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Re: Europa-List: Approach and Landing Speeds

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Approach and Landing Speeds
From: David Joyce <davidjoyce@doctors.org.uk>
Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2012 20:32:16

Carl, Well done. I am afraid my contribution will not have 
helped. I managed to add 10 kts to what Imeant to say, 
which was down wind at 70,  approach at 60kts and let it 
decay to 50 as you go over the fence assuming its a not 
too high fence! and holding it just off until it stops 
flying. Sounds as though that is pretty much what you are 
doing. Getting it trimmed precisely to 60 on the base leg 
or final (if a longish final) makes it much easier to get 
the rest right. Regards, David Joyce, G-XSDJ

  Carl Meek <carlmeek@gmail.com> wrote:
><carlmeek@gmail.com>
> 
> I just thought I'd report back on flying both last night 
>(2 landings) and
> today (4 landings).  Thanks to all the advice on the 
>list, I'm feeling
> 500% more confident, and really happy with landing her. 
> The technique
> I've settled on is basically 5kts slower than I was 
>before, aiming for 60
> over the fence, and then really holding it off until it 
>just plops onto
> the runway.  The final part of the equation to stop the 
>front wheel
> bouncing up as we slow down is NOT to pull back on the 
>elevator (literally
> only in the final slowing down bit).  In my previous A/C 
>I always held
> full back elevator when taxiing on grass, but this seems 
>to make the
> europa too nose bouncy.  In addition, keeping power on a 
>bit longer than I
> Used to seems to help, I used to pretty much always shut 
>off power at the
> 'over the fence' point but have now found that keeping a 
>bit of thrust
> until the wheels are nearly down helps keep a nice 
>controlled flare.
> 
> Hopefully that's not all nonsense! Either way, 6 nice 
>landings in 2 days
> is much better than the last 10 or so being less than 
>satisfactory.
> Thanks for all the advice.
> 
> Did anyone go to Duxford today?  I heard a Europa 
>inbound as I left around
> 3pm.
> 
> On 13/04/2012 19:11, "Ivan Shaw" 
><ivanshaw@btinternet.com> wrote:
> 
>><ivanshaw@btinternet.com>
>>
>>Through flight test find out what the indicated stall 
>>speed is at gross
>>weight and full flap of YOUR aircraft, then multiply this 
>>by 1.3, this is
>>your normal approach speed.
>>If it is gusty then add half the gust speed, if it is 
>>flat calm or a stead
>>breeze and you are light weight, [single place] then you 
>>can creeper it in
>>carrying a little power at minus five knots standard 
>>approach speed.
>>Practice at altitude flying in the landing configuration 
>>[full flap]at
>>your
>>standard approach speed and get used to the feel of the 
>>aircraft,
>>'recognize
>>the first nibble of a stall', do it until you are really 
>>COMFORTABLE,
>>practice rate one turns left and right keeping the ball 
>>centred.
>>Ideally practice on a long wide runway with clear 
>>approaches, take your
>>time
>>so you develop a 'feel' for the aircraft.
>>When you get it right the aircraft 'dies in your hand' 
>>one inch above your
>>chosen touch down point!!! But don't expect it too often!
>>
>>Regards 
>>Ivan
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com
>>[mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf 
>>Of Frans Veldman
>>Sent: 13 April 2012 14:47
>>To: europa-list@matronics.com
>>Subject: Re: Europa-List: Approach and Landing Speeds
>>
>>--> <frans@privatepilots.nl>
>>
>>On 04/13/2012 11:43 AM, Carl Meek wrote:
>>
>>> I've been typically flying short final at 70, over the 
>>>fence at 65.
>>> However, I've found the float can be quite excessive
>>
>>A little bit of extra speed has a very markable influence 
>>on the flare.
>>Try a bit lower speed. If the stall characteristics of 
>>your ship are
>>benign,
>>there is nothing to worry about to get over the fence 
>>with 60, provided
>>there is no strong wind or thermal situation.
>>
>>> Frans, am I understanding you correctly that for a short 
>>>field you
>>> actually come 'over the fence' and then retract the 
>>>flaps before
>>> touching down?
>>
>>You can do that just before touching down, but the timing 
>>is critical.
>>If you to it too early you will get the opposite effect 
>>as you are taking
>>the drag of the flaps away. I usually start retracting 
>>the flaps just when
>>the airplane is about to settle down. This will take away 
>>the lift and
>>also
>>causes the wheels to have more grip on the ground, which 
>>is a good thing
>>if
>>you want to start braking immediately.
>>
>>This could be more interesting if the flaps could be 
>>operated much faster,
>>i.e. by hand rather than by a servo. Anyone an idea why 
>>the flaps where
>>made
>>electric on the tri-gear?
>>
>>I have to confess that I modified the flap gear slightly: 
>>I drilled a hole
>>in the arm of the torque tube just below the original 
>>hole, so the
>>leverage
>>to the servo is a bit less. This causes the flaps to 
>>extend 3 degrees
>>further and also speeds up the movement of the flaps.
>>
>>(If I understand the history of the Europa correctly, the 
>>flaps where
>>originally designed for 30 degrees, but the extension was 
>>limited to 27
>>degrees after one found out that 30 degrees allows the 
>>mono to take off
>>earlier than control is achieved. In a tri-gear we don't 
>>have to worry too
>>much about this.)
>>
>>Frans
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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