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----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- Pete, Here are my recommended steps for success - they worked well for me up to 25 mph direct cross wind: 1. Ensure that when on the ground, the tail is at or near design height of 72 inches. This ensures that you have low angle of attack on the ground and your plane will not be skittish before you reach good flying speed. You'll have good weight on the wheels and on the nose-wheel. You may need new donuts (and possibly spacers) to achieve this. If you haven't accomplished step one, don't bother to proceed to step two. 2. Let the trim be in the middle. I always pushed my trim to a higher speed (nose down) for take-off than I used for the landing approach. Nose down trim means the tail won't be trying to lower itself during the take-off run. If the tail stays high, the weight stays on the nose wheel. (Exception: soft or very bumpy field where you want weight off the nose as early as possible.) 3. Let it stay on the ground till you get to solid flying speed. You should NOT have to push forward on the yoke if you have the trim set correctly. 4. When you do lift off - in a "commanding fashion" :-) -- let the plane do a coordinated turn into the wind to take up whatever crab angle you need to track the extended runway centerline as you climb out. I'd observe that almost all Coupe take off and landing problems are greatly exaggerated by a drooping tail which a.) gives too high an angle of attack at too low an airspeed and which b.) un-weights the nose wheel when you want it to have solid contact and steering on the ground. Getting the tail up, on the ground, also stops the wing-lifting that droopy-tailed Coupes are prone to. Ed Burkhead http://edburkhead.home.insightbb.com/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Pete Thomson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 2:14 PM To: 'Coupe general' Subject: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Take off Hullo everyone, at the risk of being lynched I am turning to the group for assistance with my take offs. I nearly lost the Coupe twice last week end and there was not even a significant crosswind. I did everything according to the book and held the plane down as long as I could then took off in a commanding fashion. The first time it weathervaned into the wind and while I was keeping the wings level I darn near wnet inro a fuel tank farm on the one airport and the control tower on the other. the cross wind was maybe 5 knots, the headwind about 15. I have read and re read the bok but all I hear is how "easy and friendly" a Coupe is in a crosswind. What am I doing wrong? Both times I had to really drop the one wing to get out of trouble and was very lucky I was not anywhere near gross. The engine RPM is fine and the controls are rigged properly. The picture in the book of this Coupe tracking down the runway ina crab has not happenned to me, mine goes straight towards the windand does not track straight at all. I have just put an awfull lot of work into this plane and don't want to part with it, but I am very uncomfortable flying it right now. Any advice would be appreciated. It is a 415D 85 with metal wings and old style fuel tanks, appears to have a climb out prop because cruise is only 85 MPH. If the flight manual is BS and the flight characteristics I have described are normal, then if anyone knows of someone looking for a Coupe in vrey good condition, have them email me please. I don't want to take off in the manner I have in a cross wind of only 5 knots. I have 100 hours in this Coupe between last year and this one. Your input as a group would be much appreciated, Pete. The Coupe is in Alaska. Pete :-):-):-):-):-) Have a great day!!! ================================================================== TO UNSUBSCRIBE go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm ====================== TO UNSUBSCRIBE go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm
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