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----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- Responses below, interspersed in text. Ed Burkhead http://edburkhead.com/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Larry at MAGIC VAC [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, December 06, 2002 9:49 AM To: Sydney Cohen Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Ralph.Maria Finch; Ercoupe Hangar Flying Subject: Re: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Slowest Cruise Speeds Larry said: > I think we're all missing the real point here. There are several points running around here. The thread started with a question about low-speed cruise but split into a discussion of low-speed approaches. This message is about flying a low speed approach with resulting high sink rate so I'll discuss that subject. Larry said: > If you try and extend your glide and come up short, you're > going to hit the ground real hard, and it won't be a minor > damage situation. My CFI used to tell me that a good > landing is one that you can walk away from. I > doubt that 900 ft sink would end up a good landing. Larry, if you're low OR low and slow, the ONLY options are add power or land in a field short of the runway. You NEVER try to extend your glide with anything but power since the normal approach speed is ALREADY your best glide ratio. (Rare exception: approaching against a strong headwind you might extend your glide by INCREASING your airspeed by 10-20 mph to improve your penetration against the headwind.) On the other hand, the low speed approach is possible in a Coupe when you are TOO HIGH. Yes, you can deliberately get a very good sink rate in a Coupe if you slow the plane to near minimum flying speed. Be aware: in a Coupe, flown within weight and center of gravity limits, this is NOT a stalled condition. You do get some buffeting from some stall burble coming off the wing root and hitting the empennage but the outer 2/3rds of the wings should be flying nicely with full control. (See <http://www.ercoupe.org/> http://www.ercoupe.org FAQ section titled: "This plane is characteristically incapable of spinning? It can't spin or stall?") If you do an approach in this low-speed/high-sink-rate regime, you MUST have the intelligence to DROP the nose and regain a normal approach speed BEFORE contact with the ground. I found in my flight tests that I'd need to drop the nose about 150-300 feet above the ground. This gave another good drop in altitude but gave a nice airspeed with which to flair and a nice margin to land with zero sink rate (squeek-squeek). If you aren't smart enough and BRAVE enough to drop the nose when you're getting close to the ground (so you can get your airspeed up and your sink rate down), you'd BETTER NOT be trying the low-speed/high-sink-rate Coupe final approach!!!!!! Larry said: > And, lest we all miss the point, cut power, pull back on the > yoke, and she'll settle into a normal flying attitude, but > make no mistake, you are in a stall. Make no mistake! You are NOT in a stall in a Coupe that is within weight, balance and rigging specs. Flying the approach at 50 mph (4400 fpm) and descending at 1000 fpm gives you a 4.4:1 glide ratio and that's a pretty steep descent. On the other hand, flying the approach at 65 mph with a little power so you have 350 fpm rate of descent gives a 16:1 glide ratio (or a 6% glide angle) and gives you plenty of energy to flare and float a little down the runway. This isn't all that difficult. Just BE SURE you drop the nose with AT LEAST 150-300 feet of altitude left and GET YOUR AIRSPEED BACK TO THE NORAML RANGE if you ever do try the low-speed/high-sink-rate approach or you WILL regret it! ( IMHO :-) ) Personally, I occasionally used the high sink rate approach under perfect conditions but usually, if I was so high I needed to lose that much altitude, I'd just go around. I practiced it occasionally so it would be in my repertoire in case of a loss-of-power emergency. Ed Burkhead http://edburkhead.com/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] ========================== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm ========================== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm
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