One more e-mail, slightly long, and then I need to get off the computer and get something done, even if it's wrong. :-)
I suggested to Mark Langford that he practice a few approaches ,at altitude, to get a feel for the landing phase. I think it's critical, especially on the first flight, to do some glides at the indicated approach speeds you intend to use for landing to get the feel of how the airplane is going to handle. Establish the glide speed and do some gentle turns and see how the airplane feels and responds. If it feels "mushy" you're probably a bit slow and / or the ASI may be off a bit. If it feels the same as it did in low cruise, you're probably a bit fast. To get a feel for the landing flare, establish your approach speed at altitude. As the "big hand" on the altimeter approachs a whole number, come back on the stick and attempt to nail and hold the needle on an exact number. This is basically the same feel you will have during an actual landing. Keep the altimeter hand "nailed" until just above a stall. With enough altitude you can lower the nose, get back to glide speed, and repeat the process several times. Personally, I wouldn't recommend doing any full stalls until at least the second or third flight when you start to get more comfortable with the airplane. While practicing, don't fixate on the altimeter but see what the picture out the window looks like with reference to the nose on the horizion, etc., and reference the altimeter to see how you're doing on pitch. Did you "zoom" up, lose altitude, or is the needle holding steady where you wanted it? If you have a problem on the first flight with the ASI as Mark did, don't fixate on the problem and let it overwhelm your brain. The airplane will fly just fine without it. Your landing approach should look similar to all the landings you've made in C150's, 172's, and Cherokees. If it feels like the airplane is ready to fall out of the air, pick the speed up a bit. If the world is flashing by at "Mooney" speed, slow it down. With enough runway, you have considerable margin for error, on the high side especially, but no need to over-do it. It will only give you more time to screw up during the flare. Getting too slow, on the other hand, is a one-way street to the undertaker. Revert back to what the hundreds of other landings you've made looked and felt like. The KR is not an airplane to fear but to be respected. Make sure you're comfortable flying other airplanes before your first flight. You don't need to be an airshow level pilot to fly a taildragger. I had approx 900 hours total time but only 13 hours total tailwheel time over thirty years when I started to taxi test my KR. The KR must be flown 100 percent of the time, unlike a Cessna , where you can just be along for the ride 50 percent of the time and get away with it. The extra 50 percent effort, however, translates into 50 percent more fun, also !!! YEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA !!!!!!!!!! Larry Flesner
