>Larry, >How much difference is there, landing with and without the board deployed? >Daniel R. Heath - Columbia, SC +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
When I deploy the speed brake and don't change pitch or power I get about a 10mph drop in airspeed (rough guess) and an increase in decent rate. I seem to recall from a past post that it increases my decent rate by 300+ fpm. When using the brake on landing it allows me to carry a bit of power and it helps to keep the nose down for better visibility. I think it's easier to stabilize the airspeed on approach also. Flying without it would certianly be possible but I'd hate to be without it. Like last week when I was landing at a 3000 foot grass strip, approaching along a hill, over a railroad track with powerlines, just over some trees, two grain bins and a hangar, I was able to chop power at the point 25 feet above ground and lower the nose a bit. I was down and stopped by approx 2000 feet. It would not have been as comfortable of an approach without the speed brake. Each KR flyer has a different comfort level, skills, and mission plan. You be the judge. One caution on the electrically operated speed brake. You can eat up a lot of runway waiting for the brake to retract. I may change my setup to trade power for speed on the actuation. A torque tube with different length arms maybe. Right now I have a direct push-pull setup. You can eat up about 100 feet of runway per second at 70 mph and my brake takes 7 seconds to retract. If you're not careful the pucker can pull the grin right off your face! :-) Not a problem when you have lots of cement ahead of you but when you abort halfway down a 2800 foot grass strip with trees on the end, well, that's best told over a brew or two. Larry Flesner
