AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2016 - 70

A NIGHT LIGHT on the cabin ceiling illuminates the

panel and interior (top). It is adjustable and can
be aimed in whatever direction the pilot desires.
The fuel selector with Left, Right, and Off positions (above). The Off position requires pulling a
handle out, preventing the pilot from accidentally
shutting off the fuel. Below the fuel selector is the
throttle with a small handle on the front that closes
the turbocharge wastegate, allowing the Rotax
aircraft engine to increase from 100-percent power
to 115-percent power. It is normally used for takeoff
but can aid in an accelerated climb.

70 | AOPA PILOT December 2016

The Sling 4 I evaluated was classified Experimental
Exhibition because it was built by the factory, but the
one you would probably prefer would be Experimental
Amateur-Built-a much less restrictive category. AmateurBuilt means you can use it for personal, not commercial use;
train only yourself in it; and fly day, night, and in instrument
conditions. The one I flew had been built at the factory in
four days by 40 people in 2014, which explains the 4-4-40
on the tail: a Sling 4 in four days by 40 people.
My evaluation started out at Chino, California, but had
to be completed the following day at Torrance, 30 miles to
the west. After ground photos were taken at Chino, a loose
fitting on the right brake dumped all the brake's hydraulic
fluid on the ramp near AIA Flight Training, and the flight
was postponed. Since the nosewheel can be steered, factory
representatives used it to counteract the left wheel's braking force during the landing at Torrance with no problems,
demonstrating the value of positive steering. A castering
nosewheel would have made braking more difficult. I was
told later that the fitting on the left hydraulic brake had
also come loose.
Stalls conducted east of Zamperini Field resulted in a
drop of the left wing-nothing dramatic. There were three
people in the aircraft, one of them sitting in the left rear
seat. For the test flight, Liknaitzky and I were joined in
the back seat by Jordan Denitz, marketing director at the
Torrance office-intentionally adding extra weight to see
if the Rotax could handle it (a fourth person was not available). Even with the extra weight, the initial climb rate was
900 feet per minute, dropping to 600 feet per minute as I
backed the throttle out of the 115-horsepower position. The
speed test was the most impressive part of the test flight,
recording 130.5 knots true airspeed at 85-percent power at
2,500 feet-the way an average pilot might operate the aircraft on a long trip.
For shorter trips the pilot might prefer a lower power
setting to save fuel. Even at that speed, the fuel consumption was only 6.1 gallons of auto gas per hour.
Landings were enjoyable. Pilots from The Airplane
Factory USA keep speeds early in the approach at 80
knots until short final, given that the nearby neighborhoods are packed close to the Torrance airport. The idea
is to have enough energy to glide to the airport during the
approach should the engine quit. Only on short final is the
speed reduced to between 65 and 70 knots. The airplane
glides close to the runway and floats a bit-providing plenty
of time for the pilot to prepare for the flare, which happens slowly. I landed on the main gear with the nosewheel
high in the air on the first try. Visibility was excellent in all
phases of flight.
Exiting the airplane, I noticed the high cabin wall
requires a big step, and makes stepping on the seat upon
entry almost a requirement. That's no problem with a dry,
clean ramp but it could be a problem in snow or rain. It
is possible to enter and sit down without stepping on the

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2016