KR> GPS artist

[John Martindale]

Hey Mark

Are you trying to be an artist with that GPS tracklooks a bit like
Casper the ghost flying eastwardshow about going for a superman logo
next :-)

Good advice there for Adam and others who should care to listen and learn
from your experiences.

John Martindale
29 Jane Circuit
Toormina NSW 2452
Australia




-
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
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KR> Pilots and Builders

[Dan Heath]

Yea, mine would fly in smooth air for quite a while hands off, but it would
fly hands off for a really long time after I turned on the auto pilot.  And,
if you want to reduce weight, leave that tail wheel where it belongs.  YUK
YUK.



See y'all in MMV.



See N64KR at   http://KRBuilder.org - Then click on
the pics 



2015 KR Gathering - McMinnville, OR.  September 3 - 6 -- See U There.



Peoples Choice at 2013 - KR Gathering in Mt. Vernon, Il - MVN 

Best KR at 2013 - KR Gathering in Mt. Vernon, Il - MVN 

Best Interior at 2013 - KR Gathering in Mt. Vernon, Il - MVN 

Best Paint at 2013 - KR Gathering in Mt. Vernon, Il - MVN 

Best Firwwall Forward at 2013 - KR Gathering in Mt. Vernon, Il - MVN 



Best Interior and Panel at 2008 - KR Gathering in Mt. Vernon, Il - MVN





Daniel R. Heath - Lexington, SC

KR> Pilots and Builders

[n357cj]

Good question Sid. And while Mark's notes are spot on and well thought out I 
think the ideas that are missing are the things you shouldn't do if you are set 
on building light and in range. One of the most glaring to me is the obsesion 
that a number of folks have with increasing the horizontal stab. along with 
that the additional mass balancing of the elevator. I flew 2 days ago for over 
an hour and the plane trimed and flew hands off for plenty long to fold maps, 
take pictures (that is what I was doing) or what ever other task is at hand. it 
really does not need to be larger than stock in my opinion for normal flying. 
keep it light back there and another thing back there is that silly tail 
wheel... move it up front where it belongs.
Joe Horton
- Original Message -
From: "Mark Langford via KRnet" 
To: "KRnet" 
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2015 6:51:05 PM
Subject: Re: KR> Pilots and Builders

Sid Wood wrote:

 >> Ok, excellent suggestion on building the airplane to the forward end 
of the cg limit.  Just exactly how does one do that?  And still follow 
the plans? <<

There's an adequate page in my 1990 KR2 plans (page 114) that shows how 
to do the weight and balance, and an example on page 115.  That defines 
where the correct range is, although it's an accepted fact in the KR 
community that the last 2" of the 8" range should be avoided (to put it 
diplomatically). What the plans does NOT address is how to get there, 
but clearly it means shifting the heavy stuff around in whatever fashion 
is required to put the plane in the safe range, whether pilot and fuel 
only or fully loaded with  passenger and baggage (or whatever 
configurations are at the extremes of forward and aft CG).

Moving the engine forward is the most obvious way to get the CG forward, 
and spacers under the mount, 

KR> Kit planes

[n357cj]

Thanks to Jeff Scott for forewording the Kitplanes article to me. While he has 
a great air shot in there and Collin and Rob Schmidts planes took center stage 
in the photo's I counted 3 places I could see my plane ... so I think i am 
going to count that as a win.
Joe Horton

KR> KR Gathering Accommodations

[Dan Heath]

Great, I think the Vineyard will do very well and hopefully see you all at
breakfast on Friday morning.

Thank you.  I am really looking forward to this trip as I have spent some
time in Ca, and lived in Wa for several years, but never spent any time in
Or.

My Panther Building Documentation at PantherBuilder Web Site

Daniel R. Heath -?Lexington, SC


-Original Message-
From: KRnet [mailto:krnet-bounces at list.krnet.org] On Behalf Of Dan Prichard
via KRnet
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2015 11:37 AM
To: KRnet
Subject: KR> KR Gathering Accommodations

All,  Dan Heath brought up a good point yesterday about keeping the hotel
group together. I recommend the Motel 6 & Guest House Vineyard Inn. They
share the same parking lot and are a direct shot to the airport. The
Vineyard Inn has offered us the Govt rate which will range from $70-100 per
night depending on how many use the room. When you call ask for Katey and
tell her you want the government rate. They currently have 31 rooms
available. The motel 6 has not gotten back to me yet but their rates are
already low. 

Book early and often

Dan Prichard
Portland, Or

Sent from my iPhone
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KR> Pilots and Builders

[Mark Langford]

Sid Wood wrote:

 >> Ok, excellent suggestion on building the airplane to the forward end 
of the cg limit.  Just exactly how does one do that?  And still follow 
the plans? <<

There's an adequate page in my 1990 KR2 plans (page 114) that shows how 
to do the weight and balance, and an example on page 115.  That defines 
where the correct range is, although it's an accepted fact in the KR 
community that the last 2" of the 8" range should be avoided (to put it 
diplomatically). What the plans does NOT address is how to get there, 
but clearly it means shifting the heavy stuff around in whatever fashion 
is required to put the plane in the safe range, whether pilot and fuel 
only or fully loaded with  passenger and baggage (or whatever 
configurations are at the extremes of forward and aft CG).

Moving the engine forward is the most obvious way to get the CG forward, 
and spacers under the mount, or making a new mount to accomplish the 
task, is the "easy" way to make large changes.  To get the CG more aft 
(as I needed in my case), moving the battery from the firewall to 
somewhere like adjacent to the main spar is helpful, and it can even be 
put further aft of the aft spar a few bays (which is where I put my 
backup battery).  In general, I see the engine as the rough balance, and 
when everything else is done, the weight and balance shows where the 
battery, ELT, backup battery, and other stuff needs to go.  N891JF has 
2" spacers between the engine mount and firewall, which was the "common 
knowledge" solution for the aft CG problem for the KR2.

Really, the smart way to do it is build all of the airplane except the 
firewall forward, do a weight and balance, weigh the engine and mount, 
calculate where the CG of the engine needs to go, then redo the W to 
show where the mount/engine should go...shimming if necessary.  We have 
control over this, and we know to avoid the aft end of the CG range, so 
arranging for a  forward CG is the prudent way to go.  That's what I did 
on N56ML as well.  All of this stuff is detailed in the KR Newsletters, 
available at http://www.krnet.org/newsletter/.

Mark Langford
ML at N56ML.com
http://www.n56ml.com

KR> break fluid

[Robert Pesak]

 Hi everyone,Anyone know what is the correct fluid for the Cleveland-Parker 
brakes system is?http://s449.photobucket.com/user/rkpsk1/library/

KR> Pilots and Landings

[Jeff Scott]

I thought that was a normal arrival?  Kind of like the military overhead break, 
except a lot closer to the ground. :o)
-Jeff

> Oh- wait - that isn't what you meant is it..
> Joe
> 
> - Original Message -
> From: "Virgil N.Salisbury via KRnet" 
> 
>  Has anybody tried to fly the KR at 1 foot above the runway ?
>  Then go around for the landing. Get your sight  picture for
>  landing and just let it settle down. WATCH YOUR SPEED,
>  Virg
> 

KR> how many KRs at Chino?

[Jeff Scott]

Guys, go back and re-read the article.  The number "40 or so" was in reference 
to the number of attendees, not the number of planes.  Number of attendees was 
something well north of 40, but most of the time I saw 30 - 40 folks hanging 
around.  Dave Prizio was there and talked to a number of builders and pilots.  
The quotes about stalls and speeds came directly from various KR pilots and 
published Rand Robinson/NvAero numbers, which he credits with the quotes.  
Some, like Adrian Carters quote about stalls he must have found on line.  
Adrian was on the KRNet some 15 years ago, but I haven't seen anything posted 
from him for many years, so I don't know where Dave dug that up.  In reference 
to Mark, he was giving you credit for creating the EAA Webinar.  Dave may very 
well have thought you attended as your name came up a number of times and there 
was some confusion about whether you were going to show up late or not.  
Whether you actually made it there or not wasn't really pertinent to the 
statement giving you credit for creating the webinar.

Overall, based on the fact that the information in the article came directly 
from the KR pilots, I thought Dave wrote a fair piece.  The only way he could 
write a fair article about the flight characteristics of the plane would be if 
one of us handed him the keys and sent him off for an evaluation.  I'm not 
handing over my KR to another pilot.  How about you?

Give the guy a break.  Dave Prizio gave the KRs and the KR gathering some good 
publicity.  As a whole, he portrayed the KR line as a  small, high performance, 
inexpensive aircraft that is highly customizable.  I can't disagree with any of 
that.  The stuff you guys are griping about is noise level, nit picking 
non-sense.

-Jeff Scott

>
> So how many KRs made it to Chino last year?  I KNOW it wasn't 40, but would
> like to know the real number.
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks,
> 
>  
> 
> Mark Langford, Harvest, AL
> 
> ML at N56ML.com
> 
>   www.N56ML.com 

KR> Pilots and Builders

[danrh at windstream.net]

Keep it within the design gross weight and / or fiddle with the engine 
placement.  Hard to do the first, much easier to do the second.  That is what I 
did, per recommendation from Jim Faughn, when I had the VW on the Black Bird.


On Thursday, March 26, 2015 1:23 PM, Sid Wood via KRnet  wrote: 

=
Ok, excellent suggestion on building the airplane to the forward end of the 
cg limit.  Just exactly how does one do that?  And still follow the plans? 

Sid Wood 
Tri-gear KR-2 N6242 
Mechanicsville, MD, USA 
--- 
I put another couple of hours on N891JF (a fairly stock KR2) late this 
afternoon, and I was thinking that there is nothing special about flying 
this plane.  Yes, it will run circles around a 172, and it takes more 
runway, but it's just not difficult at all. It's justdifferent! 
What gets people is when they try to fly it with a CG toward the aft end 
or aft of the safe range, and then it's not just a handful, it's trying 
to kill you. 

The solution is pretty dang simple...build it with the CG near the FRONT 
of the range, because as passengers and baggage are added, the CG is 
going to move aft.  Jim Faughn built N891JF to be right on the front end 
of the CG range with him and full fuel, and I'm even lighter.  There's 
no hint of instability, obviously, and it's really not twitchy in smooth 
air (which is where I climb to for any cross-country).  It will gain or 
lose a couple of hundred feet in a minute if you're not paying 
attention, so you need to pay attention! 

One common characteristic with KRs is a lack of longitudinal (roll) 
stability.  They will typically drift off left or right and just keep on 
increasing the bank into a dive...so don't fall asleep at the stick. 
Other than these details, they are very similar to "normal" airplanes, 
but the V numbers are different, of course. 

And has been said many times, stick movement is pretty much limited to 
just "thinking" about it, while at cruise speed...slight pressure 
exerted on the stick, with no discernible movement.  About the only time 
real stick movement happens is on takeoff or landing, unless you like to 
do the occasional roll. 

Stalls are very gentle, and give PLENTY of warning.  N891JF rattles the 
elevator hinges long before you get to the stall, and it doesn't break, 
it just mushes down a little.  You'd have to be oblivious for it to 
sneak up on you and lose more than 20' of altitude.  I did several 
today, most a little less than 50 mph TAS with the belly board down. 
Turns do not significantly alter the stall characteristics, just 
increase the speed a bit. And it slips beautifully...just stomp the 
rudder pedal and correct flight path with ailerons, and it's a real hoot 
of an elevator ride. 

But a KR can lull you to sleep in calm air and practically flies itself 
with minimal input.  But even in calm air you can't spend a lot of time 
to fold a map with no hands on the stick, because moving arms and legs 
changes the weight distribution, and the plane will react accordingly. 
But that shouldn't be a surprise.  With a dual stick setup, I fly with 
my knees when doing such things as taking sunset photos.  With one stick 
that's a lot more difficult, bordering on yoga. 

As Troy Petteway once told me, "taildragger KR's are the easiest of the 
taildraggers to land", and I see no reason to argue with that.  It's not 
like flying an F-16, but it is a different mindset than a C-150.  My EAA 
flight advisor had me fly a Cub (for the first time) the morning of my 
first KR flight, but my time would have been better spent flying the KR 
earlier in the day in the calm air of the early morning. 

I guess my best advice would be to get a little (even ten minutes would 
help) stick time in a KR before flying yours for the first time, and 
keep in mind to make very subtle stick movements.  And go to altitude to 
ascertain stall speed, then approach a long runway at maybe ten percent 
higher than that and just wait for the speed to bleed off and let the 
plane gently settle onto the ground. 

If this plane were so difficult to fly, I wouldn't climb into it at 
every opportunity and just fly around the neighborhood for two hours 
like I did today.  Eight takeoffs and landings, some stall and cruise 
speed testing, a great sunset unfolding, and more dinosaurs liberated. 
See attached image... 

Mark Langford 
ML at N56ML.com 
http://www.n56ml.com 




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KR> KR1 LSA QUALIFICATION

[danrh at windstream.net]

Easy to meet that constraint, the stall speed is the one you need to be 
concerned about.  And it has to be "clean", no lift devices required.  You can 
have them, but they cannot be used to test the stall speed.

Gross weight will probably be the thing you most have to keep in check to be 
able to meet that requirement.

On Thursday, March 26, 2015 1:47 PM, Sid Wood via KRnet  wrote: 

=
My hangar partner converted his Pulsar XP for LSA operation.  Of course the 
Pulsar XP does meet all the LSA requirements except for the non-LSA cruise 
speed of 150 Kts. He tested the cruise speed for 120 Kts operation and noted 
the engine RPM.  He placarded that engine RPM on the instrument panel.  He 
then wrote the Washington FSDO that he was converting to LSA operation.  He 
called the FSDO and they said his letter was on file and not to expect a 
reply.  He made no modification to the aircraft other than the cruise RPM 
placard and a log book entry.  He has been operating his Pulsar XP as an LSA 
for four years now.  (And pays little attention to the LSA RPM placard.) 

Sid Wood 
Tri-gear KR-2 N6242 
Mechanicsville, MD, USA 
 
HAS ANY BODY SUCCESSFULLY CONVERTED THEIR KR 1 TO AN LSA?  AND WHAT WERE 
THE REQUIREMENTS TO DO THIS. 

Marty Greg Martin 




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KR> KR1 LSA QUALIFICATION

[Sid Wood]

My hangar partner converted his Pulsar XP for LSA operation.  Of course the 
Pulsar XP does meet all the LSA requirements except for the non-LSA cruise 
speed of 150 Kts. He tested the cruise speed for 120 Kts operation and noted 
the engine RPM.  He placarded that engine RPM on the instrument panel.  He 
then wrote the Washington FSDO that he was converting to LSA operation.  He 
called the FSDO and they said his letter was on file and not to expect a 
reply.  He made no modification to the aircraft other than the cruise RPM 
placard and a log book entry.  He has been operating his Pulsar XP as an LSA 
for four years now.  (And pays little attention to the LSA RPM placard.)

Sid Wood
Tri-gear KR-2 N6242
Mechanicsville, MD, USA

HAS ANY BODY SUCCESSFULLY CONVERTED THEIR KR 1 TO AN LSA?  AND WHAT WERE
THE REQUIREMENTS TO DO THIS.

Marty Greg Martin

KR> Pilots and Builders

[Sid Wood]

Ok, excellent suggestion on building the airplane to the forward end of the 
cg limit.  Just exactly how does one do that?  And still follow the plans?

Sid Wood
Tri-gear KR-2 N6242
Mechanicsville, MD, USA
---
I put another couple of hours on N891JF (a fairly stock KR2) late this
afternoon, and I was thinking that there is nothing special about flying
this plane.  Yes, it will run circles around a 172, and it takes more
runway, but it's just not difficult at all. It's justdifferent!
What gets people is when they try to fly it with a CG toward the aft end
or aft of the safe range, and then it's not just a handful, it's trying
to kill you.

The solution is pretty dang simple...build it with the CG near the FRONT
of the range, because as passengers and baggage are added, the CG is
going to move aft.  Jim Faughn built N891JF to be right on the front end
of the CG range with him and full fuel, and I'm even lighter.  There's
no hint of instability, obviously, and it's really not twitchy in smooth
air (which is where I climb to for any cross-country).  It will gain or
lose a couple of hundred feet in a minute if you're not paying
attention, so you need to pay attention!

One common characteristic with KRs is a lack of longitudinal (roll)
stability.  They will typically drift off left or right and just keep on
increasing the bank into a dive...so don't fall asleep at the stick.
Other than these details, they are very similar to "normal" airplanes,
but the V numbers are different, of course.

And has been said many times, stick movement is pretty much limited to
just "thinking" about it, while at cruise speed...slight pressure
exerted on the stick, with no discernible movement.  About the only time
real stick movement happens is on takeoff or landing, unless you like to
do the occasional roll.

Stalls are very gentle, and give PLENTY of warning.  N891JF rattles the
elevator hinges long before you get to the stall, and it doesn't break,
it just mushes down a little.  You'd have to be oblivious for it to
sneak up on you and lose more than 20' of altitude.  I did several
today, most a little less than 50 mph TAS with the belly board down.
Turns do not significantly alter the stall characteristics, just
increase the speed a bit. And it slips beautifully...just stomp the
rudder pedal and correct flight path with ailerons, and it's a real hoot
of an elevator ride.

But a KR can lull you to sleep in calm air and practically flies itself
with minimal input.  But even in calm air you can't spend a lot of time
to fold a map with no hands on the stick, because moving arms and legs
changes the weight distribution, and the plane will react accordingly.
But that shouldn't be a surprise.  With a dual stick setup, I fly with
my knees when doing such things as taking sunset photos.  With one stick
that's a lot more difficult, bordering on yoga.

As Troy Petteway once told me, "taildragger KR's are the easiest of the
taildraggers to land", and I see no reason to argue with that.  It's not
like flying an F-16, but it is a different mindset than a C-150.  My EAA
flight advisor had me fly a Cub (for the first time) the morning of my
first KR flight, but my time would have been better spent flying the KR
earlier in the day in the calm air of the early morning.

I guess my best advice would be to get a little (even ten minutes would
help) stick time in a KR before flying yours for the first time, and
keep in mind to make very subtle stick movements.  And go to altitude to
ascertain stall speed, then approach a long runway at maybe ten percent
higher than that and just wait for the speed to bleed off and let the
plane gently settle onto the ground.

If this plane were so difficult to fly, I wouldn't climb into it at
every opportunity and just fly around the neighborhood for two hours
like I did today.  Eight takeoffs and landings, some stall and cruise
speed testing, a great sunset unfolding, and more dinosaurs liberated.
See attached image...

Mark Langford
ML at N56ML.com
http://www.n56ml.com

KR> KR1 LSA QUAILIFICATION

[Phillip Matheson]

I am doing that now in Australia ( KR2)
But not much help to you guys in the USA.

Phil Matheson

-Original Message- 
From: Marty Martin via KRnet
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2015 7:49 AM
To: KRnet
Subject: Re: KR> KR1 LSA QUAILIFICATION

HAS ANY BODY SUCCESSFULLY CONCERTED THEIR KR 1 TO AN LSA?  AND WHAT WERE
THE REQUIREMENTS TO DO THIS.

Marty Greg Martin
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KR> break fluid

[Mark Langford]

Robert Pesak wrote:

>Anyone know what is the correct fluid for the Cleveland-Parker brakes
system is?

>From my recent N891JF update..."All of the brakes mentioned above, including
the Clevelands, use the MIL spec brake fluid, the current "standard civil
aviation" version being MIL-PRF-83282D, sold commercially as Royco 782 among
others".  Buy a quart of this stuff from www.skygeek.com  and you're
probably good for life.  This is the latest incarnation of brake fluid that
most GA aircraft use, and is less flammable.  MIL-PRF-83282D  is compatible
with the previous fluid, MIL-PRF-5606H, which Aircraft Spruce still sells.

None of the DOT (3,4,5) fluids are compatible unless you change the o-rings
in the caliper to match them.

Mark Langford, Harvest, AL
ML at N56ML.com
www.N56ML.com   

KR> Hotel update

[Dan Prichard]

All,  The motel 6 has 21 double queen and 29 single queen rooms as of this 
email. Call Crystal and mention the KR gathering and she'll book you at the 
$76,66 per night rate. That's $20 less than normal for our gathering dates. 

Dan Prichard

Sent from my iPhone

KR> Pilots and Landings

[n357cj]

Oh- wait - thatisn't what you meant is it..
Joe

- Original Message -
From: "Virgil N.Salisbury via KRnet" 

 Has anybody tried to fly the KR at 1 foot above the runway ?
 Then go around for the landing. Get your sight  picture for
 landing and just let it settle down. WATCH YOUR SPEED,
 Virg


___

KR> Pilots and Builders

[bjoenunley]

What could or would you sky write? ?

KR2??


'Looking at your map. ?I think would be pretty neat if you could spell so thing 
out up in the air and have it show up on the map."



Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone

KR> how many KRs at Chino?

[Paul Visk]

I think there was 10 KR's??there.?

Paul Visk
Belleville I'll
618 406 4705

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S?4

 Original message 
From: Mark Langford via KRnet  
List-Post: krnet@list.krnet.org
Date:03/26/2015  7:38 AM  (GMT-06:00) 
To: KRnet  
Subject: KR> how many KRs at Chino? 

So how many KRs made it to Chino last year?? I KNOW it wasn't 40, but would
like to know the real number.



Thanks,



Mark Langford, Harvest, AL

ML at N56ML.com

 www.N56ML.com 





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KR> Pilots and Landings

[Virgil N.Salisbury]

On 3/25/2015 10:58 PM, Mark Langford via KRnet wrote:
> Adam Tippin wrote:
>
> >>   I'm building a KR2S widened. 43 @ longeron shouldres.
> I'm a builder, not a pilot as of yet. I told a friend I wanted to 
> build a plane. Tim Stringer suggested the KR. So I researched all the 
> quality and quirks. I fell in love. I know I will get my license. But 
> Do you think I'm putting the kart in front of the horse?
> I would enjoy your HO's<<
 Has anybody tried to fly the KR at 1 foot above the runway ?
 Then go around for the landing. Get your sight  picture for
 landing and just let it settle down. WATCH YOUR SPEED,
 Virg

KR> KR Gathering Accommodations

[Dan Prichard]

All,  Dan Heath brought up a good point yesterday about keeping the hotel group 
together. I recommend the Motel 6 & Guest House Vineyard Inn. They share the 
same parking lot and are a direct shot to the airport. The Vineyard Inn has 
offered us the Govt rate which will range from $70-100 per night depending on 
how many use the room. When you call ask for Katey and tell her you want the 
government rate. They currently have 31 rooms available. The motel 6 has not 
gotten back to me yet but their rates are already low. 

Book early and often

Dan Prichard 
Portland, Or

Sent from my iPhone

KR> kitplanes article

[Mark Langford]

Larry Flesner wrote:

>>Well, well, well, another magazine article written from someone's
basement.  "40 KR's gather at Chino with Mark Langford in attendance (maybe
in spirit), KR's that stall and head straight for the ground, charts that
still perpetuate the 180 mph cruise speed myth of the KR's, $35,000 to
build, and an article written by Jim Faughn 25 years ago".  Really, is that
the best coverage our little birds can get?  It's too bad we can't get
someone to do a factual story of todays KR's and what wonderful little
aircraft they are.  It's really too sad.<<

I got my issue last night, and thought the same thing.  I plan to email Paul
Dye and volunteer to write it.  I'll pass it around to the pilots for "peer
review" first though!

It's funny about the 180 mph "cruise speed", which is usually defined as
"speed at 75% power", which I did just yesterday wide open at 7500' (which
gets pretty close to 75% power) and the best I could do in Jim Faughn's
slippery 2180cc powered KR2 was a little over 160 mph TAS.  I'll also give a
stab at rewriting the KR spec sheet, although it has proven tough to kill so
far...

Mark Langford, Harvest, AL
ML at N56ML.com
www.N56ML.com 

KR> kitplanes article

[Flesner]

Well, well, well, another magazine article written from someone's 
basement.  "40 KR's gather at Chino with Mark Langford in attendance 
(maybe in spirit), KR's that stall and head straight for the ground, 
charts that still perpetuate the 180 mph cruise speed myth of the 
KR's, $35,000 to build, and an article written by Jim Faughn 25 years 
ago".  Really, is that the best coverage our little birds can 
get?  It's too bad we can't get someone to do a factual story of 
todays KR's and what wonderful little aircraft they are.  It's really too sad.

Larry Flesner

KR> Pilots and Builders

[Paul Visk]

Looking at your map. ?I think would be pretty neat if you could spell so thing 
out up in the air and have it show up on the map.

Paul Visk
Belleville I'll
618 406 4705


Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S?4

 Original message 
From: Mark Langford via KRnet  
List-Post: krnet@list.krnet.org
Date:03/25/2015  9:58 PM  (GMT-06:00) 
To: krnet at list.krnet.org 
Subject: Re: KR> Pilots and Builders 

Adam Tippin wrote:

>>?? I'm building a KR2S widened. 43 @ longeron shouldres.
I'm a builder, not a pilot as of yet. I told a friend I wanted to build 
a plane. Tim Stringer suggested the KR. So I researched all the quality 
and quirks. I fell in love. I know I will get my license. But Do you 
think I'm putting the kart in front of the horse?
I would enjoy your HO's<<

I put another couple of hours on N891JF (a fairly stock KR2) late this 
afternoon, and I was thinking that there is nothing special about flying 
this plane.? Yes, it will run circles around a 172, and it takes more 
runway, but it's just not difficult at all. It's justdifferent! 
What gets people is when they try to fly it with a CG toward the aft end 
or aft of the safe range, and then it's not just a handful, it's trying 
to kill you.

The solution is pretty dang simple...build it with the CG near the FRONT 
of the range, because as passengers and baggage are added, the CG is 
going to move aft.? Jim Faughn built N891JF to be right on the front end 
of the CG range with him and full fuel, and I'm even lighter.? There's 
no hint of instability, obviously, and it's really not twitchy in smooth 
air (which is where I climb to for any cross-country).? It will gain or 
lose a couple of hundred feet in a minute if you're not paying 
attention, so you need to pay attention!

One common characteristic with KRs is a lack of longitudinal (roll) 
stability.? They will typically drift off left or right and just keep on 
increasing the bank into a dive...so don't fall asleep at the stick. 
Other than these details, they are very similar to "normal" airplanes, 
but the V numbers are different, of course.

And has been said many times, stick movement is pretty much limited to 
just "thinking" about it, while at cruise speed...slight pressure 
exerted on the stick, with no discernible movement.? About the only time 
real stick movement happens is on takeoff or landing, unless you like to 
do the occasional roll.

Stalls are very gentle, and give PLENTY of warning.? N891JF rattles the 
elevator hinges long before you get to the stall, and it doesn't break, 
it just mushes down a little.? You'd have to be oblivious for it to 
sneak up on you and lose more than 20' of altitude.? I did several 
today, most a little less than 50 mph TAS with the belly board down. 
Turns do not significantly alter the stall characteristics, just 
increase the speed a bit. And it slips beautifully...just stomp the 
rudder pedal and correct flight path with ailerons, and it's a real hoot 
of an elevator ride.

But a KR can lull you to sleep in calm air and practically flies itself 
with minimal input.? But even in calm air you can't spend a lot of time 
to fold a map with no hands on the stick, because moving arms and legs 
changes the weight distribution, and the plane will react accordingly. 
But that shouldn't be a surprise.? With a dual stick setup, I fly with 
my knees when doing such things as taking sunset photos.? With one stick 
that's a lot more difficult, bordering on yoga.

As Troy Petteway once told me, "taildragger KR's are the easiest of the 
taildraggers to land", and I see no reason to argue with that.? It's not 
like flying an F-16, but it is a different mindset than a C-150.? My EAA 
flight advisor had me fly a Cub (for the first time) the morning of my 
first KR flight, but my time would have been better spent flying the KR 
earlier in the day in the calm air of the early morning.

I guess my best advice would be to get a little (even ten minutes would 
help) stick time in a KR before flying yours for the first time, and 
keep in mind to make very subtle stick movements.? And go to altitude to 
ascertain stall speed, then approach a long runway at maybe ten percent 
higher than that and just wait for the speed to bleed off and let the 
plane gently settle onto the ground.

If this plane were so difficult to fly, I wouldn't climb into it at 
every opportunity and just fly around the neighborhood for two hours 
like I did today.? Eight takeoffs and landings, some stall and cruise 
speed testing, a great sunset unfolding, and more dinosaurs liberated. 
See attached image...

Mark Langford
ML at N56ML.com
http://www.n56ml.com


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