Nice description , Jos. There is always no substitute for experience and
yours is starting to build. Being able to write it all down like that is
a skill that depends on a very good memory. You should learn fast.
Just remember to learn something every day. I forget a lot these days so
its now essential for me! Where do you get those smilies btw, I used to
have them but one of the Thunderbird updates seems to have removed them?
Graham
josok wrote:
>
> First the disclaimer: This is a report of my personal experience, and might
> not
at all be of any help to anybody. There are several good instructions on the
net written by excellent long time pilots.
> My flying history is not very long. Less then 4 years ago i saw an interesting
program on the Discovery channel, Mark Evans building and learning to fly hi9s
Europa in 20 sequels of half an hour. That started a chain of events, leading
to the experience of really flying my own built plane by myself today. Only
after the start of the build, i went to Napels, FL to get my PPL. It took 65
hours, most of those hours doing touch and goes. I had great difficulties in
landing.
I complained about either my lack of learning capability or my instructors
lack instructional skills to an outsider instructor. He told me, it's like
riding a bike. You can't tell somebody when to push the handle-bar to prevent
the bike from falling over. I thought %&#/, does not help me, flying is
definitely
not riding a bike. But the next morning, all landings were fine, and i
was doing solo in the afternoon. It was probably the push i needed.
>>From the very start of the build people have been trying to convince me to
>>change
to a tri-gear. My good friend and low time pilot Cliff Shaw changed to a
tri-gear. A couple of days ago i found an introduction by him on another forum,
where he explains that he was not a good enough pilot for a mono. It did not
help, it's possible to kill yourself in any plane. Or bathtub. But it all added
up to the fear-factor. Dave and William came flying to Ivalo in their planes
and i had a ride in them. Both frightened me with vicious stalls, although
easily
corrected. Both landed concentrated, but without a glitch. Last year i had
to pick up a trailer and happened to be able to join Andy on his last working
day in the factory. He kindly let me try to land the mono, and it was a
disaster.
Not one time even close. I had been sitting and driving in my car for close
to 3000 km, and was not in the best condition after one night sleep. Not
a good idea.
> Then, almost all of a sudden my kit was ready and approved for test flight.
> Ivan
took it in the air and was happy with it. On the 3rd or so flight Ivan took
it through a shake out, that convinced me that his creation and my build would
take anything that i will do with it. His landings were concentrated, effortless
and smooth. We had agreed that he would train our club's instructor, and
Pentti, the instructor and Ivan were happy in half an hour. Pentti then could
take all the time needed to get me through the learning process.
> There are two ways to take off in this plane, easy and dirty and neat and a
> bit
more difficult. Pentti of course wants it the good way, and raised the tail
wheel at 30 knots. At that moment you are really flying on one wheel, the
outriggers
are off the runway, directional control is by rudder only, far less effective
then the tail wheel and the plane has to be kept level with the ailerons.
Then all of a sudden it's off and seems to rise vertically, because of the
low nose attitude with flaps. At 65 gear and flaps up, and it's like another
boost kicks in. Some training is needed here too, because it is fairly
difficult
to keep one hand steady on the stick and push hard on the gear lever. It
was one of the stages the onlookers liked most, pushing both offers spectacular
scenes :-). The easy method is to just keep back pressure on, and it will fly
itself off the runway. Then an immediate pitch down change has to happen because
otherwise speed and flying will end. Already in
th
> is stage it becomes clear that the flying controls are quite effective and
> sensitive
at low speeds. It is very easy to over control. It has to be flown with
2 fingers, not a hand.
> Landing is easy if the speeds and alignment are nailed. Coming in too fast,
> and
it will float forever. If there is only a little bit too much throttle, it
will never land. Throttle changes, especially in the level or nose up part of
the flare produce pitch changes, unless corrected, which are difficult. Dead
stick landing is easier, because it will land. A little bit of power helps
though,
because if the tail wheel is first, and the main gear high, it will bounce
acceptable, and keeping the stick back, will stay on the runway the second time.
Ballooning up with no power is worse. The easy thing in the whole process
is the controllability. Even in the stall-horn the plane is fully controllable.
And, on the downside, still easy to over control. For me, that was the difficult
part, to get the jerking out of the system. Close to MTOV the speeds were
65 on final, 60 on the numbers, and 55-50 flare.
> Single it works out nice with 5 to 8 knots below that. Proper alignment is
> probably
the most important one. If it touches down aligned it's all very simple.
If not, swiveling starts, and at occasions i was happy we were trying this on
a 40 meter wide runway. My instructor was convinced that my left leg was longer,
because i would always veer off to the left. I was simply looking over the
nose of the very round cowl, instead of straight ahead. Today there was a bug
on the windscreen to help with the alignment, before i wash it off, i will
pencil
a pointer there. The right method to get an out-of line-landing right is
-again- not to over control. Take a point half way of the real center, get it
there, and kick it once more. This particular concrete runway has the extra
difficulty
of a high camber. Even at MTOV the outriggers do not touch both. That
causes rocking from one side to the other, which in turn mixes up my giros.
No correction is needed for that rocking, it does no
t c
> hange the direction. Oh, and of course, always stick back! It's as simple as
riding a bike. It took me close to 100 landings to feel comfortable. I had a
lot of fear, and now while i know i have to be alert to do it right, i enjoy it
all the way.
>
> Kind Regards,
>
> Jos Okhuijsen
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Visit - www.EuropaOwners.org
>
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--
Graham Singleton
Tel: +441629820187
Mob: +447739582005
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