Garry,
What they were talking about was the traditional "short field landing"
technique, which is supposedly taught to all student pilots (although I
have met several CFIs who do not understand it). Basically, you fly the
approach at a high angle of attack and low airspeed, while carrying some
power to control your sink rate. At the extreme, by using significant
power to produce airflow over the wings, you can decrease your speed on
approach below the normal stall speed. You then have to add additional
power just before touchdown to arrest your sink rate, since there is
usually not enough ground effect to allow a flare. You then chop power at
or just before touchdown, which results in a very short rollout. Using
this technique, for example, I have been able to consistently land a Cessna
150 in 200 feet or less.
There are problems with this technique, however. First, any power loss
leaves you in deep doo-doo. At best you will land short of the runway,
more likely a stall. Second, the touchdown is usually harder than the
normal flared touchdown. Third, bad piloting can also result in a stall.
In the Europa, a stall is very likely to lead to a spin, in any case that
close to the ground recovery is unlikely.
In any case, with a normal airplane short field landings are best only
done when needed. If sufficient runway is available make a normal
approach. The advantage of using this technique with a MONOWHEEL Europa is
that it shortens the rollout period significantly, which is when they can
get very interesting.
Bill Stewart, N6LB
----------
> From: gstout@us.ibm.com
> Subject: Power on Landings
> Date: Wednesday, June 28, 2000 9:21 AM
>
>
>
> Tony Krzyzewski wrote.........
>
> "in the last stage of flare adding roughly
> 1/3 throttle resulted in a dramatic reduction in the roll distance."
>
> I must be missing something here. My experience (70 hrs) in my trigear
> demonstrates that the Europa wants to float down the runway. Adding
power
> only seems to exacerbate the problem, ie: extending the float further.
> Have I misunderstood some technique?
>
> Regards,
> Garry
> N4220S A060 Trigear
> (813) 878-3929
> FAX (813) 878-5651, Internet ID Gstout@us.ibm.com
>
>
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