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Kevin I practice power off landings, pulling back to idle abeam the numbers, full up trim and do a circle to the numbers. I conciously keep the nose below the horizon to keep from getting too slow. Frankly, I'm not watching my airspeed too much but more on how my approach is shaping up. I'd guess I'm between 70-80 mph. I like to keep the nose down and some energy on the airplane. Doing this, I'm almost always a little high on final and will slip as needed to drop altitude. I don't know what I'd do if I found myself high on final with no rudder pedals - the slip works beautifully because you can maintain your energy (airspeed) while sinking faster. The plane recovers instantly from the slip. It will probably be different for each airplane, but a CFI and I tried a number of speeds and evaluated the power-off rate of descent. For my airplane, 70MPH IAS now seems to be the magic number. It used to be 100MPH IAS until I recently reconnected my pitot static lines on the left wing. 70 MPH now gives the best rate of climb and the lowest rate of descent (about 500fpm) at idle. My coupe will very gently stall at idle, with full fuel and a passenger if I pull through the spring "warning" to max up travel. It barely drops the nose and you can just hold back pressure and it will lightly bob up and down losing 50-100 feet each cycle. In this mode, it indicates somewhere around 40-50MPH. Maybe I should pay more attention to the airspeed indicator and less to the "seat of my pants" but the airplane has a definite feel/sound when the airspeed is good. Hope this helps Tim -----Original Message----- From: Kevin Gassert [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, July 18, 2004 6:06 PM To: 'Tim and Martha Briggs'; 'Licentious 99'; [email protected] Subject: RE: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Approach and landing speeds. Tim, Have you not found any airspeed that will allow you to pull the throttle before turning base and make a landing power off? Kevin -----Original Message----- From: Tim and Martha Briggs [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2004 6:36 PM To: Licentious 99; [email protected] Subject: RE: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Approach and landing speeds. ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- My two cents: I've been trying different techniques to get a smooth landing and settled into the following for my 415G w/0200. My airspeed indicator was reading high for so long I focused more on power and trim settings: Downwind Solo: 2000 rpm, full up trim holds me level. If I have a passenger, 2100 rpm works. Base: Pull back to 1500 rpm (1600rpm with a pax), establish 500fpm decent rate Final: Keep 1500/1600 rpm all the way down final, keeping the nose down. Flare: I "power through" initial ground effect and begin to flare while SLOWLY pulling off the power - about the same rate of up elevator input and throttle retarding. Touchdown: If I did everything right, it squeaks on the mains as the throttle hits its stop. Relax back pressure on the roll out. I have found this process gives me fairly consistent greasers and I'm off the runway at the first exit. I used to pull off the power over the numbers but often found myself too slow and sinking in the flare - requiring a blast of power. I have to consciously keep the nose down as I go through inital ground effect or I flare too high and then sink. The coupe to me has a non-linear (exponential?) rate of sink with decreasing airspeed. If I get below a certain speed, it just sinks and the elevator has little to no effect - even with the spring-loaded extra elevator travel on the G model. Hope this helps Tim -----Original Message----- From: Licentious 99 [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2004 12:01 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Approach and landing speeds. ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- Just to beat a dead horse let me add my two cents worth!! I have a 415D and have have found that you need to start the flare at 80mph (power off) because at 70mph you run out of elevator, perioid, end of discussion!!! I thought these numbers were high but I read what Greg and others have said and they are right. Below 70mph (Power off) I am out of elvevator and must add a little power. I might say that adding power has not been a problem....even greased it in nicely a few times .... but not good technique and my hardest landings were always when I ran out of elevator. I have compared my Lowrance GPS speed with the IAS in the Ercoupe and they agree within a few MPH at all altitudes and speeds on calm days. My IAS is CORRECT. I have found that at 1750 RPM (C-85 engine) and 80 MPH I am right on the glide path at KHWO. After going to idle I flare at 80 MPH and touch down by 70 MPH and never need to add power. On windy/gusty days or crosswind days I add a little speed to 85MPH at flare.....this works for me very well. If I flare below 80 MPH I may ar may not have to add power...it is hit or miss. Ed Burkhead is right about everything vis a vie Ercoups but as regards this issue I would tend towards the higher approach speeds if it was your first landing in a 415D. Regards, Ed _________________________________________________________________ Discover the best of the best at MSN Luxury Living. http://lexus.msn.com/ ========================================================================== == == To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/ ========================================================================== == == To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/ ========================================================================== ==== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/
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