Quote:
Originally Posted by RobW
I would say differential brakes and a steerable tail wheel are the things you are suggesting.
However, I will bet that that tail skid does wonders for keeping the aircraft straight on a grass strip as long as you maintain full back stick to keep it digging in.
As for what could the pilot do to promptly increase the rudder (and elevator)effectiveness... a little burst of power would help a lot, though it takes a bit of practice to know how much and when. Since this was a rotary... it may even be easier due to the blip switch and the need to keep that engine turning through the roll out.
Bald Eagle, what do you think?
|
Rob,
You were the first to answer the second question I asked at the beginning of the directional control discussion. For that you get a big attaboy.
It is such a simple thing, but a burst of power when you are having control problems can often quickly stabilize the situation and save the day. A good thing to have in your bag of tricks.
The following tale involves a more modern aircraft and a different axis but should be illustrative:
I was a newly minted pilot and I had checked out the club Cessna 150 from the FBO where it had just undergone maintenance involving tail removal and re-installation. I checked out that the control motions were in the proper direction prior to flying and launched. On my first landing approach with full flaps, I was flaring the aircraft above the runway, still nose low, when the
elevator hit the stops!
I reflexively gave the aircraft a burst of power and got the nose up enough to land it. I checked the elevator and found that the elevator bellcrank had been mounted upside down.
I had lots of down elevator and very little up elevator.
I don't know if a burst of power would have lessened the swerve in the Dr.I that we saw in the video, but that was about the only option left at that point.
Sid