Hey All,

They look similar. Are both twin boom. Both have outstanding Mother companies. Can anybody articulate a cogent difference between the 2 models' flight, landing, performance characteristics? And if you are about to tell me the Hustler lands faster, that's what everyone told me about the Kingcat until I dialed in 1" of CROW and now she lands about 23 MPH so please clarify if you have tried CROW on the Hustler.

Thanks guys!

Shaz

Flys fine without.it.I have both aircraft
both great flying airplanes.the hustler has inboard flaps and the gear have gear doors(in/outter
Call Tom. Probable tell you the same thing

Hey Shaz,
I know this question was asked once before, but finding it with the search is hard. So........

My experience is not direct with both jets yet, however, I had a Kingcat and put many many flights on it, I sold it a couple years ago. I now have a Hustler coming from JMP shortly. So why did I get rid of the Kingcat, simple, I was bored with it. Then why would I want a hustler, well, here's my reasons, likes/dislikes etc.

Kingcat:
This was a great jet, I could fly it all the time without worry. However, there were a couple things about it I did not like.
1. The flex mounts, fine if you're on smooth asphalt, but sucked if you were on grass or a rough runway, they break, they're designed to, but at the end of the day, I'd rather just have a really strong gear mount.
2. Landing, the Kingcat lands easy, but it lands difficult. It took a long time with my Kingcat to get where I liked landing it. It floats, even with 1" of crow it floats. The airplane is very light, it just floats, that's not always bad, but my CAI Raptor and my Firebird just simply lock in and do EXACTLY what you tell them to do on landing.
3. Not as strong as I would have liked. Now, this one is a bit of personal issue simply put. We don't have the 200mph limit in Canada, so I put a big engine on my Kingcat and flew well beyond 200mph all the time. The airplane never let go or broke, but it was starting to get "Soft". You could notice the wings flex in high speed turns. The booms were slightly loosening up with all the flights as well.
4. Hangar rash!!!!!!!! I hate the type of composite skins on the wings and stabs of the Kingcat, same with the wings and stabs that my old Super bandit had, or anything from Comp ARF. If you look at it wrong it dents!

What I did like about it though was it was easy, easy to fly, easy to maintain, easy to own period. It was a good jet, it's a jet I would always recommend to anyone.

So why did I want a Hustler?
Well, many reasons.

1. After building my Firebird, there is simply put no other kits out there that fit better, and give that feel good feeling during building that JMP kits do. I have built kits from tons of manufactures and the Firebird was not even on the same level as any of them. Yes, it really was that good.
2. The glass work is STRONG, if you dent it, you've broken something. It is not the soft sandwich composite of the Kingcat. It is strong strong strong. It is easy to prep, easy to paint, easy to cut, easy to seal edges (you don't have to) easy easy easy.
3. Full gear doors, the kingcat has simplicity going for it by not having gear doors, but I like gear doors, I like the airframe being that much cleaner, I like the look.
4. Hustler flies properly without a pile of downthrust in the engine, the engine isn't pointing down at the earth ready to cook off grass or scrape in the event of a gear up landing.
5. From the Hustlers I have watched fly, they don't appear to be floaty like a Kingcat, some would call this a disadvantage, I personally prefer it. The Kingcat could easily be made to fly this way on landing, I had to land my Kingcat once with a full load of fuel, it was way easier to land with a full load than near empty. I think if the Kingcat had been 5lbs heavier it would have been a nicer flying airplane personally. Yes, I know, I just called the Hustler heavier, and it probably is a little bit, it's built stronger, it's got more stuff going on with it (gear doors, 4 flaps etc).
6. JMP's gear. I broke my Kingcat retracts on a bad landing once, not just a pin, or an axle, or even a trunion. I broke the main frame of the gear. If you break JMP's gear, you have other problems.

Total opinion, but I think the Hustler looks better.

My vote goes for the hustler, in fact, when I wanted a big twin boomer, I wanted a Hustler, but I got a smokin deal on my Kingcat so that's what I got then Give me another month or so and I'll be able to tell you more about the Hustler kit at least

Its funny what you said about the Kin Cat landing better heavier. We used to fly them with 10lbs of ballast in them to make them land more like "traditional jets." With that extra weight, they actually landed *much* nicer...

Bob

Jeremy,

If that whole paint thing don't work out, you ought to look into being an ad man... You made me want to out and buy a Hustler! [8D]

Seriously, I never even gave one a thought beofre..now where do I go to buy one..lol