cassutt racer ????
haldeman
who has flown one. Stall speed ? ground handling ? any comments
Chris
highflyer
Stall speed? Depends on the weight and the rigging. I have seen stall
speeds that varied from 50 mph to 100 mph. You will probably be
somewhere
within those limits.
Ground handling is generally pretty good IF you gear is straight and
properly aligned and the tailwheel mounting is solid.
Comments ...
On the first takeoff, let the airplane fly itself off the ground. Do
NOT pick up the tail and rotate. If you wish, you can lift the tail
ever so slightly to keep that tiny wheel in the air on the takeoff
run. It should fly itself off at a speed about ten percent or so ABOVE
the stall speed.
Use that "lift off" speed as a substitute for the "stall speed" until
you have ascertained that it flys and handles alright and get the
opportunity to actually do some stalls and determine the stall speed
more accurately.
Best climb should be pretty close to "liftoff speed" plus thirty
percent!
You can just add a third of the liftoff speed for the initial flights
and not be too far out of the ballpark. Use that speed for your
approach
also. Expect to float a bit, and don't worry about it. Hopefully you
have ample runway to allow that without danger.
The aircraft will most likely be EXTREMELY sensitive in pitch compared
to most other aircraft you may have flown. I have been known to move
the stick a bit too far at slow airspeeds and perform an inadvertent
"snap roll" in the Cassutt. Be alert for PIO. A good trick is to
press you forearm tightly against your thigh and just control with
your fingertips with small movements. Be prepared to just hold the
stick firmly in place to quench any pitch oscillations that occur.
Fly it around a bit before you attempt to land, unless something is
clearly not right. Try to get the feel for the sensitivity before
landing. I recommend a "wheel landing" for your first attempt and
just fly it onto the runway at approach speed. The rudder is pretty
effective and you shouldn't have any trouble tracking. The visibility
is good.
If the landing gear has any toein expect it to be really squirrelly on
roll out. If the gear is straight it should track well. The Cassutt
is really a rather docile little airplane, but it is sensitive and
the rudder and elevators are quite powerful. Landing speed may be
a bit faster than in a C-150. I won't try to give you a number,
just to say that it will be about the same speed that it flew off
the runway at!
Good luck. If you have the opportunity, try to find an EAA Flight
Advisor
in your vicinity.
--
HighFlyer
Highflight Aviation Services
haldeman
What aircraft would you recommend some time in? This plane has a locking
tailwheel most of the others I have seen have a steerable tail wheel do you
see this as a problem?