Getting Down Fast

Shepherd

Shepherd

Final Approach
Joined
Nov 24, 2012
Messages
5,423
Location
Hopewell Jct, NY
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Display name:
Shepherd
1. Sorry for the dark blotch in the upper left corner. First attempt using a neutral density filter. I cranked it up too far.
2. Scene setting: Something went wrong with the external antenna on the plane. My hand held could hear people, but they couldn't hear me. I flew completely around the pattern at 1,700 feet before letting down to pattern altitude on the upwind leg, to make sure I was alone in the pattern.
I turned downwind, and all is good until I'm just about to the numbers when an instructor with a student, in a much faster airplane, announces they are doing the 45 degree entry into the downwind for 29. I crane my neck around and sure enough, there they are. And they don't see me.
Look at the fuel gauge wire. I'm sure I have fuel, but the wire is sitting on the bottom of the tank. pull out and go around and risk running out of fuel, or get it on the ground?
I decide to land. I would not do this in many other planes, but I know I can get away with it in the Cub. As you can see, I'm doing my impression of a "carrier approach" and I'm still doing 80 mph, with lots of throttle. I pull the throttle, dive at the runway, and slip hard. As I cross the numbers I'm still doing 80+ but I know the Cub will bleed off most of me speed as I adjust my pitch angle. A couple of chirps later I'm down and suddenly the guys behind me notice me. I end up going down the runway kind of fast, but alls well that ends well. Turns out I had 4 gals of fuel, so no sweat.
 
Glad it worked out. Love your videos Shep - keep ‘em coming!
 
May be cranked up a bit much but at least the prop is gone. :) I'm sure you'll perfect it. Love the videos.
 
Got ‘er done, @Shepherd. So “wire on the bottom” is pretty much VFR minimums for reserves it sounds like in a Cub?
 
Way it’s done! Nice Shep!
 
Shepherd said:
1. Sorry for the dark blotch in the upper left corner. First attempt using a neutral density filter. I cranked it up too far.
2. Scene setting: Something went wrong with the external antenna on the plane. My hand held could hear people, but they couldn't hear me. I flew completely around the pattern at 1,700 feet before letting down to pattern altitude on the upwind leg, to make sure I was alone in the pattern.
I turned downwind, and all is good until I'm just about to the numbers when an instructor with a student, in a much faster airplane, announces they are doing the 45 degree entry into the downwind for 29. I crane my neck around and sure enough, there they are. And they don't see me.
Look at the fuel gauge wire. I'm sure I have fuel, but the wire is sitting on the bottom of the tank. pull out and go around and risk running out of fuel, or get it on the ground?
I decide to land. I would not do this in many other planes, but I know I can get away with it in the Cub. As you can see, I'm doing my impression of a "carrier approach" and I'm still doing 80 mph, with lots of throttle. I pull the throttle, dive at the runway, and slip hard. As I cross the numbers I'm still doing 80+ but I know the Cub will bleed off most of me speed as I adjust my pitch angle. A couple of chirps later I'm down and suddenly the guys behind me notice me. I end up going down the runway kind of fast, but alls well that ends well. Turns out I had 4 gals of fuel, so no sweat.
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Show off!

Nicely done Shep. Love slipping, fun stuff.
 
Nice job on the approach! I've been reading The Skylane Pilot's Companion as I have a few minutes here and there, and just got to the part where one of the instructors in the story talks about how great (and fun) it is to be proficient in your plane. It allows you to do things like rush to getcher butt on the ground, knowing you can make a safe landing after bleeding off an extra 20 knots when you need to.

I thought that the top of the wire was just about sitting on the gas cap when the Cub was low on fuel, no? Last Cub I saw up close had the wire sticking up that far when the tank was mostly full.
 
Eric Gleason said:
Nice job on the approach! I've been reading The Skylane Pilot's Companion as I have a few minutes here and there, and just got to the part where one of the instructors in the story talks about how great (and fun) it is to be proficient in your plane. It allows you to do things like rush to getcher butt on the ground, knowing you can make a safe landing after bleeding off an extra 20 knots when you need to.

I thought that the top of the wire was just about sitting on the gas cap when the Cub was low on fuel, no? Last Cub I saw up close had the wire sticking up that far when the tank was mostly full.
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This plane has the wrong size wire. The only indication you get it's low is that it stops going down.
New cap on order. Also modern brakes. The brakes haven't worked particularly well all winter. All engine run-ups are done taxiing at 1700 rpm.
 
I had a bit of a tailwind today at Big T Airport. I always slip a bit once over the trees, but held it in a bit longer that usual:


As asides...

1) I'm still not a big fan of T-tails. Up out of ground effect they seem to stop flying all at once. Note I had full back stick when the nose dropped.

2) Thanks again for all the advice on my tie down spot - I'm finally getting to use it somewhat regularly!

3) I am Papoo!
 
FastEddieB said:
1) I'm still not a big fan of T-tails. Up out of ground effect they seem to stop flying all at once. Note I had full back stick when the nose dropped.
Click to expand...

Agree. Most of them seem squirrelly like that. And they take a massive tug to rotate for short field work. You get used to it, but it feels awkward.

Huge pull then when they finally do something, quickly release about half of that back pressure or they keep rotating.

And it doesn’t seem to matter if you wait for a slightly higher airspeed. They just need a big bite to get started, then they’re going to go too fast.

When the elevator is down in the prop slipstream you get more of a “it’s not ready to fly but at least the nose moved up a little” feel.

“Rotate” means something more in a t-tail. It’s (grunt...) rotate, then relax it and fly. In anything else it’ll nose up a little and then fly off on its own as the airspeed increases.

Just a feel thing. Either works. I just prefer the latter.
 
I think my first experience with T-tails was a Piper Lance a long time ago. I had time in the similar. Cherokee 6, and the difference was exactly as you outlined. You get used to it, but given the same airframe, I would prefer the model with the standard tail.
 
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