In a message dated 1/16/2005 11:06:24 A.M. Central Standard Time,
gary21sn@hotmail.com writes:
One item to consider is the type of prop which may be on the
plane. Since the plane is a 235 airframe, it is a great possibility that
it may have a fixed pitch prop. If that is so, the pilot does not
have the luxury of the benefits of a constant speed prop which helps slow the
plane down on final and allows for a steeper rate of decent. That fixed
pitch prop is always pulling the plane along on final, and throughout the roll
out. I would suggest that a good percentage of fixed pitch prop Lancair
pilots engage is slightly shallower approaches on
final on a regular basis than Lancair pilots with controllable
props.
Gary,
That's fine.................But, it's VFR, approach over a superhighway,
clearly marked (?) displaced threshold, 5000x100 runway, 4.5 degree PAPI and a
passenger.
Those that fly alone and occasionally with a passenger know that the sink
rate is different for light or heavy - all other things being
equal. I do not do pattern work any more - it is monotonous and too
predictable - especially at my towered airport. But, I do experiment with
approaches and landings - like start higher, pull off more power, full flaps,
keep the AOA in the same place as well as the runway position in the
window, leave the prop in "cruise" pitch and always remember that stopping the
rate of descent is very important. I have recently noted that this results
in little float and shorter un-braked rollouts.
One of the reasons (as Bill Kennedy mentioned) that I wonder about unusual
accidents in high-powered high-performance airplanes is that the chain of
errors is never explained by the NTSB. Suppose this is finally
noted as "pilot error, loss of control in landing phase." What will be
learned?
Regardless of the performance with fixed pitch props, low shallow
approaches limit options.
Scott Krueger
AKA Grayhawk
Lancair N92EX IO320 SB 89/96
Aurora, IL (KARR)
Fair
and Balanced Opinions at No Charge!
There is an oxymoron in that,
somewhere...