You guys may recall that back in 2015 I was somewhat enamored by a pretty red Bristell taildragger I saw on display at the Light Sport Expo in Sebring.
Anyway, at Sun ‘n’ Fun I asked about it at their display. It was not there, but I was told it was currently for sale. It has about 500 hrs now as a demo plane, and I think they’re asking $99,000.
No financial interest - just posting this here because I find it really lust-worthy. I am sticking with my Sky Arrow for the immediate future, so I’m not in the market right now. I’ll post contact info in a few.
Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
Moderator: drseti
- FastEddieB
- Posts: 2880
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:33 pm
- Location: Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
$99k for a Bristell with 500hrs seems a pretty smoking deal, if it has no damage history.
Andy Walker
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
It is a tail dragged though - right there it narrows the audience a bit so that’s why probably this relatively low price.
Flying Sting S4 ( N184WA ) out of Illinois
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
Taildragger is preferred in my mind. Lighter weight and lower drag = better performance. As well as better prop clearance if you want to mad on grass.Warmi wrote:It is a tail dragged though - right there it narrows the audience a bit so that’s why probably this relatively low price.
Andy Walker
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
All the Bristells are "light weight" and have great performance.
This particular plane was on Trade-a-Plane recently for $109K so they must have lowered the price due to lack of interest in the tail dragger version.
This particular plane was on Trade-a-Plane recently for $109K so they must have lowered the price due to lack of interest in the tail dragger version.
- FastEddieB
- Posts: 2880
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:33 pm
- Location: Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
I thought it seemed like a fair price, considering I think the new price was in the vicinity of $160k.MrMorden wrote:$99k for a Bristell with 500hrs seems a pretty smoking deal, if it has no damage history.
I did not ask about damage history.
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
The prop clearance really is a shallow benefit since as soon as you raise the tail you are back to the same clearance- and you gonna raise the tail pretty quickly.MrMorden wrote:Taildragger is preferred in my mind. Lighter weight and lower drag = better performance. As well as better prop clearance if you want to mad on grass.Warmi wrote:It is a tail dragged though - right there it narrows the audience a bit so that’s why probably this relatively low price.
As far as other benefits - the benefit of a tail wheel being a few pounds lighter , for me , does not offset the inherent lack of stability in taildraggers.
After all there is a reason why everyone moved to tricycles.
Flying Sting S4 ( N184WA ) out of Illinois
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
I would prefer the tail dragger. Once you have plenty of experience in one, you understand the benefits.
Retired from flying.
- FastEddieB
- Posts: 2880
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:33 pm
- Location: Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
Clearly, not everyone did.Warmi wrote: After all there is a reason why everyone moved to tricycles.
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
I do know the history of this plane, Eddie, and even considered it for myself (but not for my flight school - that would cut my number of students in half, and double my insurance costs). It did sustain minor damage (now properly repaired) when it departed the runway in typical taildragger fashion a few years ago. That wouldn't deter me from buying it.FastEddieB wrote: I did not ask about damage history.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
Well, pretty much everyone as far as commercial applications are concerned - a taildraggers used to be the only option across the whole spectrum ( military , early airlines etc ) and now it is just a specialized option available for people who really just enjoy this sort of thing ...FastEddieB wrote:Clearly, not everyone did.Warmi wrote: After all there is a reason why everyone moved to tricycles.
Flying Sting S4 ( N184WA ) out of Illinois
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
Well, there are hardly any - if there were, every commercial aviation customer that actually uses their equipment for work , as opposed to fun, would be ordering them ..TimTaylor wrote:I would prefer the tail dragger. Once you have plenty of experience in one, you understand the benefits.
My point is not that taildraggers are not fun , just that they are not very useful beyond the point of enjoying a challenge of flying one ...
Flying Sting S4 ( N184WA ) out of Illinois
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
A tail dragger is as just useful as any other airplane, assuming you're talking about otherwise comparable airplanes.
Retired from flying.
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
Just about every cropduster, glider tow, or banner towing aircraft I see is still a conventional landing gear, so they must be appropriate for some commercial operations.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
Re: Bristell Taildragger demo for sale.
Are we talking about working airplanes here, or airplanes used for fun? I don't think anybody is going to be using the Bristell to haul freight or passengers.Warmi wrote:Well, there are hardly any - if there were, every commercial aviation customer that actually uses their equipment for work , as opposed to fun, would be ordering them ..TimTaylor wrote:I would prefer the tail dragger. Once you have plenty of experience in one, you understand the benefits.
My point is not that taildraggers are not fun , just that they are not very useful beyond the point of enjoying a challenge of flying one ...
BTW, the P-51, F4 Corsair, and DC3/C47 are all taildraggers. They were pretty hard working airplanes.
Andy Walker
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA