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Attempted theft of a Katana in Utah

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As expected, the article has a reference to 9/11 and crashing planes into buildings.

If there's a plane that 9/11 fear-mongering would be least appropriate for, it is the DA-20 Katana. The press still has to say it, though....
 
Well the issue isn't terrorism. The press, as usual, is completely full of $hit. They even refer to the Katana as "experimental." As far as I'm concerned this is just another black eye for GA. We can't even secure our danm airplanes. The thing that pisses me off the most is I was planning on flying that thing tomorrow. I guess I'll fork over the extra dough for the Star.

The most interesting part of the story is they left the engine running. You get in and out of that airplane forward of the wing. Without locking up the brakes, the weight shift of getting out could easily cause it to roll backwards a bit, depending on the surface. To bad they didn't get chopped in half. That headline would have made the whole story worth it. "Jackass chopped up by airplane prop."
 
Sorry!

There is always other sides to the story. In a few days we will the "Here's your sign" explanation. There has got to be some silly reason this happened!
 
Too bad whoever attempted to steal it didn't end up totalling the darn thing. One less DA20=better flying world as far as I'm concerned. Maybe the person thought better of what they were doing when they realized, "Hey, I'm so cool, I'm stealing an airplane....wait a minute, this thing is a POS...nevermind." Least they could have done was drive it into a ditch...
 
It is a bad thing when people think that they can take someone else's property, and think it is cool. Like the kid who buzzed his girlfriends house. This was probably someone thinking they can make the news too.

I agree, to bad they didn't step into the prop. Also, can't be real good for the engine to be left running, on the ground.
 
sky37d said:
It is a bad thing when people think that they can take someone else's property, and think it is cool.
Click to expand...
That would be two bad things.

Or are you saying, it's o.k. to steal something if you need it, but don't do it with your base ball cap on backwards?
 
FlyingFisherman said:
I hot wired a 172 with my toolbox key.
Click to expand...

I have a box of keys that has never failed me ever. ;)
 
No what I mean is it's bad when someone steals something, it's even worse when they think they were cool to do it.
take them out back, introduce them to mr 2x4.
 
Probably stealing it for the parts market......thats what happened to a Piper and Cessna at my hometown airport several years back...the nerve!!!
 
NW_Pilot said:
Simple Cut the P leads & fly away!
Click to expand...

However,

The typical GA ignition switch has eight terminals. 5-7 are used for connections to P-leads, battery, and starter motor. Then you have additional jumpers for retard/breaker or impulse coupling. You just have to know what is what, if the screwdriver doesn't work!
 
mtrv said:
However,

The typical GA ignition switch has eight terminals. 5-7 are used for connections to P-leads, battery, and starter motor. Then you have additional jumpers for retard/breaker or impulse coupling. You just have to know what is what, if the screwdriver doesn't work!
Click to expand...


Forgot about the filed down cabinet key blank.
 
Huggyu2 said:
I'm curious: why the hate-fest on the Katana?
Click to expand...

God, no $hit, huh? I wasn't going to get all into it but now that it's been brought up...

Have the katana haters ever taken a good look at Diamond aircraft vs. everyone else in the same market? Compare the DV20 to the C152. the katana outperforms the 152 in every conceivable way. Faster, climbs better, more range, better safety record, cheaper to operate and maintain. Same deal with the Diamond star vs. the C172. In a few weeks UVSC will have a DA42 Twin Star, and that airplane is downright amazing for it's cost.

Granted, I'm a little biased because most of my time is in Diamond aircraft, and the only high wing I've ever flown is the C210. I like katanas and stars. Especially the star with a G1000. :cool:

I've met a few katana bashers who have never even sat in one.

http://www.diamondair.com/mainpage.php

To the haters who haven't, go fly one.
 
I agree. I really like the Katana (C1 Eclipse, actually. Never flew the Rotex-powered Katana). I'm planning to get checked out in the Diamond Star in the near future.

I checked out in the Katana last Spring after more than 15 years of flying only airliners. I previously had a lot of time in various Cessnas, Pipers, etc., as well as a significant amount of time teaching in C-152s. I like the Katana much better than those older designs.

Fun, sharp-looking airplane that is faster than the similar "old school" airplanes. What's not to like?
 
Aero News reports that they used a screw driver to start it with. Left it beside the runway, with the engine running.
 
My one rant with the Katana is not the airplane itself, but with those who want to make it seem bigger than it really is.

A year ago I was flying into Provo (the tower hadn't opened yet), was handed off by approach and cleared for the ILS. Upon switching frequencies I was met with a bunch of Katanas stepping all over each other trying to jockey for position in the pattern. There must've been 6-8 in the pattern at the same time. Just inside the outer marker I heard this guy say "Revolution 4CT is midfield downwind about ot turn base." WTF is a Revolution I asked myself as I'm trying to visually acquire all the targets out there. On about a 3 mile final I heard this guy call that he was turning base. This really got me perked up as that would put us at about the same place when he turns final. I finally queried the guy as to what I was looking for. He said he was the newer model Katana which is a Revolution. C'mon guys, just call it a Katana! Come to think of it, he was probably wearing epaulets and $300 Serenghettis and after full-stopping, was going to go to the mall to pick up those pretty Mormon babes in his uniform.
 
I really like the diamond aircraft. It's a decent machine for short trips.

That Eclipse REALLY moves. We just ferried a DA40/G1000 and a DA20C1 back from London. First we had to load four guys into a C172 (ya...crunch the numbers on that baby).

On the way back to the States to clear customs, that DA20 was much faster than me in the 172 and every bit as fast as the DA40...that thing moved!

I'm not a big fan of where the fuel cap is in the Eclipse...but it's still an impressive machine.

-mini
 
I, as well, don't have a problem w/ the airplane itself as I do w/ those that fly them. Funny, 'cause Provo was going to be the center of my rant as well. Until the tower was put in, that place was a zoo. "Wolf this....wolf that." I've had to go around, extend downwind, s-turn, at that airport more than any other I've flown into. We've been cut off, turned inside of, and sometimes flat out ignored (even though we were in a jet) going in there. I've been on a 7 MILE FINAL going in there, w/ a UVSC DA20 crossing the numbers, and by the time I get to the runway, they're still sitting on it. At a stand still, mind you. I've only been in there once since the tower went operational, but I sure hope the controllers were able to settle those guys down. Very clearly, their attitude was, "This is our airport, we can do what we want." Rant over...thank you, I feel much better w/ that off my chest.
 
dangerboy said:
IRant over...thank you, I feel much better w/ that off my chest.
Click to expand...
And for that we are all glad.
Now, back to the show:beer:
 
i was checking out this site to see if i could get some reviews of the DA20 as well as it's a quicker XC aircraft than i train in. Why all the bashing?
I see there are a few of you say that it's a nice aircraft especially for the price.

BTW... that tail section look a little thin... is it just me? or an optical illusion? Or is it thicker than it looks?
 
No, it's pretty thin. The composites let them build it much thinner than they can with metal.

For a two-seater it's fast (120kt-125kt cruise) and it's a lot of fun. Looks great on the ramp, too.
 
Nice airplane, fun to fly, bad seat cushions, really hot sweatbox in summertime.
 
LJ-ABX said:
No, it's pretty thin. The composites let them build it much thinner than they can with metal.

For a two-seater it's fast (120kt-125kt cruise) and it's a lot of fun. Looks great on the ramp, too.
Click to expand...

120-125? haha, their website says 138 knot cruising speed. When i asked the instructor that did my checkout he just laughed and said it's probably just propaganda. But he says it most definately does not cruise at 138.

I will admit, if i was more comfortable it would've been much more fun. I guess i'm just too tall of my torso is just too long or something becuase my head keeps banging on the canopy.
 
I flew a DA-20 for a few hours last summer. Great performance, very fast, and it will glide forever power off. I have heard it tends to develop a lot of MX headaches however.
 

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