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Yo, Ed Are you sure the "D" you made these hundreds of landings in was rigged, per Type Certificate 787, for 9º max. up elevator (the rudder hole is at 13º for the "C")? Are you sure the control shaft had its stop located per spec.? Are you saying that four degrees difference in up elevator movement don't significantly affect landing characteristics? Fred Weick was so disappointed in the landing characteristics of the spec-rigged "D" Model (as CAA approved) that only two production ones left the factory. I understand the original owners of both had these ships converted to Model CD (with 13º up elevator, but only 1260# gross allowed) as was all subsequent factory production until Sanders' "E" Model. My recollection is that nose-high trim in the "D" with power gave the most benign descent and arrival. Loss of power on such an approach, once committed, would result in a touchdown both earlier and shorter than desired...before the runway and maybe into the "blast" fence. The fence at the other end of the runway was certainly not a factor of concern! Any coupe with the split elevator becomes an "E" Model or higher They aren't rigged as a "D" nor do they fly like one. The sole reason the split elevator came to be was to regain the authority lost with the 9º limit, secure the CAA's blessing, and achieve a usable 1400# gross weight (a huge selling point over earlier models). BUT does anyone that has flown a "C" or "CD" much really like the change in yoke "feel" as the "low speed warning cushion" spring takes effect (or it's weight)? :<) Regards, WRB ---------------------------------------- on 09/05/03 10:56 PM, Ed Burkhead at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any > advice in this forum.]---- > > > > Bill wrote: >>> > The "D" Model does not have the up-elevator authority to > bleed off forward speedthis way...it doesn't land well > without full "noew-up" trim...which means if you lose > power late in your usual approach you land short with > forward progress possibly arrested by the wrong side of > the airport fence! The 9º up elevator limit on the "D" > is a safety hazard created and perpetuated unnecessarily > without meaningful purpose by CAA/FAA bureaucrats! > << > > Bill, > > Rude noise and disagreement. I did many hundreds of landings in a D > without any problems. > > I didn't have to use full nose up trim (even a little old lady can pull > the yoke full back in a Coupe - I just used two fingers to overcome the > trim for the flare). I did in fact bleed off forward speed by gradually > pulling back on the yoke during the flare (6" above the runway) to reach > the limiting stop just as I touched. > > If you lose power late in the approach in a D model, you just keep your > airspeed pegged where you wanted it and do your flare a bit closer to > the end of the runway than you had planned. Since a D should no more be > flown down the final approach at full up elevator than a C should be, it > just doesn't make a darn bit of difference which model you have for this > purpose. > > The only time I was threatened by the fence at the far end of the runway > was when the [EMAIL PROTECTED] Goodyear brakes popped a clip as I tried to > stop at > midfield for the turnoff. Even then, I did a U turn at the end of the > runway and stopped in the weeds without damage. > > I would assert that ANYONE can learn to fly a D model with full safety. > At the same time, I think the FAA should grant a blanket STC for > installing the split elevator on any Coupe that doesn't already have > one. > > Ed Burkhead > http://edburkhead.com/ > [EMAIL PROTECTED] (remove the XXX) > ========================================================================== ==== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers-tech/
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