Netters,
Weight is good when it comes to stability. Basic law of Newton; more mass is
harder to disturb. The more you weigh the harder to displace.
Basic rule of performance: lighter is faster. In drag racing, losing a 1000
pounds means the same as adding 100hp. Lighter helps airplanes climb faster,
takes less hp to move or keep moving, but is less stable due to the lighter
wing loading. Most KRs are 7-9 pounds per square inch if I remember Adrian
Carter's article correctly, whereas say I Piper Cherokee is more like 12 pounds
per square inch. Makes it alot more stable, but ALOT slower! To make that
same Cherokee perform like the KR you have to stick a big 6cyl up front sucking
alot of gas and making alot of horsepower. Then you don't fly alot due to cost.
NO AIRPLANE flies well with an out of CG or nearly so condition. The KR just
happens to have a small range so careful attention is needed to insure that it
is within safe and predictable limits. I moved my seat forward 5 inches to
insure that my CG stays within range at all times (and to reach the controls).
I fly everyday, and no matter whether I am flying the Mooney 20J, or the Cessna
152, an aft CG makes them all squirrelly and alot of work to fly even for short
periods. Spend the time necessary to put the CG in the forward area, and go
out and have fun. Also I have calculated a self imposed maneuvering speed,
that speed at which abrupt, or full control movements can be made as 60% of the
calculated max cruise speed of my KR2, which is 180 mph, so Va or maneuvering
speed is 108 mph. Respecting this will allow those that do fly over Ken Rands'
ideal weight to stay within the G limits of the design so as not to damage the
airframe in turbulence, or maneuvers.
Colin & Bev Rainey KR2(td)
crain...@cfl.rr.com
Sanford, Florida
FLY SAFE!!!!
