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Open window Flying!

A

augerin

Registered User
Michigan
How do you adjust the latch to keep the entry door window open when flying? When its 85 to 90 degree's its nice to have the door window open? Thanks,Tom
 
It should just "fly".... or you can latch it in the up position... slows my cub down about 5-6 mph.....
 
Is there a thread on how much flying with the door open slows the cub down. I always guessed a couple of MPH I had no idea it was as much as 5-6. If you open the lower door also does it change the speed even more ? John
 
If the upper door keeps falling down in flight, the front is probably bent down a little, this lets the prop blast get on top of it. Reach out with both hands, grab it front and back, and twist the front up a little. Relatch it and see how it flys, retwist as required till it stays up. You may also have to twist the bottom door so it lines up with the top when you want to close it.
 
The problem with the lower door open on some of the cubs (the two I have owned) is that the exhast heats up the interior. I often fly with the lower door up and the upper door open. There are all kinds of little latches and bails you can make to hold it up, because when you slow down, it will come down.

It absolutley does slow you down, especially if you have a headwind quartering from the right - at least that is how it always seemed to me.

sj
 
The only time you have a headwind quartering from the right (assuming we're talking about wind relative to the aircraft) is in a slip, with the left rudder punched. I maintain that the cub slips about twice as good with the door open and a quartering wind from the right.
 
Hmm, we are probably saying the same thing, but...

If I am flying a heading of 360 degrees and the wind is from 45 degrees do I not have a quartering relative headwind? Does it not have the same effect as slipping in some sense to fly that heading? (obviously, you are not uncoordinated in straight and level flight, or at least, you should not be).

sj
 
Nope
A properly rigged airplane will align itself to the relative wind (no slip).
If you are flying a heading of 360 and the wind is from 045 you will be drifting to the left but you will be flying directly into the relative wind. Of course you compensate with a corrective angle (crab) into the wind.

You have a quartering headwind but not a quartering relative wind.

Now, I knew a student pilot that flew over 140 mile xcountry with a quartering headwind and he held the proper (no wind) magnetic heading in a xcontrolled slip all the way. He got there alright but his right leg was cramped up pretty bad on arrival.
 
flynlow said:
If you are flying a heading of 360 and the wind is from 045 you will be drifting to the left but you will be flying directly into the relative wind. Of course you compensate with a corrective angle (crab) into the wind.
Click to expand...

It is the compensation of which I speak.... And you are correct of course!

sj
 
An added bonus of flying with door & window open is that they act as a stall warning indicator. The bottom door "levitates" up just before the break and the top door/window comes down at break. The upper door/window also falls as you come over the top of a Wing Over.

Steve is right about the exhaust heat. With the C-90 we never noticed the heat from the exhaust. With the "135" it is a different story. Larry C.
 
Great shot of that door starting to lift on the July 2005 Super Cub Calendar page...

sj
 
"If I am flying a heading of 360 degrees and the wind is from 45 degrees do I not have a quartering relative headwind? Does it not have the same effect as slipping in some sense to fly that heading?"

Good Grief.

Kill this thread before Mike V sees it or have some one close to him call 911!!

Joe
 
Joe, how is Dennis treating you? Any 120mph quartering headwinds?

sj
 
Not Me.

But that quartering headwind did hit the Weather Channel Guys and THEY WERE SLIPPING!!!
jl
 
SJ, Is the heat the exhaust or the engine heat exiting the side of the cowling? I get engine heat in the back of the L18C. My upper door never comes down unless I unlatch it.
 
Steve,

You are correct, it is engine heat.

I am not sure I said one correct or intelligent thing in this entire thread.

I need a vacation.

sj
 
For Steve Today we have a parting gift of a weeks Stay!!! at the beautiful downwind Armada Inn in New Holstein Wi. The contestant must provide his own transportation........
 
Flying Miss Daisy said:
For Steve Today we have a parting gift of a weeks Stay!!! at the beautiful downwind Armada Inn in New Holstein Wi. The contestant must provide his own transportation........
Click to expand...

Thanks, I just hope I don't have a headwind....

sj
 
I've noticed that if you drink a few beers you can develop a pretty good tailwind occasionally..... :eek:
 
I just put my door up and for good measure tie wrap the keeper and door together. That's the way it stays for the summer and a good part of the fall. :)
 
JP,

Nice picture and small write-up about your PA-11 in Sport Aviation.

Sorry I missed you at Sentimantal Journey.

John Scott
 
Doors open

I have sea plane doors, left and right) on my PA-12 ( which by the way I'm slowly beginning to master) With the air stream coming into the cockpit on both sides would I be in danger of blowing out the greenhouse on the overheard or causing an excessive pressure condition on the fabric. I don't know what the PSI difference is from closed to open door,but I'm willing to bet it's an eye opener. I have pneumatic pistons that hold the doors open on the ground (one piece unit left and right) it's a big door! I've had the right hand door open in flight at 115 MPH and it's IMPRESSIVE! :crazyeyes: My wife, the white knuckler, is neither pleased nor impressed. I 'd love to fly it at around 80 mph with both doors open, but I don't know if that would be prudent.

SEAWORTHY
 
flying with doors open

We have doors on both sides on the Legend Cub and regularly fly with them all open. It does cost around 5 MPH but who cares? Pat
 
open door flying....

Seaworthy wrote......

Quote:
I have sea plane doors, left and right) on my PA-12 ( which by the way I'm slowly beginning to master) With the air stream coming into the cockpit on both sides would I be in danger of blowing out the greenhouse on the overheard or causing an excessive pressure condition on the fabric. I don't know what the PSI difference is from closed to open door,but I'm willing to bet it's an eye opener. I have pneumatic pistons that hold the doors open on the ground (one piece unit left and right) it's a big door! I've had the right hand door open in flight at 115 MPH and it's IMPRESSIVE! My wife, the white knuckler, is neither pleased nor impressed. I 'd love to fly it at around 80 mph with both doors open, but I don't know if that would be prudent.
Click to expand...
SEAWORTHY


This is a little off the subject...but I'll ask the same question....but switch airplanes on ya.....
Even though I have some time in them...Pawnees 150 and 235...I always wondered how the plane would fly...with the door/window open?...Fast or slow?
Never thought to try it when I was flying them regulary.....
Any Cub/Pawnee drivers know?
Thanks
Randy
 
I think it has been mentioned on the site before but has anybody removed the upper door and flown with it removed?

What do you thing the Fed's would say about that? I would assume the only legal way would be with a FA and 337 if you could get one.

David.
 
Ummm, -C and and later Pawnees are officially placarded against flying with windows open, owing to reduced climb rate. On a hot day, shure feels good thogh....

Thanks. Cubscout
 
J-3 flies the same with door open, closed, or off. It is slower, but other than that, there is no effect, and really not that much of a breeze. I don't think I'd involve the feds, since it is not clear that the Cub series is approved for door open flight. If anybody cares, I just discovered my door latch in the Oct/Nov 1991 Cub Clues magazine. It has served well for over 30 years now, and the window has never come down unless I wanted it to. It latches up with a gentle push. It probably wouldn't work on a Super Cub, but one could envision a spring-loaded horizontal sliding mechanism that would be equivalent. Of course, that heavy duty cabinet latch from CC seems to do just fine.
 
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