articfox
Registered User
Palmer Alaska
Hi.
We have been putting a few people through our cub-course and doing a bunch of bi-annuals and figured I would share a few items. Hopefully, it will help one or two of us.
First, I would like to point out that if you do not do a proper pre-flight and runup, you will eventually pay for it. This area is the first defense in stopping a problem before it gets taken with you to the field. It is rare to see a proper preflight. I have seen a few instances where there wasn't a control check or a mag check. There was a case where a set of Bose headsets cleaned up a rough mag because he could not hear it. (Hope fully I can set back me being my own worst enemy and don't wreck my own aircraft, Roger?)
2nd. If your cub starts bouncing on takeoff, put it back on the ground and use some of that 300 feet to get enough speed to actually fly, or stop. Yanking the thing of in ground effect when you have the room to get to good flying speed can make this happen: The pitch increases as with the flap drag. The airplane slows and sinks back on the runway. Then the pilot pulls back harder from the inevitable bounce. This will go on under full power until you stop or run off the runway, or until you drop the flaps, plant it on the runway until you have quality flying speed then go. If the take off is so short that you need to be doing this please consider cutting the load in 1/2.
3rd. Leaning. If you lean on takeoff, you can get a lean condition that will make you lose power. Try this on for size. We leaned for best power but did not make sure we were a little on the rich side. As we bounced down the runway two things took place. One, bouncing leaned us out a little bit and two, accelerating ram air flow leaned us out a little more. We were too lean to begin with is what it all came down to.
4th. Trim the airplane forward on takeoff. Most of the guys that do it perform a little better in the light aircraft, both in the water and on land. A side note is that most of the 180-185 guys that horse the tail off the ground have a little more control issue than by simply trimming the aircraft forward (nose down). In this way the tail will raise itself off the ground then pushing hard on the yoke.
Lastly, for the guys that do wheel landings. Be careful with a little tailwind and good brakes. Maybe a little downhill. With 30 gallons(180lbs.) of gas behind the spar in the wing tanks being accelerated ahead of the cg, it could be enough to throw your aircraft on it nose.
Hope it helps,
Artic Wikle
Artic's Air Academy
907-746-2290
We have been putting a few people through our cub-course and doing a bunch of bi-annuals and figured I would share a few items. Hopefully, it will help one or two of us.
First, I would like to point out that if you do not do a proper pre-flight and runup, you will eventually pay for it. This area is the first defense in stopping a problem before it gets taken with you to the field. It is rare to see a proper preflight. I have seen a few instances where there wasn't a control check or a mag check. There was a case where a set of Bose headsets cleaned up a rough mag because he could not hear it. (Hope fully I can set back me being my own worst enemy and don't wreck my own aircraft, Roger?)
2nd. If your cub starts bouncing on takeoff, put it back on the ground and use some of that 300 feet to get enough speed to actually fly, or stop. Yanking the thing of in ground effect when you have the room to get to good flying speed can make this happen: The pitch increases as with the flap drag. The airplane slows and sinks back on the runway. Then the pilot pulls back harder from the inevitable bounce. This will go on under full power until you stop or run off the runway, or until you drop the flaps, plant it on the runway until you have quality flying speed then go. If the take off is so short that you need to be doing this please consider cutting the load in 1/2.
3rd. Leaning. If you lean on takeoff, you can get a lean condition that will make you lose power. Try this on for size. We leaned for best power but did not make sure we were a little on the rich side. As we bounced down the runway two things took place. One, bouncing leaned us out a little bit and two, accelerating ram air flow leaned us out a little more. We were too lean to begin with is what it all came down to.
4th. Trim the airplane forward on takeoff. Most of the guys that do it perform a little better in the light aircraft, both in the water and on land. A side note is that most of the 180-185 guys that horse the tail off the ground have a little more control issue than by simply trimming the aircraft forward (nose down). In this way the tail will raise itself off the ground then pushing hard on the yoke.
Lastly, for the guys that do wheel landings. Be careful with a little tailwind and good brakes. Maybe a little downhill. With 30 gallons(180lbs.) of gas behind the spar in the wing tanks being accelerated ahead of the cg, it could be enough to throw your aircraft on it nose.
Hope it helps,
Artic Wikle
Artic's Air Academy
907-746-2290