Very well put Larry David Mikesell 23597 N. Hwy 99 Acampo, CA 95220 209-609-8774 skyguy...@skyguynca.com www.skyguynca.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "larry flesner" <fles...@midwest.net> To: "KRnet" <kr...@mylist.net> Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 7:59 AM Subject: KR> Landings/bit long/grab a beer
> > > As everyone seems to have an opinion on how to takeoff and land > a KR, I'll throw in my observations after 142 hours of flying mine. > > First, on liftoff and touchdown speeds, I could'nt tell you exactly > what mine are. I seldom watch the ASI at that moment. > On takeoff, after coming in with full power and picking up speed, > I raise the tail, maintain directional control, and I can feel when > the airplane is ready to fly. A slight back pressure on the stick > will bring the mains off and it's flying. If things feel a bit "mushy" > , you're a bit slow so keep the nose down. At 5 feet or more > above the runway I'll check my ASI and establish climb speed. > Several times things have felt a bit "mushy" on liftoff and when > I checked the ASI it was indicating 50 mph. I lowered the nose a > bit and it qiickly jumps to 60 or 70 so we can see that the ASI is > not your best reference at that angle of attack. At 65 / 70+ mph > my ASI seems to stablize and becomes an accurate reference. > I would not advise anyone to try flying off from a three point > attitude except mayby those KR's with the original short retracts. > Anyone with fixed gear will be just above the stall and you'd best > be very careful. I have longer than standard gear and I've computed > my three point attitude to be approx 12 degrees, just a few > degrees below the wing stall angle. You won't catch me trying > any three point takeoffs! > > So, now you're flying, how will you land that thing. I think anyone > that can fly Jim Faughn's discription of "how to land a KR" will > not have any problems. I'll just add a few observations of my > own. > > First, the KR is a slick little bird and my opinion on why we don't > see more of them flying is that the pilots are not comfortable with > the approach and landing phase of flight. The quickest and easiest > solution, I think, is to just add drag to the airframe during the > approach and landing. It makes the KR an entirely different airplane > on landings when you do. > > When I land my KR without the speedbrake, I'm approaching a bit > nose high, it's hard to maintain a stable airspeed, and it feels like > I'm trying to balance on a beachball or something. With my speed > brake full down (near 90 degrees) , I add two feet of flat plate area > to the KR and it it becomes a different airplane. At idle power, my > rate of decent will increase 300 to 500 fpm. This requires me to > carry a bit of power (about 1300 rpm on my 0-200), gives me > over-the-nose visibility all the way into the flare, and greatly helps > in stabilizing my airspeed, > > An honest 70 mph over the numbers is all the airspeed you need > when flying solo. I try to have my airspeed nailed when I start my > flare and I never look at it again during the landing. You need to > have you eyes out the window at that point and flying the airplane. > If you flare a bit high, let the airplane settle and begin the flare > again as you get close to the runway. Don't start "hunting" for > the runway by moving the stick back and forth. That's a good > way to get yourself in trouble. Hold it off the runway as long as > you can but personally, I'm not comfortable taking mine to a > full three point attitude. > > When the mains touch you need a slight forward movement on > the stick to hold it on. The primary reason for this, other than > you may have dropped it in from high enough above the runway > and you're getting springback from the gear, is that when the > mains contact the ground and you begin transfering weight from > the wing to the gear, the balance point of the airplane moves > forward and the tail will start to settle. This is for a tailwheel > configuration, of course, and a tri-gear is just the opposite. > In other than a full stall, three point landing, the wing could start > to generate enough lift to put you back in the air. On my KR, > once I can no longer hold the tail up with forward stick, I'm > below flying speed and I can firmly plant the tail and begin > braking. > > As to the wing low or crab approach in crosswinds, I prefer the > crab on final and switch to the wing down just before the flare. > I think the crab is a more comfortable approach, especially if > you have passangers, and it gives me an idea how much > wing-down I'll need in the flare. The effect of a crosswind always > seems to be less in ground effect but don't ignore it. Gust > will give you more trouble as you are constantly changing > control inputs. > > To fly a KR, or any airplane for that matter, I think (I know) you > have to have a clear mental picture of each phase of flight, > especially the takeoff and landing, to be successful. Set in > the KR and make motor noises until you have the process > planted in your head and it becomes second nature. You > can't be thinking about what to do next in actual flight. > > As always, your results may vary !!! :-) > > Larry Flesner > > > > > > _______________________________________ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://www.maddyhome.com/krsrch/index.jsp > to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html
