• If You Are Having Trouble Logging In with Your Old Username and Password, Please use this Forgot Your Password link to get re-established.
  • Hey! Be sure to login or register!

Super Cub Final approach speed?

S

scottsville

Registered User
Got a question for you Super Cub experts out there! I just bought my 1st Super Cub and I am in training. I have been flying 60 on final approach and seem to float a good bit. Wondering what everyone is using for there approach speed. My cub is a 150 with a cruise prop and weighs 1186. Thank you
 
The nice thing about a Cub is you can approach at almost any speed you want. Sixty, assuming a semi-accurate airspeed indicator, is a good starting point. If you have flaps, 50 might be better.

After a while, you will be able to safely do 45 mph approaches, using power for altitude control. Don't rush it.

Practice power-off, three point mostly. Don't get sucked in to low "drag it in" approaches and wheel landings, at least at first.

Stay on wide runways and pay attention to pinning the ailerons into the wind when all wheels are on the ground.

Opinion.
 
The other beautiful thing about a cub is that eventually, you won’t need an airspeed indicator or skid ball. It’ll tell YOU what it needs;-)
 
Speedo said:
What’s your plane’s stall speed? 1.1Vso is a good starting point.
Click to expand...

Eric
I respectfully disagree. 1.3 VSO is a normal approach speed recommended by the Airplane Flying Handbook-Federal Aviation Administration (https://www.faa.gov>media>10_afh_ch8 ) in the absence of the manufacturer's recommended airspeed.

All in all, its a good place to start once you determine your stall speed. Working down from there is ok as you gain proficiency. By the time you get to 1.1 vso if you have a stall warning horn, you should hear it on and off.

Just my conservative approach to learning a new airplane.

Lou


1
 
With flaps, 50 on short final is plenty unless you're really heavy. I say short final only because if you slow it down to that speed too soon you might get un-friended in a busy pattern. Congratulations on your new toy, you bought the best light plane ever made. Unfortunately they're like drugs and you'll probably be addicted for life.
 
Last edited:
Suggest you find a copy of “Guide to bush flying” by F.E. Potts. Lots of good info in that little book!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The one big issue we can't set a good airspeed because we do not know how accurate your airspeed indicator is. Go stall the plane, whatever that speed is do as Lou advises start at 1.3 VSO and work your way down from that point. Full flaps, trim for airspeed, and power for elevation. Don't drag it in. The one time I flew a cub with a cruse prop it took me forever to get that thing to slow down!!! Night and day difference from a Borer.
DENNY
 
Tennessee said:
It must be one heck of a book! The cheapest used copy is $129.99 on Amazon!
Click to expand...

It used to be about $35. Guess it’s out of print and prices are through the roof! A couple chapters are on line if you want a preview.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Potts (Stan Potts is the guy I'm thinking of, could be a different Potts?) had a strip on the main Salmon river Near Shoup years ago, and a friend of mine who flew a Helio Courier ended up buying it at one point. He invited me to fly in any time, but cautioned me it was "tight". When I eventually got around to it, I assumed that with my much lighter and slower landing RANS S-7 and my own 400' mountain strip, what others called tight would be a piece of cake. I was wrong, it really got my attention, though no problem, and I found out later that it had grown in since no one had used it in years, making it tighter. It had a blind approach as I recall, until short final anyway. If that's the same Potts, he knows how to land short.
 
When I got my cub 30 or so years ago I started to take 10# flowerbags and marked my landingplaces 360´ + 60' escape on an gravelbar. And exercised it 200-300 times a day, because I wanted to make bushflying. I am still doing it today when I starte the season. I was young better younger and took my risks. I dinged my cub several times and bet you after 2000hrs it will not be the last. Open airports are not/never the problem. If you go in tighter places you will learn the speeds and the distances. And think about this: The aproach speed is very different if your grossweight is 1600# or 2000#!!!!!!!! But allways test your stallspeed coresponding to your grossweight. That givess you your approachspeed. That was and is my way to fly my cub in Alaska.
 
Watching my airspeed on approach, it seems when I go from one notch of flaps to full flaps, my indicated airspeed drops about 8 mph. Some disturbance from the pitot location to the flaps?
 
scottsville said:
Got a question for you Super Cub experts out there! I just bought my 1st Super Cub and I am in training. I have been flying 60 on final approach and seem to float a good bit. Wondering what everyone is using for there approach speed. My cub is a 150 with a cruise prop and weighs 1186. Thank you
Click to expand...

I would suggest flying down the runway and decreasing your speed to just keep the airplane in the air. You will start to get the feel of the airplane and like KevinJ posted, you won't even need the airspeed indicator.
 
I have a stall series that explores as many corners as a typical student can tolerate. It starts with slow flight for an extended period of time (at altitude). It winds up with full flap full power stalls. Spin entries are in between.

Try this: climb to maybe 2500', then slow down. Get to as slow a speed as you can, and hold altitude with power. You will know that speed, because pulling slightly back on the stick will cause your nose to drop. Expect to use quite a bit of power. Expect to use rudder to keep wings level. Do it for ten minutes. Try it with flaps. Get really comfortable doing turns. Do not let the airplane descend.

Then go up another day and try it again.

If you decide to try stalls, sneak up on them slowly - don't yank the stick back.

Have fun!
 
For every take off, guess what your weight is based on fuel load and cabin contents. Either calculate or at least guess your density altitude. Then guess where you should break ground. Every flight! When you start, you may be off by several hundred feet. After doing it for a while, you should be able to be within +- 10 feet for Every take off.

Likewise for every landing, while on down wind, pick the point you want the wheels to touch, and the point where you want to stop. Again, when you start you will likely be several hundred feet to thousands of feet off. With each landing, you should be better. Practice until again your touchdown and stopping points are +-10’ from your chosen points. Then start moving the points closer together. Move the actual touchdown point closer to the threshold. Keep at it.

Every takeoff and every landing should be practice for flying the airplane with as much precision as possible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I do that every day, but to get +/-10 feet, I need an observer and lots better markings than we have on our instrument runway. We did mark off the side of an uncontrolled field in 10 foot increments during a Husky checkout, but even two of us could barely get closer than 20 feet or so. That, of course, was good enough, and now my students land the thing in their front yard. Gutsy guys.
 
Glider flying gives you practice in energy management. Glider towing gives you a lot of practice!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I put up the $130 a few years ago , I don't regret it. I go back to the book quite often for inspiration and enlightenment.
 
Not on thread, those tight landings: Taildragger pilots with small field experience have no trouble landing on any of them once they've done it once.
 
dgapilot said:
For every take off, guess what your weight is based on fuel load and cabin contents. Either calculate or at least guess your density altitude. Then guess where you should break ground. Every flight! When you start, you may be off by several hundred feet. After doing it for a while, you should be able to be within +- 10 feet for Every take off.

Likewise for every landing, while on down wind, pick the point you want the wheels to touch, and the point where you want to stop. Again, when you start you will likely be several hundred feet to thousands of feet off. With each landing, you should be better. Practice until again your touchdown and stopping points are +-10’ from your chosen points. Then start moving the points closer together. Move the actual touchdown point closer to the threshold. Keep at it.

Every takeoff and every landing should be practice for flying the airplane with as much precision as possible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

And doing that while ski flying, taking into account of course what the day's snow conditions are, is really educational also!
 
I've been using a video camera and then afterward Google earth to see exactly how long the landings are. For a new taildragger pilot like me, repetition is going to be the only way to get this thing mastered. It's hard to be consistent when you're trying to get tricycle gear landings out of your head. My instructor's method is that he wants me to get no-flap 2 wheel landings perfect first before going to the 3 wheel landings, so OK. It's getting to be easier, but it's not for short fields, that's for sure.

I'm over 230 landings total in the PA-18. I'm now up to working on full flap 2 wheel landings over and over and over. The touch and gos are actually pretty decent but full stops are the hard part - knowing how and when to use the rudder pedals when the tail is down, then applying the heel brakes to get a consistent and smooth result is just plain hard. I've been avoiding all windy days for now.

After a thousand or more mostly nice and easy but fast landings in a Cirrus, it's hard to be satisfied with what I'm doing in the Super Cub. Its stall speed with full flaps in ground effect with the VG's is so unreal slow my mind is having a hard time getting it. Slowly but surely the seat of the pants thing is taking over. With my speed indicator and my plane, 50 mph (but slowing and beginning the flare) over the numbers has been my target but I think I could go lower soon. When my plane comes back from its avionics installation, I'm going to work relentlessly on getting that speed down until I can make the numbers my planned touchdown point. Maybe after another 200 landings or so, I'll be ready for Idaho.
 
This brings up another question I had. Helicopter ASI. On my approaches today I was flying 40mph IAS on short final, I feel it wasnt too accurate being on the bottom end of the guage.

Not trying to hijack your thread as this may be useful infor for you too. Where can one purchase a heli ASI with customized lines for flaps and VNE?

Sent from my SM-G892A using SuperCub.Org mobile app
 
Tennessee I’m not an instructor but are you sure yours is not trying to build time? I will let higher time guys chime in but what are touch and goes teaching him?
 
Cover the airspeed indicator and go fly. Depend on your other senses not just your eyes. I know it's a primary instrument but who but a few ever calibrate them or test the pitot/static system?

Gary
 
I’ve never had reason to do wheel landings in a Super Cub. No idea why your instructor is teaching wheel landings before full stall landings.

I always start my students on grass, and always 3 point. Teach energy management and directional control right from the start.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Short Approach?
2 3 4
Replies
101
Views
77K
BC12D-4-85
BC12D-4-85
S
Propeller choices for certified Super Cub 150
Replies
14
Views
6K
flynlow
flynlow
texmex
Constant Speed Props - Pilot operation.
2
Replies
45
Views
19K
stevensonjr
S
tgarrison
Super Cub general questions
Replies
17
Views
4K
Ron B.
R
B
Super Cub Ballad -- help needed!
Replies
12
Views
5K
BritishCubBloke
B
Back
Top