Greg: The slip that you can get from the limited authority controls is definitely much less than that of other aircraft, but it markedly increases the rate of descent of my Alon. Compared with other aircraft, Alons and Ercoupes glide like round stones anyway. I learned to fly in both Coupes and Cessnas and I prefer wing-low landings, so I wouldn't buy a two-control aircraft.
Alons have a 100mph limitation with the canopy open. I haven't noticed a very large difference in drag with it open. No problem with objects flying out. I can't close the cockpit in flight once it is opened, but mine is number A-35, has a less rigid canopy than later ones, and some worn parts. David N6359V > Greg Bullough wrote: > > > Here's a few questions on a couple subjects for coupers: > > > > We all know that one of the virtues of the coupe is the > > ability to fly with the canopy open (i.e., windows rolled > > down). > > > > How well-shielded from the wind are you? Well enough that > > your baseball cap won't fly off, taking the headset with it? > > Well enough that your sectional won't get sucked out the moment > > you let it sit on your lap? > > > > What's the effect on drag, and therefore on speed, rate-of-climb, > > etc.? > > > > Is the sliding canopy of the Alons (and Mooneys, I think) differently > > behaved as regards to flying with it open? Seems like it would be a > > lot more drag-inducing. > > > > There's a lot of opinions on rudder pedals. > > > > To me, their real use would be allowing one to side-slip down final > > in order to dump altiude quickly. Could be, I guess, a real safety > > enhancement in the event of one of those dead-stick situations where > > you find you've under-estimated your glide and have too much altitude > > to land and stop, but not enough to go around. Since the Ercoupe has > > nothing like those big Cessna barn-door flaps, it's about the only > > choice. > > > > So, for you rudder-pedal equipped coupers, is there enough authority > > there to establish a big, fat, energy-dumping slip, or do the designed- > > in control limits make the resulting slip hardly worth bothering with? > > > > Greg > > > > -- > > > > Greg Bullough | AFM Local 1000 AFL/CIO > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] | K2GWB > > | PP-ASEL > > www.eclipse.net/~gwb for Compass Rogues & NY Chantey Sings
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