can be a pain in the keister, but given proper (and timely) maintenance they are also very reliable. The problem is that the system is complex and has some very tight tolerances. The secret is to jump right on them just as soon as they start acting up - a knowledgeable tech rep with a test box will go along way to keeping them operating properly. Given proper maintenance they're reliable and trouble free. They are not the airplane's Achilles Heel. If the Astra has a problem, it's not the slat/flaps - it's the size of the cabin. It has 5+ hours range and a 3 to 4 hour cabin. Even though, it's still pretty comfortable even with all of the seats filled and it's pretty easy to give your passengers a good ride, it handles turbulence well, and it's pretty easy to get consistantly nice landings.

The wing is one of the best ones out there. Its stall characteristics are about as gentile as a Piper Cherokee. It can carry nearly 3 tons more weight, 20 to 30 knots faster, and nearly 800 NM further than a Lear 35 with just 400 more pounds of thrust. (That's for a Classic or SP - an SPX or G100 will do even better, but they have bigger engines.) Some folks bad mouth the fact that it has boots. (So did I in the begining.) The fact is that the airplane handles ice very well and it is very slow to accumulate ice. I've operated the airplane world-wide in all types of weather and I can count on one hand the number of times that I've ever had to pop the boots in self-defense. The nice thing about boots is that they are "de-icers" not "anti-icers" and don't cost you any aircraft performance when you use them - as opposed to the heated leading edges on some of the other aircraft out there. If you have any other questions don't hesitate in e-mailing me directly.

Lead Sled