Another reason for having the wheel down in case of a water landing is that you'd generally try to land close to shore where the water might be (very) shallow with rocks and other nasties lurking under the surface. The undercarriage provides more buffer than the bits material of your choice under your backside.
Ulrich Stauss -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Roger Druce Sent: Monday, 28 April 2008 12:07 To: 'Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.' Subject: [Aus-soaring] Wheel up or down? The Duo Discus T flight manual says: "Emergency water landing "From experience gained on the occasion of a composite sailplane landing on water with its undercarriage retracted, the crew must take into consideration that, in the case of the "Duo Discus T", the entire cockpit might get forced under the water. "Therefore an emergency landing on water should only be chosen as a last resort and the main wheel should always be extended." Roger Druce
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