Author Topic: Fastest way from 20,000ft to tarmac (Read 754 times)

yuto · « **on:** October 12, 2005, 01:12:28 PM »

Call me impatient, but I'm always trying to figure out the best way to bleed energy as fast as possible during my decent to landing. I'll usually dive in to the traffic pattern at full speed until I'm about 1 runway length from the airport, at which point I'll slam down whatever flaps the plane will let me and then kick it into a hard left stall-spin. It works fine most of the time, except when I get too ambitious in a 190 or something and pancake the thing near the touchdown point. The hard part is gaging your altitude so that when you recover, you're not too high that your speed will start picking up again, but not too low that people laugh at you at the end result.

Anyone else have their own unorthodox techniques that they'd like to share?

Btw, a good friend of mine knew someone at his flight school that frequently did that in his Cessna 152. He eventually got busted by the FAA or something:lol

frank3 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 12, 2005, 02:18:41 PM »

LOL great story

I've heard stories of people never using their gear because they'll stop faster!

I usually try to make the best landing as possible though, about 150 mph approuch speed, flaps fully deployed, gear down (!!) and a 3-point touch-down

slimm50 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 12, 2005, 02:20:57 PM »

I sometimes come in hot, and cross-controls, then flare out at th last second over teh rw. This seems to have the tendency to dump alt quickly while also slowing forward speed. Just be sure there's enough air under you (100 feet, or so) when you un-cross your controls or you could mush into th ground.

edit: I also dump flaps asap when I do this. This really helps slow my forward momentum, while the ground rushes up dizzyingly fast.

RTSigma · « **Reply #3 on:** October 12, 2005, 02:34:42 PM »

I like coming in on an actual landing depending on the mission. I'll RTB to a field that is a field or so from the front and line up on the runway at about %25 throttle at 1k and slowly descend, dropping the throttle, lowering flaps, and settling in.

If I need to re-up quick I kill the engine, lower the gear and flaps at any speed and skid the runway.

jigsaw · « **Reply #4 on:** October 12, 2005, 02:50:22 PM »

Roll 90 degrees, put your nose just above the horizon, keep the wings loaded 1 or 2 Gs.

Hap · « **Reply #5 on:** October 12, 2005, 03:49:20 PM »

descend afap pulling level with runway, chop throttle or turn off engine, and pull a 360 degree flat turn.

or sumpthin like that

~~hap~~

Mustaine · « **Reply #6 on:** October 12, 2005, 03:52:42 PM »

you mention the 190 flopping over on you...

learn to ride that edge, come in steep, about 3k kick full rudder, and pull out of dive. when right above touch down point you should still be too fast, so do a hard left bank turn, using rudder to slow and stop flopping over.

you should be just the right speed when you complete the circle and are lined up on the runway.

rudder skid done right i can make a 163 slow down even in a dive

DipStick · « **Reply #7 on:** October 12, 2005, 03:53:54 PM »

What's this "landing" thing?

Guppy35 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 12, 2005, 05:11:12 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by DipStick
What's this "landing" thing?

I was wondering the same thing? Why land when a good auger will do

Ghosth · « **Reply #9 on:** October 12, 2005, 05:35:38 PM »

I have 2 favorites, if the strips hot at all, I'll level to come in & buzz the runway full speed. As I cross the far end of the runway I kill power, pull hard up into a hammerhead. Pop full flaps & gear at the top. Nose down, align with runway, aim for about halfway down, and grease it in hard & fast.

To drop speed/alt fast I love doing falling leaf moves.

Cross controls, nose up till she's below 150, full flaps, & gear, then adjust dive angle to hold speed while sideslipping, cross controlling, and rudder kicking.

fungi987 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 12, 2005, 05:41:42 PM »

My fav is diving right at runway full speed with the airframe moaning like a HO'd BK.
At the threshold of the runway i pull the hardest loop to inverted the plane will do while keeping its wings attached.
At the top of the loop i lvl still inverted and deploy gear and full flaps.
Next dive inverted to a foward slip to bleed any remaining E to a nice 3 point landing. Unless i am in a spit, then i slide around a little.

JB66 · « **Reply #11 on:** October 12, 2005, 05:49:03 PM »

A while ago I would put a B17 in a nearly flat spin. It was a great way to bleed altitude without unnecessary G loadings and accumulating energy.

yuto · « **Reply #12 on:** October 12, 2005, 06:58:53 PM »

Interesting strategies indeed. . .thanks for your replies folks.

Something else that I've always wondered: how are the brakes modeled in AH? In real life, pilots who come in to do a really short field landing (like Piper cubs) will typically kill (raise) their flaps right after they touch down so they can maximize their weight on the wheels. That way, they can get more braking action without skidding. Now, at some higher speed, it might be more desirable to keep your flaps down to maximize aerodynamic drag. I'm not sure which effect is more dominating, but you're right. . .none of this would matter if I just opt for a gear-up landing.

As for what 'landing' means, Webster defines it as follows
verb
1. a level part of a staircase
2. a willfully decadent maneuver made with the intent to boast one's bounty to the open public or to bolster one's personal statistics

eskimo2 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 12, 2005, 07:25:52 PM »

Hog landing gear is rated to 404 mph. The way that beast ground loops the gear is more valuable as an air brake than for landing.

eskimo

g00b · « **Reply #14 on:** October 12, 2005, 07:38:02 PM »

I dive full speed to the airbase untill about 2-3 lengths away. Then I do 2 or 3 cross-controlled, high-g, barrel rolls. I drop gear and flaps ASAP to assist in slowing down. If I'm in fear for my life I'll land wheels up to shorten the roll-out.

g00b