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FAQ's |
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About Sadler Vampires |
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Q-Are Sadler Vampires still produced? |
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A- No. Vampires have not been produced since the late 80's |
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Q-Were Vampires sold in kit form? |
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A- No. Vampires were factory assembled |
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Q-Are Vampires FAR-103 Legal? |
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A- Only the original version Sadler Vampire was
FAR-103 legal but considered underpowered
with the 20 HP solo engine. Most were soon
running larger Rotax engines which put them
over the legal FAR-103 limit concerning both
weight and speed. |
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Q-What is an "SV-2" Vampire? |
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A- The original Vampire was designed and pro-
duced by Bill Sadler in Scottsdale Az. He
sold the design to a company in Australia.
To meet the requirements of AU aviation law
they modified the original design in the way
of heavier skins, a slightly wider pod that was
molded/glassed in as part of the air frame
rather than the single layer Kevlar wrap used
on the original US models, stronger landing
gear, and most were housed with Rotax 447
engines, and came with a broader assortment
of instrumentation. |
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Q-Are Vampires trailerable? |
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A- Yes. All versions of Vampires had folding
wings and were offered with an optional
custom trailer. |
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Q-Can different power plants be used in Vampires? |
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A- Yes. So far we have heard of Vampires powered
by Hirth, Rotax, VW and KFM. However, the
possibilities are endless and include BMW,
Kawasaki, Yamaha, and even an 8 cyl. radial.
There were also military adaptations of the
Vampire that housed small block Chevy V-8
engines! Thee also carried some serious guns! |
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Q-How would I go about finding a Vampire to buy? |
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A- Actually, your best bet is to tune into here from time to time. We have a world-wide network of "Vampire Hunters" and when one shows up it's usually posted here first...see the "4-Sale" link on home page. The other thing to consider is the fact that finding a US version is tough...very tough. There are SV-2 versions available from time to time (2 on site now) but most are in Australia. And although they average a reasonable 8 to 10 thousand dollars US, the shipping from AU is a serious consideration and extremely costly. Don't forget you want that custom trailer to come with it too! |
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Q-Can a Vampire be flown without the canopy? |
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A- Sure! And even without the engine cowling if you want. Expect a little minor buffeting for obvious reasons but Vamp flyers do it all the time. Especially in Australia where the summer temps go to extremes. |
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Q-Are Vampires easy to fly? |
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A- I've heard everything from "They fly just like C-152's, to "All vamp pilots should be experienced GA pilots", and everything in between. I know that doesn't help much but part of the problem is that the SV-2 versions are actually quite different machines. The Australian SV-2 is quite a bit heavier, has shorter wings with heavier skins. The US versions started out as FAR-103 legal ships and even though most have crossed that line with larger engine installations, mods, etc. it is still a much lighter plane and in most cases with much longer wings. My US #008 has a 32ft wingspan. Exp #001 has an 18ft span. Logic makes me assume that a heavier aircraft with shorter wings running the same power plant would be more difficult to manage. Not to imply that the SV's are dangerous. It's just that it should require more energy/power management awareness to safely operate an SV-2. Bottom line is everyone says something different. The only persons I've spoken to that have flown US version vamps are Bill Sadler, and the previous owner of mine, Geoff Barnatt. Both say it flies like a dream, glides forever and handles like a kitten. Bill's advice was, "Take off at 40, land at 40". The SV-2's have a take off characteristic where by they leap into the sky very suddenly. Darell, the previous owner of SV-#0022 stated, "One second your moving down the runway and the next you're 50 feet off the ground". I don't personally see that to be an issue, and in fact sounds rather fun. But, the accounts I've received from Mr. Sadler and Geoff Barnatt indicate that the US version does not react this way, and instead has a very typical rotation and lift-off. This difference is probably due to weight and balance variations. A trained GA pilot I know feels that the Vamprie lands at too high of speeds. Again, he was flying an SV-2 so based on the weight difference I would assume the SV's DO land at higher speeds than do the US versions. Also, "too much" is relitave. I believe that as long as you're focused on the far end of the runway, landing speeds don't much change the overall technique. I land faster in the 172 than in the 152 but it feels about the same. I would speculate that the SV-2's fly more like GA planes and the US versions fly more like ultralights. I don't see anything wrong with either as long as the pilot knows what to expect. I can tell you that there is only 1 Sadler Vampire accident report filed with the FAA and it didn't result in any fatalities. |
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Q-Can Vampires fit large pilots? |
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A- Good friend and fellow enthusiast Paul O'Malley is a strapping fellow and flew his no problem. Paul weighs in at about 110kg and stands 6ft tall. I would say anyone this size and under would be fine. At the same time let me say, no matter what size you are don't expect a ton of room. |
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Q-Are there any 2-place Vampires? |
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A- Reliable sources tell us that there was a 2-place prototype. As far as production runs go though neither the US version or AU version was 2-place. The good news is some of the folks working to build Vampire prototypes are working on 2-place designs. Some even believe this could be done AND maintain FAR-103 standards. The weight of materials available has changed a lot since the time of the Vampire...you never know. |
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Q-How much fuel does a Vampire hold? |
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A- The original US version held a single 5-gallon cell (FAR-103) in the right wing, inboard of the wing gap. Many owners added an extra cell in the other wing (NOT FAR-103). Australian versions came with either a single 5-gal cell in one wing and a glove box in the other wing, or one 5-gal cell in each wing. I heard once that there were 3-gal wing tip tanks fabricated for one once but nobody I've mentioned that to has heard the same. Seems that would put a lot of extra weight on the wing tips to me. So anyway, I think it safe to say that 10 gallons would be the max without some interesting modifications being done. |
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