Newbie question:
I have never yanked full flaps on takeoff. I have only done one notch.
Does the risk of stall increase pulling full flaps when the tail comes up? Anything I should be prepared for?
I would attempt in a non-critical situation of course. Just want just want to make sure if I try it it wont rocket me straight up and out of ground effect then quickly back to earth.
How does one ease into this?
Newbie question:
I have never yanked full flaps on takeoff. I have only done one notch.
Does the risk of stall increase pulling full flaps when the tail comes up? Anything I should be prepared for?
I would attempt in a non-critical situation of course. Just want just want to make sure if I try it it wont rocket me straight up and out of ground effect then quickly back to earth.
How does one ease into this?
Newbie question:
I have never yanked full flaps on takeoff. I have only done one notch.
Does the risk of stall increase pulling full flaps when the tail comes up? Anything I should be prepared for?
I would attempt in a non-critical situation of course. Just want just want to make sure if I try it it wont rocket me straight up and out of ground effect then quickly back to earth.
How does one ease into this?
What DENNY says. .....Also do not become fixated on a specific number on the airspeed indicator. The instrument is just a secondary crutch,,, your airplane's wing will tell you when it wants to fly. Train your eyes to be looking out the windshield. Learn the attitude of the airplane for whatever maneuver you are attempting. When you learn this, you can then look at the airspeed instrument to see what number the needle is pointed at .... if you really think it is necessary.There is a way to take the pilot out of the equation and let the plane tell you when it is ready to fly whatever the wind is doing. If I am on smooth ground and have a clear runway ahead of me then it is nine turns back from full forward. I do not attempt to pick up the tail. I simply let the tail come up on its own, it will lift a few inches above the ground initially and then at around 35 mph it will start to lift again at that point if I hold the stick at the initial lift point and pull flaps it flies off the ground smoothly. By using this technique it takes the pilot out of the equation and adjust for any headwind it will most always be the shortest takeoff. This works empty or with an average load. Some may ask why not lift the tail for a better view? This is a really good idea if you have rough terrain or need to maneuver around obstacles. However when you lift the tail you now squat the front tires this slows you a bit when you first start to roll and gives you more tire drag versus wing drag, It is noticeable if you are down to three psi. The second point is now it is up to the pilot to determine when to rotate, if you rotate too early and hit your tail wheel you are going to lose distance on takeoff. If you rotate too late you won’t strike your tail wheel but you will have given away ground. I’m an old guy so taking my decision out of the rotation and leaving it to the Aircraft to tell me when the wing it’s ready makes it more dependable. Hope that all makes sense to everyone. Every cub is going to vary some from the trim settings I mentioned. Expect to do a few hundred take offs to figure out the right trim setting. Work the trim forward until you start hitting the tail then back until it clears. Mine covers about a 600 lb range. Lots of other tricks but that is a start.
DENNY
It's always better for a new guy (or old guy in a new plane) to be able to pull on the stick because he can as opposed to push on the stick because he has to.
Airplane specific to some extent as I would never do this in my 180, but in a super cub I have always taught that the quickest way for the average pilot to get the plane off the ground in little or no crosswind is to start of with full flaps and normal trim (normal flaps, not these newfangled things ) and let the plane fly itself off, then push the nose over right after liftoff to pick up some airspeed. This is especially useful in really rough muddy / snowy conditions where you just need to get off the ground ASAP. Can do similar with 1/2 flaps or no flaps. Not impressive looking in a stol contest, but it works.
Not for strong crosswinds and yes, getting the airspeed up quickly (lowering the nose) after getting off the ground is important to maintaining control.
The above advice about practice and seeing how your plane handles in slow flight is all very good.
sj
I played back and forth like this and I much prefer to get the tail up quick for visibility and a smoother ride on rough surfaces.
Weight and CG will make a difference to some degree, but be willing to try other methods as you gain experience.