I would like to get people's opinions as to the 'proper' approach and landing procedures for my '46 415D.
There's a great deal of discussion about this, but the bottom line is that the indicated approach speed
is usually higher than indicated in the manual. You start high...around 85MPH with plenty of runway, and
work your way down by increments of 5, and then 2 MPH until you find the sweet spot for typical and
for short-field landings. Generally, don't let it slip below 70-72MPH on a "D" or you'll find yourself on
the nose-wheel.
Also, in general, the 'style' of landing is a lot more like a Bonanza or Mooney than a 150 or 172. You don't
have that 'deep' cushion that you do in those planes, and you run out of up-elevator at low speeds.
The other day I took my airport next door neighbor, who owns a Piper commanche, on a flight around Long Island. He had never flown in an Ercoupe before but he has about 2000 hours of logged time in various other aircraft.
It's worth noting that a Comanche can be very sensitive to incorrect airspeed (in either dirction) over the fence, however...
All went well until I was just about to put the wheels down on the runway when he grabbed the yoke and pulled back on it because he thought we were coming in too fast.
...however there is NO excuse for any zero 'time in type' pilot to snatch the controls at the next phase of landing.
This guy deserved a good talking to, or even a thorough in-your-face yelling at.
He was ignorant that an Ercoupe is not a 150, he was ignorant that an Ercoupe CAN BE LANDED AT CRUISE
SPEED, and he was ignorant that the consequence of a fast approach might be a bounce, and he was ignorant
of the light pitch forces which could have left you 15 feet in the air and out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas all at
once. There is NO EXCUSE for that kind of decision-making.
I only have about 40 hours on the 'coupe but I did not get frazzled (which surprised even me). I pushed forward on the controls and landed smoothly. He apologized for reacting the way he did.
Thank god he didn't pull that stunt in an RV!
I usually operate at 75 to 80 mph on final, controlling my rate of descent with the throttle.
You've got it right. Don't let the Comanche driver shake your confidence in knowing how to operate YOUR
airplane.
I flare just a little over the threshold and fly the plane onto the runway, compensating for any crosswinds. Am I coming in too fast?
Not if you're flaring and not floating!
Should I try using more power with more back pressure and try to land at a lower speed?
No...the throttle should be closed when you land.
My home airport, HWV, is a 4000', wide, hard-surfaced runway. How about a landing at a 2700' grass runway?
On the hard, your normal landing distances shouldn't really be exceeding 1000 feet. An 1800 foot hard runway on
a standard day at sea-level shouldn't bother you a bit. Maybe head up to the mountain airports in Sullivan County
or come down here to Jersey and practice at Blairstown and then Andover. Or come on out to Sky Manor (N40,
my home base) for lunch. You probably need to get used to smaller runways. And perhaps smaller patterns that
don't put you beyond gliding distance to field.
As for grass, it depends more on field conditions. Short and soft-field procedures apply in the Ercoupe also.
You can drag it in, nose-high, using power and then close the throttle to settle, but that is a risky procedure
because you end up in the weeds if the engine quits. It will give you a very short landing, however. You also
can go a little fast, and touch down EXTREMELY gently and hold the nose-wheel off a soft field. With or
without the aid of some power.
Play with it. But don't get below 70 unless you still have a ton of elevator at that speed. It might bite!
Greg
