OK all you heretics!
I shall quote from the holy scriptures here, "The Ercoupe Instruction
Manual" (Price 50 cents in 1947)
"A good airspeed reading during the approach to a landing is one between
60 and 70 mph..However, the airplane may be set on the ground at up to
twice the minimum speed.
If in the approach to landing the pilot finds that he is overshooting
slightly, he can nose the airplane down, remembering to level off and
check the vertical velocity and put in on the ground immediately at a
relatively high speed. With immediate application of the brakes, the
landing will require decidedly less overall distance than it would if
the airplane were held off the ground until minimum speed had been
reached."
AND A FINAL VERSE
"On the other hand, there is no point in steaming in at excessively high
speed, even though the speed doesn't complicate things as it might were
the airplane not landing level as it does on tricycle gear."
Emphasis is my own.
Preacher Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Behalf Of Ed Burkhead
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2008 11:11 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [ercoupe-tech] Re pattern and landing speed(s)
> "80 mph in the pattern,
> 70 mph on final, 60 mph at flair"
I'd agree to that as a starter - only if you hold it off the runway,
level, a yard or so high, until the remaining speed bleeds off and you
touch down at the slowest speed possible.
Fred Weick was insistent that the touchdown should be made at minimum
speed.
I found it to be nicest when I could stay level at a yard high till I
ran out of up elevator and it settled gently to the ground.
Advanced pilots can improve on the touchdown (with long enough runways)
by adding about 200-300 rpm above idle speed just as you flare, holding
the plane at that yard or two high with the nose held up medium so it
looks like it touches the far end runway lights. The 200 rpm and ground
effect combine to gentle the sink rate. You hold it till you run out of
up elevator and then, when it settles down, you about always get the
perfect squeak-squeak and a touchdown you can barely feel.
Ed
Ed Burkhead
http://edburkhead.com/Ercoupe/index.htm East Peoria, Illinois
ed -at- edburk???head.??com (remove the ? marks and
change -at- to @)
