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Coupers,
At the Challenger 20th Birthday Party, Mary Jones, editor of
EAA Experimenter, told us that she was advised by an FAA very-insider she would
be “very happy” when the final Sport Pilot / Light Sport Aircraft rules were
published. Mary said this phrase
was repeated even when Mary told her source she WOULDN’T be happy unless there
was improvement on gross weight and a few other things.
I’m wondering just how far a Coupe at 1232 lb. and 13° up travel (20° up
travel with the split elevator) comes to qualifying as a LSA under the NPRM’s
guidelines. Here’s a challenge for
you to try when you are out flying.
What’s the TRUE minimum flying speed of a 415-C or any Coupe with the
split elevator at 1232 lb. gross weight and engine at idle?
Ways to test:
1. On a low wind day, glide
directly into the wind, then directly down wind while measuring speed with GPS
with the engine at idle and the yoke back at the stops. Average the two readings.
2. Have someone radar zap
you as you pull back the yoke to the stops in ground effect a couple of feet
above the runway. (Please DON’T
slow down to this speed between two feet and several hundred feet because the
sink rate is very high and the results might be “undesirable.”)
Would you 415-C and E-and-later pilots who try this please report your
results to us? Inquiring minds
want to know.
Ed
Burkhead
http://edburkhead.com/
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (remove the QQQ)
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