Hello Raimo,
I have experience with the monowheel RF5 B motorglider. Total number of hour
on this type is over the 200. I am current on different type airplains
including Cessna, Grob, Piper, TB10, Katana etc.
I am or better I was building a Europa monowheel.
Last year one of my pilot friend offerd me to use his Europa monowheel to
get already experience. Great I believed that it would be a piece of cake.
With over the 500 hours on different taildraggers and many hours on
different Tri-gears it must be easy..... I thought.
But this monowheel is something different. Let me say first I like the
Monowheel shape and look an believe it is a beauty.
After flying it for many hours I made the decision to change my plane in a
Tri gear. ( It was not yet finished
Why? Easy the monowheel is critical during take off and landing. It needs
your full attention and a lot of praying. Totally different from the RF5
monowheel. The Europa ailerons are not active till somewhere 50 knots. The
motorglider is already very fast after starting and you can keep your wings
easy leveled. The Europa is short and small, the motorglider has a moment
and is longer and stable. OK it is also more difficult as a Tri gear but if
you learn it you can play with it. I was able to start or land it nearly
every circumstances.
The Europa monowheel was much more tricky. The tower hated me and told me
each time if we were active they are nervious. This design was due to them
not correct and they have seen to many problems with the other Europa
monowheels. So as they said I could wait for an accident. I thougth it is
totally nonens and they were incorrect.
Then suddenly the palne took me. I made the mistake and let the tail come up
just a second to early. Witnesses told me that it looked terrible. It moved
---From left to rigth and finally left the runway on one site. I was lucky
because the turbo gave me enough power to get it from the ground ten meters
before the little cannel along the airport. Personnally I had no problems
but the tower had some comments ( I will not repeat )
Ok I did not gave up and flew it many more hours
But finally I believed that it was not the type of plane I like to fly ,let
my wife fly ( She flies the Katana without any problem )and my close pilot
friend ( not the one from the Europa ). For sure it will be not possible to
keep flying on the different types and also on the Europa monowheel. So I
decide to change my plane to a Tri gear ( my wife did not like it becasue
she believes that the monowheel is much nicer to see ).
After all the delay my plane is close to be ready, my friend was very happy
and also my wife finally believe that it was the right decision. ( too bad
my friend will not fly my plane anymore because he just has been killed
during take off with the RF5 )
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com]On Behalf Of Raimo Toivio
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 20:35
Subject: Europa-List: Falke compared with Europa Monowheel
All
I had last weekend a wonderful opportunity
to learn to fly first time all together stick
controlled, tail and monowheeled,
engine quited machine with metric avionics.
It was a wonderful German Falke side-by-side
-seated motor glider, year model 1972.
My purpose was to understand beforehand my
soon completed Europas take-off and landing
characteries. It was a nice experience for a
Cessna boy like me. I am alive and Falke
is still flyable & landable. It was not a shock
at all, much easier than I thought before.
Is there anybody out there who has flied both
Europa Monowheel and Falke motor glider?
Could you please compare especially landing
qualities of those planes? I noticed that speed
just before touch was very important. It was
about 90 km/h = 50 knots. Also heading along
runway.
Gliding w/o engine was charming.
How about gliding wings to Europa,
can man still purchase a long wing kit?
Price?
Regards, Raimo
==========
Raimo M W Toivio
OH-XRT Europa XS Mono #417, will be painted in few days
OH-CVK C172 Skyhawk, this year more than ever hrs
OH-BLL Beechcraft C45 w radial engines, still grounded
37500 Lempaala
Finland
tel + 358 3 3753 777
fax + 358 3 3753 100
gsm + 358 40 590 1450
raimo.toivio@rwm.fi
www.rwm.fi
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