I did leave one "opinion" (there we go again, everybody has one) concerning the post about the IFR........I wouldn't build a KR with hard IFR in mind. I have posted a hood training method, that I use personnally, on the KRNet in the past that builds on a stair step learning curve with the KR in mind. This plan that I use is gleaned from my training for instrument, commercial and CFI. It is based on the premise that the best place to be IFR in a KR is under the hood or in the process of a standard rate turn that hopefully will get you out of the clouds in less than 1.5 minutes with the dirty side down. Best thing is to keep the KR out of the clouds but the next best thing is to fly the airplance safely out of the clouds.
Do this over about three flights and then practice it on a regular basis. Use a qualified safety pilot and try and figure out a good manuevering speed, that which full control deflection will merely stall the airplane not cause structural damage. At five hundred feet put the foggles on and maintain your heading until reaching your pre determined altitude. At that altitude level off and practice climbs and descents to altitudes in 500 foot increments. Maintain attitude and airspeed +_ 10 degrees or 10 kts. Remember pitch for airspeed power for altitude. When you feel comforatable with this maintain an assigned altitude and initiate turns to a heading of no more than thirty degrees both directions. Remember, maintain altitude. When comforable with this move on to 60 degree horizon changes then 90 degree. Figure out, if you don't have a AH or needle, what a standard rate turn is. This turn is 3 degrees per second or 10 seconds to travel 30 degrees, 20 for 60 and 30 seconds for a 90 degree turn. Now, maintain altitude and do a 180 degree turn while maintaining altitude and never exceeding a standard rate turn. Time the turn for one minute, this should give you 180 degrees. By timing the turn, it just lets you know how much longer you are going to be in the soup so it doesn't surprise you. Enough for one day...........take off the foggles, roll the thing, and land. Second lesson: Up to 500 put the foggles on then maintain heading and climb to your "assigned" altitude. Practice a climb, descent, and a couple turns. Now, climb 500 feet while turning to a heading 30 degrees off your nose. Descend 500 feet and turn back the 30 degrees. Practice this until you can climb 500 feet and turn 90 degrees off your original heading. Remember to time these turns so you know about when you should be leveling the wings. Situational awareness is the name of the game. Once again, take the foggles off and roll the airplane twice and you are becoming a hotshot pilot. Final one: up to 500 then you know the drill. Fly around a bit with your safety pilot acting as ATC. Climb a couple time as if getting over terrain, turn a couple times as if beng vectored. Have your safety pilot act out a radar assisted approach. This is where the stair step learning you have done comes into play. You will have to descend, maintain airspeed and wings level to an assigned heading or stop turning at a stop command. At a pre choosen altitude remove the foggles, you should be on short final and a safe to land altitude. Land it, it harder than you imagined as it takes a while for eyes to adjust. What you have done is gone from level flight, to altitude changes with no turns, to turns while level to climbs/desents with turns to all of the above in one final lesson. You teach yourself to be comfortable. You can do this in about 2 hours of flight time. These two hours can be a lifesaver. You be the judge concerning your current ability to safely and efficiently perform the above while you read this. What's two hours out of your time worth...........your life?, once again you be the judge. Now, just practice it when flying with a climb to a turned heading and do a 180 thrown in for good measure. You will feel much more confident in your ability to stay alive rather than just trying to avoid dying. I can get on a soapbox about this, as I believe most would agree with me, in that unless you train for it you won't be comfortable with flying under the hood. Let's be honest, how many people on this list put foggles on monthly, quarterly, semi yearly or yearly since they had to wear them to pass their checkride. Don't try to get out faster by steepening your turn...bad things happen here. Let's say you do steepen the turn, while at the same time pulling back on the throttle, the increased G-load as a result of this turn increase your stalling speed. Bad thing IFR with a wing low. I know it's not fun flying under the hood but it can save your life. It will make you a better pilot and isn't that what we strieve for?? Once again, this is something I practice as I do fly IFR but I think is invaluable to the VFR pilot. If one person who reads this does it, then my typing it is worth the time spent at the computer. I have a friend, who after slipping and busting his butt on the ramp ice, literally kissed the ground. Hood training is some of the most valuable training you can do. Man, I gotta get of this box. Back to your regular programming.........nope I didn't spell check it so beat with an AN470 4-7.wetnoodle Dana Overall Richmond, KY RV-7 slider/fuselage http://rvflying.tripod.com do not archive _________________________________________________________________ Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963
