AH vs R/L planes

[earl1937]

Whoa, ET has time in the Lodestar!!!  (Lodestall as skydivers like to call it, has been in a couple notable accidents after a stall on jumprun).

RE T-6 vs P-51.....the T-6 just keeps you on the edge of the seat...you have that feeling that any nanosecond it's going to bite you!!

Although it's a big, lumbering airplane the B-17 would be nigh on impossible to land or takeoff with the tail-wheel unlocked.  It's a challenge just to taxi it.  I had a B-17 type-rated pilot in the right seat of the B-24, we were #2 behind the B-17 departing Santa Barbara.  The co-pilot (new to the bombers, retired 747 Capt) was doing the flying and had the tailwheel loaded to hard (too much aft yoke) as he started the takeoff roll which caused the tail-wheel to shimmy which resulted in the lock pin failing.  Katie bar the door!  The fort started swerving down the runway with each swing getting wider and more violent.  We could see the rudder banging back and forth and smoke as they throttled trying to get her under control but they were losing the battle.  As the nose swung back to the right my copilot keyed the mic and said (MIKE, IDLE POWER!).  Smoke from all the engines as they came to idle and the airplane then continued in a straight line, instantly under control.  Bad news is they were just departing the runway off the right sign and hit one of those big black and yellow taxiway/runway marking signs -- that old Ham Standard cleaved that thing right in too leaving only a small mark in the paint on the prop.  We checked prop run out the next day, replaced the lock pin and went back to aviating.

We had a Lodestar at Atlanta Air Taxi and Calvin Franklin was the chief pilot and the only one typed in the beast! I had about 100 hours or so as co-pilot and was in the process of getting my type, when they had a accident in the maintance shop, burned up the Lockheed, a Beech Baron and an old N model Bonaza. I enjoy flying the thing in the air as it was very stable in heavy weather, which is where we used it most, but on the ground, Ha, every landing was an adventure for sure, if you had any x-wind.

[colmbo]

I rarely 3-point the taildraggers in game.  The key to a wheelie is getting the sink rate to -.00000001 at touchdown.

Some think for a wheel landing you have to come in fast and fly it onto the ground, far from true.  R/L on the B-17 we did "tail low wheel landings"...you touchdown slow but don't 3-point and bang the tailwheel.

[GScholz]

109s must be 3-pointed, preferably on grass or dirt runways. The main-wheel geometry causes toe-in when the tail is raised, causing dangerous directional instability. It has a very strong tail-wheel for this reason.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=dO9mEv5Ve54#t=64

[colmbo]

The main-wheel geometry causes toe-in when the tail is raised, causing dangerous directional instability.

Tail-draggers are designed to have toe-in....which improves ground handling. I've understand the big issue with the 109 was the camber, just read a link posted on the BBS recently that addressed the 109 gear, camber, etc.

***It is in this thread, go back a few posts.

[Hajo]

  Don't know if this is true but I read somewhere awhile back that  30%  of loses incurred by the 109 were on landing and taking off.

Any truth to that?  Also read that most 109 pilots preferred the F over the G.  Reason had to fly at high throttle settings and the 109G

required full attention at all times.  again, don't know if true but read this more then a few times.

[save]

Well if you where taking off / landing in conditions as below linked video, 30% is pretty good in any plane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp4ChYkkGSg

[earl1937]

Well if you where taking off / landing in conditions as below linked video, 30% is pretty good in any plane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp4ChYkkGSg

Sooner or later, if u fly ling enough, you will encounter cross winds which are outside the demonstrated and placarded cross wind compent of the aircraft you are flying. When that happens, you find out real quick what your skill and nerve level is! Check out this video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvypv_twqfY

[LilMak]

Sooner or later, if u fly ling enough, you will encounter cross winds which are outside the demonstrated and placarded cross wind compent of the aircraft you are flying. When that happens, you find out real quick what your skill and nerve level is! Check out this video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvypv_twqfY

I know my 170 can handle a gusting 25kt 50degree crosswind...barely. Not fun to watch the right wing on a Cessna come within a foot of the ground when you have full correction already applied and standing on the brake. Did make a pretty cool half moon skid mark on the runway (and perhaps a small one in my pants).

[mechanic]

I threw up a little in my mouth after a few violent tumbles in a pitts, that was fun

[earl1937]

I threw up a little in my mouth after a few violent tumbles in a pitts, that was fun

Were you doing a "Lomcovak"?

[mechanic]

If I have my knowledge correct a lomcovak is a tumble whilst climbing nearly vertical, is that correct?

This was a departure from level flight into a violent tumble that lost us about 2,000ft. Not to mention threw my arms and legs all over the cockpit, I have no idea how the pilot controlled anything in those conditions. I was in awe of his ability. He was about 65 and he made my 28 year old body seem inferiour!

[FLS]

If I have my knowledge correct a lomcovak is a tumble whilst climbing nearly vertical, is that correct?

This was a departure from level flight into a violent tumble that lost us about 2,000ft. Not to mention threw my arms and legs all over the cockpit, I have no idea how the pilot controlled anything in those conditions. I was in awe of his ability. He was about 65 and he made my 28 year old body seem inferiour!

According to Neil Williams there are 5 basic Lomcovaks. He got his information from Ladislav Bezak who conceived the maneuver. The main Lomcovak starts with a vertical climb and an inverted snap roll. Sounds like yours was a flick roll from level flight.

[mechanic]

I couldn't say for sure, all I know is that we hit +4/-3G during the tumble

edit: which was initiated from level flight

[earl1937]

If I have my knowledge correct a lomcovak is a tumble whilst climbing nearly vertical, is that correct?

This was a departure from level flight into a violent tumble that lost us about 2,000ft. Not to mention threw my arms and legs all over the cockpit, I have no idea how the pilot controlled anything in those conditions. I was in awe of his ability. He was about 65 and he made my 28 year old body seem inferiour!

That is the way a lot of people do them, as that is the easiest way of entry to one, but you can do them from level or inverted or steep turns. They are not a lot of fun, and I have forgotten, its been so long since I did one, probably 40 years. Seems as though from level flight and cruise power in a Pitts special, it was stick all the way right forward and full left rudder, then full forward neutral stick, gosh, I can't remember. Basically, as I remember, you have no control for first 2 tumbles and then you have to start recovery procedures, which depended on what attitude you were in to start the recovery. You could just put the Pitts controls in neutral and add a little power and it would stop tumbling as I recall. Unless you know what you are doing, I would'nt want to start one below about 8,000 AGL, but the show guys know what they are doing and can do them real low for crowd pleasing maneuvers. I'm going to fool around a little in here and see if I can do one. I doubt it, because being computer generated, its probably not programmed for such a violent maneuver.

[mechanic]

I believe it is possible to recreated in AceHigh, the only issues I know about are those concerning the physic hammerhead which seem to be not quite right somehow. But hey, this game has a better flight model than a lot of dedicated flight simulators so I am not complaining.