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Re: Europa-List: Re: Considering the purchase of a 2nd hand kit

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Re: Considering the purchase of a 2nd hand kit
From: Pete <peterz@zutrasoft.com>
Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2017 18:08:29
Fwiw, I had the generous opportunity to fly with Tim in his fine Mono a few y
ears back, and didn't notice any strange handling issues - in fact he showed
 me two landings to prove it :)  I did't get the impression it was any busie
r than a normal taildragger either.  Thanks again Tim!  I had the same obser
vations on my other three mono demo flights. For sure it would have differen
t techniques with the outriggers than a 'normal' taildragger, but nothing  t
hat couldn't be easily learned. Up here in canada, the young air cadets trai
n on gliders without disaster. I for sure will build mine as a mono, as the m
ono's attributes are what attracted me to the plane in the first place, and t
he entire structure is based on the compact and efficient design. For sure i
t is less busy on the ground than my short coupled and inadequate tailed hum
melbird :-)

That said, the tri "gold rush" that is for sale would be the most economical
 way to get into a europa (the current north american resale values for euro
pas has plummeted, simply due to their sparse numbers, and fickle NA flyers p
reference to match hole sonex's and RV's).

So far i have not yet flown another type that is so beautifully harmonized, s
table and yet responsive. DD did his homework well! I still love this design
 this 19 years after i first did my research.

Cheers and blue skies,
Pete
C-IPWZ (not a europa ;)

> On Apr 1, 2017, at 1:54 PM, Pete Lawless <pete@lawless.info> wrote:
> 
> Hi Ira
> I agree totally with Tim.  In fact in the last 15 years since my mono has b
een flying I have never noticed any tendency to tip the nose down on braking
 regardless of the G of G. 
> You just need soft hands on the ailerons to keep the wings level.  If you o
ver control and push the outrigger into the surface then it affects the  C o
f G, unloads the tail wheel and a ground loop is waiting to happen.
> 
> Having owned a share in a Cub I think the mono is neither harder nor easie
r just different. 
> Pete
> 
> G-RMAC #109
> 
>> On 01/04/17 18:15, houlihan tim wrote:
>> Hi Ira
>> "Prop strikes on Mono's are common". What makes you say that ? 
>> In the UK there is no noticeable difference between aircraft insurance pr
emiums for tri gear and mono, which tells you something  .
>> Sure if you brake hard while turning you can upset things but the acciden
t rate is very similar for both types.
>> I have had my 912 mono classic flying for 15 years now and yes I broke a p
rop ( only once) but as I attempted to land rounding out about ten feet too h
igh I blame the pilot (me) not the configuration , indeed in a similar situa
tion a tri gear would not only have damaged the prop but also the nosewheel.

>> Better pilots than me have described the mono as no more difficult to ope
rate than a piper cub, Having only been a passenger in a cub I cannot give a
n opinion on that.
>> The mono is a tail wheel aeroplane and behaves like one, 
>> regards
>> Tim
>> G-BZTH
>> 
>> 
>>> On 01 April 2017 at 17:30 rampil <ira.rampil@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> To further your consideration, the mono wheel also has a spinny thing 

>>> on the front end which is absent from most gliders. Prop strikes are als
o
>>> common with monowheels. Depending on you CG loading, a tap on 
>>> the brake might just rock you forward! Fortunately (if one can say 
>>> that in this context), the combination of carbon fiber prop and 
>>> Rotax gear box usually prevents expensive engine damage.
>>> 
>>> --------
>>> Ira N224XS
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Read this topic online here:
>>> 
>>> http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=467914#467914
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> >
>> 
> 


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