Bob,
That was an excellent description of the monowheel handling that anyone like
myself getting up to speed would appreciate. I would ask one more thing, if
you don't mind. Can you describe the cross wind handling of the aircraft? I
have not flown in any more than 5 knots of wind so far and in my last 10
hours of flight time, I plan to focus mostly on that regime of flight. I
understand the straightening of the aircraft just prior to touchdown, but I
am wondering if your timing is a little off, what happens. If you input the
rudder too early, the airplane will start to drift sideways, unless you bank
into the wind. You will end up touching down in a sideways drift. I have
ended up drifting sideways a couple times with no winds and it seemed to not
be a problem. If you input the rudder too late, you will be hitting in a
crab, which I would think would be a big problem, giving the unstable nature
of a tail dragger.
Can you touch down on the up wind out rigger in these airplanes first? There
is a slight amount of bank possible when the airplane is on the main, but the
main is not compressed.
This is the last item I need to get through before feeling that I made the
right decision in the gear configuration of my airplane. I feel somewhat as
I did 24 years ago as a student pilot -- watching the flags while driving to
the airport. Part of this is due to knowing a Europa owner who ground looped
his monowheel airplane twice. I can see what the possibilities are and don't
want the same thing to happen to me!
Thanks again for the great description!
Dave
A227
Mini U2
28 hours
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