Panther Sport Aircraft Forums

David,

You can build the Panther for both day and night VFR flight as well as full IFR. It's entirely up to you. The make and model of engine has no bearing on that option. My Panther will not be completed for several years, but if it were finished now it would be day/night IFR with a complete Dynon package including auto-pilot. EKY airport sits on a ridge and TCL sits next to a river. Many times both airports will be socked in with light fog from 100' to 500' while all the surrounding area and airports are CAVU. I want the option to depart through that fog layer. No hard IFR for me in the Panther. I just want the capability to deal with light IFR conditions like discussed above.

If I have my way I will also build the Cougar. My Panther will have a Lycoming O-320-E2G that I picked up last month (assuming the core is rebuildable), so worst case scenario is to remove the Lyc O-320 and instruments from the Panther and install on the Cougar. The Panther can sit in storage until the funds are available to re-equip it, or it can be sold in the stripped condition. Maybe you can lay those options out with the significant other and show that the outlay of funds is minimized by going this route.

Hope you can order a Panther kit soon!

Good Luck,
Mike

Hello,

I reviewed a topic about putting lighting on the Panther and understand the design being a Day VFR airplane. The reasoning mentioned about the experimental engines makes sense. I know the Cougar is still a ways off, but I thought I would ask anyways.

I'm assuming the Cougar, being a larger and longer aircraft, will have more engine options (not experimental), and that being said, will its mission be more than just day VFR? And if so, will it have lighting options?

I really like the Panther, I fit really well in it, but my better half told me "I better not build a single seater". I'm trying to work on the "let me build the Panther first and then I'll build us the Cougar" but that's not working so far...

Just a curiosity thing.

Thanks,

David