I am probably starting an argument here but... If an aircraft, any aircraft is flown down final with the proper approach speed, and then THE ROUND OUT is performed properly, the increased performance due to ground effect will cause a momentary float, or rather a pause in the descent of the aircraft to the runway. Once this increased performance goes away, if one maintains a proper landing attitude for conditions, then the aircraft will gently settle to the runway of its own accord. The key is not trying to find some magical moment to "flare", but rather to observe the aircraft's performance and response to inputs and let it fly, literally working with it, instead of against it. Larry wrote a beautiful description of this when he detailed his latest flight test. He didn't try to fly the plane his way and force it to land or takeoff or maneuver. He worked with it and let it do all the work, hence he merely thought it all the way to the runway. A certain amount of float will always occur in ground effect temporarily, unless one enters ground effect with too much angle of attack in which case the aircraft is too far behind the power curve, and it will drop suddenly with ANY further reduction in airspeed. I suspect this is why the Bonanza has such a exciting stall, and why the 23012 airfoil mixed with the dimensions of the KR produce such a narrow landing envelope. In any case, the flare to land is not one moment in time during a landing cycle, but rather a continuous adjustment to the deceleration of the aircraft in ground effect, resulting in a smooth transition from flying to taxiing. If one will think of flying the aircraft, regardless of which aircraft it is, ALL the way to the ground, then there will be less tendency to attempt to find this magical "flare" point, and more of just flying 12 inches off the ground. Any aircraft that gain performance significantly in ground effect, and the KR is one of them, it is important to think in terms of a gradual transition, and not try to find some point in time for the "flare". If this is your style of landing, then your education will be one of many more failures trying to find the "sweet spot" when you can stall the aircraft to the ground from the last 50 feet, instead of landing properly. If you find yourself in slow flight with very mushy controls and lack of aircraft response on final you are too slow, and nearing a stall condition, on the back side of the power curve. With the performance capability of the KR already, you will probably not like the landing and the aircraft won't either. If anyone desires to discuss this further, I invite you to e-mail me direct...
Colin & Bev Rainey KR2(td) N96TA Sanford, FL crain...@cfl.rr.com http://kr-builder.org/Colin/index.html
