X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:45:41 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from imo-d20.mx.aol.com ([205.188.139.136] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2.6) with ESMTP id 3087822 for lml@lancaironline.net; Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:54:07 -0400 Received: from RWolf99@aol.com by imo-d20.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v38_r10.8.) id q.ca9.31793f95 (37047) for ; Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:54:04 -0400 (EDT) Received: from smtprly-da02.mx.aol.com (smtprly-da02.mx.aol.com [205.188.249.145]) by cia-db03.mx.aol.com (v121_r2.11) with ESMTP id MAILCIADB035-90b748ae1c3c303; Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:54:04 -0400 Received: from webmail-md07 (webmail-md07.webmail.aol.com [64.12.170.145]) by smtprly-da02.mx.aol.com (v121_r2.12) with ESMTP id MAILSMTPRLYDA023-5bb448ae1c313b6; Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:53:53 -0400 X-Original-To: lml@lancaironline.net Subject: Accidents X-Original-Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:53:53 -0400 X-MB-Message-Source: WebUI X-AOL-IP: 72.19.171.41 X-MB-Message-Type: User MIME-Version: 1.0 From: rwolf99@aol.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="--------MB_8CAD211108FBAD0_AC4_2C2A_webmail-md07.sysops.aol.com" X-Mailer: AOL Webmail 38491-STANDARD Received: from 72.19.171.41 by webmail-md07.sysops.aol.com (64.12.170.145) with HTTP (WebMailUI); Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:53:53 -0400 X-Original-Message-Id: <8CAD211108D5870-AC4-19A9@webmail-md07.sysops.aol.com> X-Spam-Flag:NO ----------MB_8CAD211108FBAD0_AC4_2C2A_webmail-md07.sysops.aol.com Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" 1)? Poor behavior at high angles of attack is a design problem, and one of the risks that we accept (knowingly or unknowingly) when we buy an experimental airplane rather than a Part 23 certified airplane.? And even if kitplane A airplane stalls nicely, that does not mean that kitplane B will stall the same way.? Lancair has made a step towards commonality by having no structural joint at the leading edge, but the twist in the wing can easily be different from airplane to airplane. 2)? Flying into a thunderstorm, on the other hand,?has nothing to do with aircraft design.? It's pure stupidity. As evidence, the Lancair factory had to do a lot of investigation and modification to get their kitplane (the ES) certified as the Columbia.? Remember when the Columbia crashd during spin testing?? That wasn't because of a failed spin chute -- it was because of an unrecoverable spin mode.? And then we have the Piper Traumahawk, which obtained certification on one airframe, but produced an ever-so-slightly different airplane which had significantly different stall recovery characteristics (although this is the exception rather than the rule in the certified world.) Certified airplanes are usually safer at high angles of attack, and that seems to be the case with the Lancair.? Accept it and move on.? I still bought one nd am very happy about it.? But don't fly *any* airplane into a thunderstorm...? - Rob Wolf ----------MB_8CAD211108FBAD0_AC4_2C2A_webmail-md07.sysops.aol.com Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" 1)  Poor behavior at high angles of attack is a design problem, and one of the risks that we accept (knowingly or unknowingly) when we buy an experimental airplane rather than a Part 23 certified airplane.  And even if kitplane A airplane stalls nicely, that does not mean that kitplane B will stall the same way.  Lancair has made a step towards commonality by having no structural joint at the leading edge, but the twist in the wing can easily be different from airplane to airplane.

2)  Flying into a thunderstorm, on the other hand, has nothing to do with aircraft design.  It's pure stupidity.

As evidence, the Lancair factory had to do a lot of investigation and modification to get their kitplane (the ES) certified as the Columbia.  Remember when the Columbia crashd during spin testing?  That wasn't because of a failed spin chute -- it was because of an unrecoverable spin mode.  And then we have the Piper Traumahawk, which obtained certification on one airframe, but produced an ever-so-slightly different airplane which had significantly different stall recovery characteristics (although this is the exception rather than the rule in the certified world.)

Certified airplanes are usually safer at high angles of attack, and that seems to be the case with the Lancair.  Accept it and move on.  I still bought one nd am very happy about it.  But don't fly *any* airplane into a thunderstorm... 

- Rob Wolf ----------MB_8CAD211108FBAD0_AC4_2C2A_webmail-md07.sysops.aol.com--