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I mentionned the AS-202 Bravo in my post about all planes I flew. This swiss-built plane is not very known, so let me tell you more about it.

The Bravo is a full metal three seaters single engine, with low wing, and a full vision canopy. It is powered by a 150 HP or 160 HP engine powering the two blades prop. One of them has been fitted with a turbine, but it is an exception.

One of the design features of the Bravo is a maximum take-off weight of 999 kgs. This is because of the landing fees schemes in Europe, which depends of the plane’s weight. Many small airports define a lower price for planes below 1′000 kgs, so 999 kgs is good !

The cockpit is quite roomy, at least in the front row. One get in by first climbing on the wind from the trailing edge. The stick is mounted from the floor and can’t be adjusted. The seat can be slid back and forth to match pilot’s size.

Even if it is certified as a three seaters (two in front, one in the back), the weight and size limitations make the back seat not so easy to use. The canopy makes the visibility very good, but can turn into a sauna in summer. It opens sliding backwards, making possible to keep it open while taxiing. Interestingly it is equipped with explosive bolts and can be ejected if needed.

Taxiing is easy, the directional nose-wheel making the turns easy. The dampers are quite basic, so the take-off roll can be rough. Rotation must be smooth, because it is easy to lift the nose too much and remain stuck in ground effect. The electrical stall-warning is very sensitive, and some student pilots think it is a take-off indicator.

The flaps are electrical and can be deployed at any angle from 0 to 41 degrees. Take-off procedure calls for 10° of flaps, rotation at 60 MPH, initial climb at 70 MPH, and cruise climb at 80 MPH. As most low-wing planes, an electrical boost pump is used for take-off, landings, and in case of mechanical pump failure.

The aerodynamics are not exaclty impressive… look at it this way: 160 HP, 999 kgs, 90 kts, where a Warrior with same power and 200 more kgs can speed 15 to 20 kts faster. The strong wing loading makes the Bravo stable in the air, but also prone to aggressive stalls…

My first stall exercise in a Bravo is still a vivid memory, more than 7 years later. The stall warning sounded early, then I god buffeting and finally a sudden right wing and nose drop. I did not reacted quickly, which is normal for a student pilot on his first stall, and probably lost close to 1′000 feet in the exercice.

A stall in the pattern or anywhere close to final would be simply catastrophic. This aggressive stalling characteristics makes the Bravo a very good basic trainer. Many of them have also been certified and use for aerobatics.

The final approach speed of 80 MPH combined with the relatively low weight makes the Bravo easy to land even on short fields. Here again the high wing-loading is helpful, as airspeed can be reduced easily. The 41° of flaps are also of great help !

The landings are usually firm, because of the very basic dampers. The directive nose-wheel and brakes makes deceleration and steering a non-issue.

All in all, despite being old and out of production for years (finding spare parts become harder and harder), the Bravo is a good basic trainer, and it’s fun to fly. Not exactly fast, reactive, requiring good flying skills, but easy to fly.