I am just curious. Has anyone ever flown a plane that has lighter stick forces than a KR, fly by wire does not count???
The 1940 Bellanca with a stick (14-12 I think) had very light forces. A friend of mine who had flown in the Battle of Briton and later with the US Navy in the Pacific and even later in P51s with the USAF flew mine and said it had a roll rate that equaled anything he had ever climbed into. He may have been biased though as he just loved Bellancas. The '46 '47 (14-13) with a wheel was also flown with just the finger tips. However, the next generation had much heavier controls. Most first time Bellanca pilots flying those earlier models that had a Cessna background usually found themselves suddenly 20 feet or better above the runway the first time they tried to flair out. If you know of one on your airfield try to get a ride in it. It is a tail dragger but once you get use to it you can land it almost anywhere and under almost any conditions. The next generation with the Lycoming engine and the hydraulic operated gear had a very heavy feel. John (Tucson AZ)
