Orma, That was a great KRnet post! I always like the posts that put me into the airplane and make me think "what would I do". Helps me continue the fight to complete the plane!
-- Ross On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 07:05:46 -0500, Orma Robbins <o...@aviation-mechanics.com> wrote: > Hi Net > In reference to "the recommended 50 foot hop" My first flight in my KR > happened as a result of attempting to perform a 3rd tail up tail down > transition on the same run. I only had a total of 60 hours and that > included 43 to get my private in C150's, and no tail time. I had been > practicing high speeds for several days and never counted the hours, > probobly near 10. On this occasion I accelerated and lifted the tail, > which > happens within seconds. In fact you push the throttle adjust your track > down the centerline, adjust rudder pressure for P factor and lift the > tail. > By that time you will have rudder authority. On the third attempt I had > forgotten to cut the power and the KR popped of the ground. In a flash > the > thought passed that if I were going to crash land this craft, that at > least > I was going to fly it first. That was my first flight. Like Larry and > all > before him and all before me, I was scared to say the least. The KR > being > faater in the pattern then I was used to, went around and was ready to > land > before I was. My CFI later told me that I should have left the pattern > and > practiced some slow flight so that I could see what kind of desent rate > the > craft had.. Any way as I attempted to land I found that my idle was too > high and although it would tach at 800 on the ground, in the air on > desent > the idle would not go below 1200. My plan was for a wheel landing thus > my > approach and flair was shallow. The KR just kept going and going and > would > not settle to the runway, was flying in gournd effect at 1200 rpm. Near > the > end of the 10,000 foot runway I cut the engine and the KR finally > settled to > the ground. As far as the great debate as to Can you or can you not be > a > low time pilot or no tail time pilot and master the KR, I'm sure it can > be > done. Remember it only takes 10 hours to Solo in the first place. At > lease > for me, others take from 10 to 50 or more. One other point that I would > make is that I have flown one other Tail dragger and that was a Cessna > 205 > Bird Dog dressed in Air Force war paint. Most other Tail draggers have a > longer arm (Tail) then the KR and handle entirely different, except that > the > tail up tail down transition is the same. That I think is the most > useful > information you would get from flying another TD and I feel is the key > to a > safe landing. You keep the tail up until it won't fly any more then you > pull the stick back and taxi. In a tri gear, you don't land on the nose > gear anyway, after touch down you push the nose over only after the > airspeed bleeds off a little. In the KR first you flair and land, and > except for full stall landings, you stay on the mains let the speed bleed > off and then pull back. > Orma L. Robbins > o...@aviation-mechanics.com > aka AviationMech > 19 Years flying the KR-2 > 20 this August > > > _______________________________________ > to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html -- Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/