GlenNJ wrote:It’s been a few weeks since I attended Sun & Fun to see the Panther. I’m surprised I haven’t seen any other letters from those that attended the show. Judging by the number of people that always surrounded the display, there seemed to be a lot of interest in the Panther.
Glen,
Very nice post! I'm sure there are many more just like you that haven't taken the time to make their observations public.
For me, the great thing about shows is the opportunity to connect names with faces.
My observation is that the snowball is just starting down the hill. Interest in the Panther is not confined to just builders. Most of you have read the Kitplanes article written by Paul Dye. A well known writer for the AOPA magazine stopped by the booth to chat and is interested in doing the same thing. Two members of the IAC Board of Directors showed keen interest in evaluating the Panther as an entry level airplane for the Sportsman and Intermediate classes.
Glenn,
Although I wasn't able to attend Sun-N-Fun this year, I know exactly how you feel about "seeing the Panther" in person. I felt the same way at Oshkosh last summer and became S/N 11's builder. The detail of thought given to the design, layout and method of construction is spot on. Anyone with a bit of aircraft design savy and an eye for detail will be sold once they give it a close inspection. There's no need for a sales pitch, the aircraft sells itself. Best of luck with #31 and I hope you can make it to OSH this summer.
It’s been a few weeks since I attended Sun & Fun to see the Panther. I’m surprised I haven’t seen any other letters from those that attended the show. Judging by the number of people that always surrounded the display, there seemed to be a lot of interest in the Panther. I was at S&F Friday, April 4th. I was able to see the Panther, watched a great airshow (F-22, Blue Angels, Warbirds, etc.), visited numerous vendors, and attended Dan and Rachel’s cook-out. The highlight of the show for me of course, was to see the Panther in person. For those that haven’t decided on what they want to build, I highly recommend seeing the Panther, at one of the events Team Panther attends. I’ve seen most of the Panther pictures, but until you see it in person, you really can’t appreciate how well it’s made. As you walk around the Panther, you realize that every detail of this airplane has been well thought out. They had a fuselage frame on display. I lifted it up and was amazed at how light and sturdy it was. Sitting in the roomy cockpit, you notice all the controls, instruments, switches, etc. are all logically laid out, and within easy reach. You rotate the control stick, and it’s so smooth you almost can’t feel any friction. The flap control is the desirable lift or drop lever with push button release on the end (like the Piper PA series). The throttle lever is exactly at the right height, and reach it should be. You can even see the main and rear spar attachment pins while seated. I could keep ranting about the airplane, but I think you get the point. When you see the Panther in person, everything makes sense. Dan has said “Every designer picks their own set of compromises”. I think he should change his wording to say “the Panther design is all about combining the best solutions”. I don’t see any “compromises” in this airplane.
As amazing as the Panther is, what’s equally impressive is the group of people that form Team Panther. Dan has assembled and amazing group, to help design, build, test, and now sell a high performance, but affordable airplane. As I was checking out the Panther, I couldn’t help overhearing some of the conversations Team Panther members were having with some potential customers. All questions were answered in an enthusiastic, informative, and no pressure way. I never saw any hard-core, used-car sales tactics, to try and sell the airplane.
At the end of the day, the cook-out was a good place to unwind, and let the Airshow traffic leave. Great food and conversations. I signed on the dotted line, and I am now kit builder #31. I know now that if I made the mistake and built any other airplane, I would be kicking myself in the butt saying “I should have built the Panther”.
Looking forward to seeing you again Adam! We enjoyed talking with you. Hope you can make it to our cookout/movie night on Friday. if you have seen our price point you know there isn't room for wiggling.
if you have seen our price point you know there isn't room for wiggling.