Stall spin characteristicsNot to but in, but...
You fliers are doing a great job of what the problems of stall in the
Europa are. Basically, none. Many thanks for good comments and
techniques.
I have, like Bob, flown a number of different Europa's and stalled them
all. Side slips are pleasant using a foot full of rudder. Keep the
speed up at 1.3Vs if slipping is my rule. Remember, someone cares if
you are dead.
As for stalls: Climb up about three mistakes high (3000 AGL)
Trim for pattern speed of about 80. Put one finger on the front of the
stick and line up with a cloud on the horizon. Pull the power back and
smoothly pull back attempting to hold altitude, and keep it pointed at
the cloud. The plane, if in the 60-61 inch CG when empty, properly
built within .1 degree equal incidence and no droopy controls, will
rumble slightly just prior to the stall, the nose will go up just a bit
and then down, and bob up and down. I don't even need the ball. But it
is nice to have a whiskey ball rather than one of those electric orange
dots on an EFIS.
The laminar flow wing will bite you if you release the stick just a bit
as the nose rises in the approach to the stall break, and you abruptly
pull it right back. Most laminar flow wing aircraft will drop a wing
instantly as it is a deep stall of one wing. This usually occurs when
you have a death grip on the stick and can't feel a thing. Relaxed, and
paying attention to your duties, you feel the plane get light in the
nose, and directional control starts to wander a tiny bit, and you can
release pressure and maintain control.
Fully configured the rumble is less pronounced due to the flap burble
and it can surprise the unaware pilot who attempts a slow speed abrupt
maneuver. The wing drop is pretty fast again, and you will achieve 90
degrees in less than a 1/2 second.
Unload for control, and it instantly stops in any configuration. Then
recover.
The 40 hour fly off, as they fliers commented on, is to fine tune your
aircraft and get its feel. Stall strips depicted in the operators
manual are excellent stall warnings. So are electronic devices, but
none as good as a well flown test series of stalls, slips and slow
flight done at least 3 mistakes high to feel your aircraft.
I added vortex generators to my Classic which normally stalls at a
Calibrated A/S of 55 at 1370 lbs. Dead straight ahead stall. With the
VGs over the ailerons only, the plane wing rocks like a century series
fighter and the burble is a pounding on the tail plane that is quite a
wake up shake. The wing rock is probably too much for a novice and
could lead to an abrupt wing drop if he attempts to jamb in aileron to
keep it level.
With VGs all along the LE of the wing from the tip to two feet prior to
the fuselage (so I can get my butt on the wing) the burble is quite
pronounced (due to the clean root) and the stall is 46 Kts CAS clean at
1320 lbs. One problem with the VGs. The plane feels so rock solid
slow, that one can get complacent and find himself out of airspeed and
ideas (falling with style). I prefer the stall strips neatly blended
into the leading edge at the root as a nice reminder that I am not
paying attention to job one, that is, flying the plane, as it is
supposed to be, by the number in the book. VGs work great but look like
a bad hair day on the wing.
New guys, there is no excuse:
Runway-airspeed are the two calls around the pattern. Fly by the
numbers. If you have to be abrupt in moving the plane, go around and do
it again. If it doesn't look right, it isn't. And there is no
substitute for airspeed. Practice in some ones well built Europa to get
a feel.
If you have a short field and must get close to your stall margin, stay
sharp, and be cautious. If you don't feel like Steve Canyon that day,
land somewhere else. Don't slow down until you have the runway made.
Don't force the plane on the ground. Keep you energy up until crossing
the fence, and allow for a slow speed bleed off into a slow flight
attitude crossing the threshold and continue to hold it just an inch or
two above the runway until it settles. Better to land 300 feet down on
speed than 15 hot at the threshold and bounce. Tail wheel guys just keep
the stick back, rudder to stay straight and fly it to parking.
Most of the time I cruise the Europa with my hand off the stick and fly
with my feet. This is a great rudder airplane, a stable airplane, and
has superb flight and stall characteristics. If it is bent or crooked,
we can help you straighten it out.
Like Ferg eluded to, the controller doesn't fly your plane. Don't let
them put you into a position you are not comfortable with. If the
controllers get mad, buy them a cup of coffee and and tell them you are
alive, and that was more important than stalling and crashing at the
time. Know your plane and your limits.
Airspeed is life.
Bud
----- Original Message -----
From: Fergus Kyle<mailto:VE3LVO@rac.ca>
To: 5EUROPALIST <mailto:europa-list@matronics.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 3:21 PM
Subject: Europa-List: Stall spin characteristics
William:
". It seems likely that Cliff Shaw's accident was a result of this
abrupt spin stall characteristic in landing configuration. I have a
rule (though not unique), "never skid a turn", keeping a nice margin
above stall. It seems that the Europa (and probably all super clean
planes, for instance the Cirrus), have a propensity to severe stall spin
in landing configuration. "
I am tempted to agree with much of what you say. It has been
my contention that Oshkosh makles demands with which that many junior
pilots shouldn't comply. One of these is a short final with multi bank
when the authority calls for a wing-wag when inside rudder is correcting
for runway centreline. There's the critical inside rudder/inside bank
pair which prompts the inner wing stall. From there on down is
mathematical.
Know your plane,
Cheers
ferg
Ps: Rudder OFF first before aileron..............
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