Re: Beta range.....
CptKelly said:
Ernie,
We used beta range and reverse everytime we made a landing. The reverse feature on our U-21's would cut our landing roll quite significantly. This effectively made our KingAir clones, a pea patch plane, as well as a 250 knot traveler. We didn't have any problems landing on dirt strips shorter than 2000 feet, and we could leave that strip, at gross or worse, every time. This was all in a war zone, SE Asia.
I am not certain why reverse wasn't integrated in the ATP engine prop. Looks like it would be much more effective if beta/reverse was available.
Mike
I am not that familiar with the U-21s Mike but they can't be much different than the Bandeirante 110s we flew many years ago. Talk about a fast aircraft also and not really all that good on short field but we didn't need that on most flights anyway. Passengers loved them.
I figured the ATP would have the reverse prop and it sure looked like it in the photos but than again, I am not familiar with the engine other than in an APU and even than, not all that much. When over the fence in a PT6 Porter, the N1 would be brought up to say 80 % and the prop power cut back. The prop would change pitch a lot faster than the PT6 would spool up so more or less, instant power. Come in at ground fine on a three point and once it felt right, full reverse and I mean that bird would stop on a dime and give a nickel's change. Better never try it with a main gear landing though.
We were also French Astazou powered, which flew a lot different from the PT6s, as well as one recip, 09Z, a useless aircraft really, way underpowered. Needless to say, our Twin Otters were PT6 and our Sky Vans were Garrett Air Research which was flown different although I never flew one but rode in many.
When I saw the article about the turbine powered Super Cub, I started thinking of an aircraft like SJ's, and a beautiful one it is, on amphib floats and how great a turbine would be there. That is assuming the prop was full reverse of course. Talk about easy to dock. We had one PT6 powered Porter on amphib floats that we used in the Katmai area out of King Salmon, Alaska. Taxi up to a beach at a remote fishing camp, turn it around, pull the water rudders and just back it up to the beach. As you increased the power to back up once at the shore line, you could power lift the tail up enough to get several feet up on shore. Never any damage to the floats but there may have been a plate installed on the back bottom of the floats though, not sure. Time to leave? Passengers step from dry beach onto the floats (the aircraft will not rock because of ground support so less chance of someone falling off), board the aircraft and off you go. One person could dock real easy even at a dock and that is a 10 passenger aircraft or at least ours were.
I have mentioned it before elsewhere but the thing that really got to me when I first started working with the Porters, one of our pilots took it up to 7,000 AGL over a 4700 foot runway at Dahl Creek on a downwind at mid field. By the way, Dahl Creek was uncontroled so please don't try this at home. He never went past the other end of the runway and never got over 90 knots in a vertical dive and only made one 180 degree turn and landed half way down the runway. I watched his use of beta in that dive and what an odd feeling. He would pull it in and out to show me the difference and how the aircraft would react. By the way, did I mention the operator's manual said not to do that in flight? I have to admit though that this Porter pilot was probably the best natural light aircraft pilot I have ever met or flown with. Kotzebue will know who I am talking about. He was the one that taught me the ins and outs of flying the aircraft. I have seen this pilot land and stop an empty Porter in about 100 foot and lift off in less than 200 foot, once with the Governor (who was a pilot himself) of Alaska on board and at Dahl Creek. Of course that 650 shp out front really helps.
Picture coming in on final in a Super Cub, turbine powered say at 85% N1 with just enough prop to hold a steady airspeed, over 100 foot trees and at normal fence speed. Once clear of the trees, drop the nose real fast, crank in just a touch of beta to hold speed back until ready to flare and than increase power and you bring the nose back up at stall speed but under power and set it down three point and immediately go into beta again and since you were already at 85% and on a 2000 foot runway, you sill might have 1500 foot left. Well, gee, a guy can dream can't he? Bush flying in a turbo Super Cub, a pilots dream, right?
