-----Original Message----- From: KRnet [mailto:krnet-boun...@list.krnet.org] On Behalf Of Mike Stirewalt via KRnet Sent: Saturday, 23 September 2017 12:06 AM To: krnet@list.krnet.org Cc: laser...@juno.com Subject: KR> KR Spin Restraints
"Never horse around in a KR-2?" Lest some novice take any of these lessons seriously, I can't help but defend those of us in the horse-around camp. When I started reading about staying on the ground when there are gusty winds or bad weather I had to wonder if the Russians or AARP was hacking our emails. My reaction to those "lessons" was similar to that of Larry F. when I've said something scandalous about his beloved Tri-Pacer. I don't know from where you've derived all these "lessons learned" Henni but not much of it came from anyone who flies KR's. A lot of these lessons, such as "not flying on gusty days", come directly from the microlight world. Although you are using a microlight engine and reducing airframe weight, the KR can in no way be compared to a microlight. It's a machine that can cross the United States in one (very) long day, easily fly in the flight levels, and go through a line of cells and come out the other side in one piece, over and over. For many of us who need some reason to get to the hangar and go flying, it is precisely because Nature graces us periodically with gusty, windy days that KR pilots head for the airport to play. These days provide some welcome opportunities for pattern work. The superb handling of KR's - quick roll and nice big rudder - make playing with crosswinds and gusts pure joy. Microlights don't have the control authority to do what KR's do. They are draggy, kite-like things with the wing loading of a pillow case. They can't fight back. They are defenseless against the zephers & chubascos that come running from miles around when they spot what they think may be an ultralight in the air. They soon find out they have met their match when it turns out they mistook the KR for a microlight. On the other hand, a pleasant Sunday afternoon of circuits and bumps at an ultralight field can turn into what sounds like an angry waspnest as their pilots get word from their ground spotters that a cloud has been spotted ten miles away and heading their direction. What ensues is a desperate run for home at 11 thousand RPM and 40 mph. ***25th Jan 1987 Rand Robinson KR-2 N66996 Fallon, NV THE OWNER AND AN ACQUAINTANCE, BOTH COMMERICALLY RATED PILOTS, DEPARTED FALLON, NEVADA, ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT TO A NEARBY TOWN. WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRCRAFT ENGAGED IN MANEUVERS DESCRIBED AS STEEP TURNS AND SHARP DIVES A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. DURING THESE MANEUVERS THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED INTO A STALL-SPIN CONDITION. THE LOW ALTITUDE OF THE SPIN ENTRY PREVENTED A SUCCESSFUL RECOVERY PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT. ALTHOUGH THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE ACCESSIBLE TO BOTH PILOTS IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHICH PILOT ( OR WHETHER BOTH) WAS CONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE SPIN ENTRY. THE TYPE OF MANEUVERS AND THEIR DURATION WERE NOT CONSIDERED TO BE INDICATIVE OF A PILOT INCAPACITATION SCENARIO NOR WAS THERE ANY EVIDENCE OF A CONTROL DISCONTINUITY/MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE AIRCRAFT. 20th October 1989 Rand Robinson KR-2 N120TM Eloy, AZ THERE WERE TWO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT, ONE WAS LOCATED ON THE AIRPORT AND THE SECOND WAS ANOTHER PILOT IN AN AIRCRAFT TRAVELING IN COMPANY WITH THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT WITNESS ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT THE AIRPORT FIRST, HOWEVER, ELECTED TO GO AROUND DUE TO THE STRONG GUSTING CROSS WINDS HE ENCOUNTERED ON FINAL. THE GROUND WITNESS ON THE AIRPORT STATED THAT HE WATCHED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ON FINAL APPROACH. THE WITNESS OBSERVED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS 'HAVING TROUBLE WITH CONTROL IN THE STRONG CROSS WIND.' HE REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT ABOUT 30 FEET AGL ON FINAL WHEN A SUDDEN STRONG GUST 'LIFTED THE AIRPLANE UPSIDE DOWN AND THE PLANE THEN DROPPED AND STRUCK THE GROUND'. CAUSE: THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND HIS FAILURE TO DISCONTINUE THE APPROACH WHEN IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THE GUSTING CROSS WINDS WERE EXCEEDING THE ABILITY OF THE AIRCRAFT. 17th Sept 2009 N4DD Mount Vernon, Illinois: The aircraft flipped over while landing due to gusty wind conditions. The pilot was hospitalized with moderate to serious injuries. 22nd Aug 1987 Rand Robinson KR-2 N2262N Mattituck, NY WITNESSES OBSERVED THE EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT ACFT IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE DESCENT WITH ITS PROP ROTATING. NO WITNESSES WERE LOCATED WHO SAW THE ACFT PRIOR TO THE DESCENT, HOWEVER, PILOTS IN THE AREA REPORTED THAT WINDS WERE TURBULENT AND GUSTY. THE ACFT IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH ITS WINGS LEVEL AT AN ANGLE OF BETWEEN 45 AND 60 DEGREES. ALTHOUGH THE POST-CRASH INVESTIGATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED USE OF NON-AVIATION PARTS AND IMPROPER INSTALLATIONS IN ITS CONSTRUCTION, NONE COULD BE TIED TO THE LOSS OF CONTROL OBSERVED BY THE WITNESSES. EXAM OF THE ACFT FLT CONTROLS AND THE POWERPLANT DID NOT REVEAL ANY PRE-IMPACT FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS. THE SEATBELTS WERE MISRIGGED AND PULLED OUT. THE PLT REPORTEDLY ROUTINELY OPERATED THE ACFT AT LOW ALTITUDES.*** The lesson about the canopy is a good one but everyone by now (I hope) has mounted a flexible piece of aluminum that automatically slides over a bolt when the canopy is closed. It's a fair-safe device that works beautifully. As for spinning, I wonder if Sam Bailey did them when he would demonstrate the KR's aerobatic skills? I never witnessed any of his airshows but he would be the one to discuss spins with. What I know is no aircraft easily breaks a developed spin with an aft CG . . . and KR's tend to naturally be slightly heavy in the tail. That's one reason stick forces are so light. Two people in the cockpit make that tail heavy tendendy ten times worse, although many netters have no trouble at all with two people in the cockpit - in their modified KR's. The standard KR is a bear with two people in it. Mine sure was - my first one . . . not the one I have now although since it only has one seat it would certainly also be troublesome with two people. I haven't spun mine but with a full header tank and nothing in the baggage I wouldn't be afraid to try. I probably won't though. I get dizzy. ***20th Jan 1997 Rand Robinson KR-2 N456J Corona, CA Pilot killed: Pilot stated going to practice stalls & spins. 22th June 1985 Rand Robinson KR-2 N8483Y Laurel, MT DRG A TEST FLT, THE PLT MADE A FAST TAXI RUN, THEN TOOK OFF ON RWY 21. AFTER TAKEOFF, HE MADE A GRADUAL CLIMB & SHALLOW LEFT TURNS TO A DOWNWIND, CIRCLED THE airport & REENTERED A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 21. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE PLT MADE A POWER REDUCTION & BEGAN A SHALLOW BASE TURN. THE LEFT WING THEN DROPPED & THE ACFT ENTERED A SPIN. AFTER SPINNING ABOUT 2/3 OF A TURN, THE ACFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A STEEP DSCNT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND. THE PLT HAD LOGGED NO FLT TIME FOR KR-2 ACFT; HOWEVER, HE HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN N8483Y ON 1/26/84. ON THAT FLT, HE HAD A PROBLEM WITH BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE SENSITIVITY OF THE FLT CONTROLS & DECIDED TO ABORT. DURING THE LANDING (ON 1/26/84), THE LANDING GEAR & PROP WERE DAMAGED. TOXICOLOGY TESTS SHOWED THAT THE PLT HAD A BLOOD/ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 47 MG% (0.047%), BUT NO ALCOHOL WAS FND IN HIS URINE. THE AMOUNT OF BLOOD/ALCOHOL DUE TO PUTREFACTION WAS NOT VERIFIED.*** > "Avoid at all costs flying with your cg at the aft limits." KR's fly just fine with aft-CG. Most of them come out of the workshops that way. With aft-CG they go further and faster, thanks to less induced drag. Even if you stall with an aft-CG configuration, the KR airfoil is exceedingly forgiving. It actually doesn't really stall, just mushes down and immediately starts flying when back pressure is released. I've got a lot of space for baggage back of my seat (mine is a true KR-1½ - not a KR-2 with one seat in it) and it's usually full of "stuff" - a 24 cu. ft. O2 tank, tools, spare tires & tubes, survival water plus cold weather clothes (sweat pants & thick hoodie), oil, etc. A mildly aft-CG condition is my aerodynamic norm. - true I think for most KR flyers. As for cross-controlling being deadly . . . jeez Henni, I have no fear of crossed controls with lining up with the runway, on that turn to final. The wing is such a gentle wing that it will warn you early on if you are doing something it doesn't like. ***17th April 1987 Rand Robinson KR-2 ZS-VNJ Mike Findon, Sakkie Halgreen 2 ±7km from Lanseria Airport, Gauteng Apparently the aircraft had been built to "non-standard" construction with a fuel tank behind the pilots. In order to get the centre of gravity back into limits, a lead weight was bolted to the propeller hub behind the spinner. During the test flight the lead weight came flying out, took out the wooden propeller, which caused engine vibration necessitating an engine shut down. Due to the aft centre of gravity, the aircraft stalled and went into a very flat unrecoverable spin and impacted the ground at a high rate of descent.*** You mean well Henni in compiling these "lessons", however the KR is a predictable, wonderfully-handling airplane and just about all that stuff you list as lessons do not apply at all. They're simply silly - which is why nobody other than me has bothered to comment on them. The KR is an elegant little airplane and if properly equipped is capable of flight in any weather, day or night, winds be damned. It's not a microlight. Mike KSEE ____________________________________________________________ We Say GoodBye To Sally Fields iflperfecttouch.com http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/59c589addc1e9ac4ca4st03vuc _______________________________________________ Search the KRnet Archives at https://www.mail-archive.com/krnet@list.krnet.org/. Please see LIST RULES and KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html. see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to change options. To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@list.krnet.org _______________________________________________ Search the KRnet Archives at https://www.mail-archive.com/krnet@list.krnet.org/. 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