You guys are a tough crowd! This may look like a flat high speed landing, but notice that I chopped the throttle to idle way before turning final. All the noise you hear is wind noise, not engine noise.? The prop is probably turning 1100 rpm, but the wind is helping it spin, since it's normally idling at about 750 statically. I was gliding all the way in, and testing has shown that best glide speed (around 85-90 mph) results in a 600fpm descent rate, or 10' per second. That's not to say that I couldn't zoom in and touch down, but not on this runway I can't. This was a slightly hot landing though, because I have been able to get on the brakes hard and stop at the halfway point a few times.
My normal landing is to do about 120 mph on downwind, fairly close to the runway, then chop the throttle as I get to the 45 degree angle off the approach end, then glide in the whole way. This is to simulate an engine out landing, as I've learned that it's a real possibility! I can't slip the KR2 nearly as steeply as I could the KR2S because of the small rudder, and I guess I've gotten so good as estimating the end of the runway that I rarely have to do that to get pretty close to the end. And maybe it's just that I still lack the confidence that I had in N56ML. I almost exclusively did three point "carrier landings" with N56ML at my home airport (M38), but I could see over the nose a lot better, thanks to the larger and taller canopy, and ground handling is so much better than with this KR2. The short-coupling of the KR2 extends into the tailwheel distance from the mains, so it's considerably more twitchy than a KR2S when landing. So I land just fast enough to see over the cowling a bit better, and to have better, smoother, and more predictable control using the rudder than the tailwheel. Another factor is the bad geometry of the rudder/brake pedals on this plane...I have to be very careful to lower my feet so I push on the bottom of the pedals to prevent braking at the same time. I'd fix this, but it's a nightmare to do anything under the panel, and I can only reach those pedals with my fingertips, and with only one hand, so that's not happening. Another reason to make your front deck removable! Although it looks like my canopy is cracked, that was just a big bug I hit on takeoff. I always clean the canopy before takeoff, and this video was after four touch and goes during one of the first warmish days of April, so the bugs were out flying too. Something else about the video is that it sounds like the engine is missing when I turned onto my taxiway, but that's just wind noise freaking out the camera mic. That engine never skips a beat...so far. Mike Sylvester...you are welcome to drop in or fly over any time. You'll be in good company if you beg off of landing...Pesak did that a few weeks ago. As for the windsock, Larry, there may have been a slight tailwind, but it beats staring into the sun on landing. The blinding sun is bad enough, especially when I'm already having trouble seeing the runway, but that strobe stuff just makes me crazy, so I avoid it. Besides, my hangar's at the other end of the runway! Since I'm a apparently a glutton for punishment, how about a touch and go video at a "normal" size runway (KFYM, Fayetteville, TN)? This was a bumpy day, with a little crosswind. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAjMsWMexjQ&feature=youtu.be . Mark Langford ML at N56ML.com http://www.n56ml.com
