Oscar, I've got about 8 hours on N118DS with no further engine stopping. I've found that cutting back to 2000-2200 RPM on base allows me to bleed off speed and altitude so I'm at 400ft and 80-90mph turning final. I keep a minimum of 80mph until I've got the field locked in and about 200ft when I cut the power and fly it in. It truly does squeek in.
I tried slipping when I'm too high on final (still don't have the confidence in the VW since the 4 initial deadstick landings), and the plane drops nicely at 1000 ft/min. I haven't noticed any nose dipping or any of the problems Larry found, maybe because it's not the "S" model. Full rudder just increases the rate of descent. To line up over the runway I just take out the excess rudder and she straightens right up. As light as the plane is, however, I still get an unsettling burble as I cross over the highway just before landing. Also, air turbulence is unsettling due to the tendency to overcontrol the pitch while bouncing around. My elevator was built without a counterbalance and was too heavy for the trim to work effectively at any attitude or speed. So I placed a spring between the elevator cam and the aft spar, just strong enough to counter some of the elevator weight. Now the trim is effective and I can finally trim for level flight. I'll put another hour or so over the airport before I'll have the courage to cut the umbilical cord and fly to some of the neighboring airports. I'm not ready for that adrenaline rush yet. Don Sprague KR2 N118DS Houston, Texas
