Grumman Tiger AA-5B
M. K. Stinson
arrangement for his 1975 Grumman AA-5B. Weather was el-crapo in Houston on
Saturday so I have not had a chance to fly it and would appreciate any
comments (handling, flying characteristics, quirks) from people who have
considerable time in this aircraft. The aircraft itself is in very nice
shape. It has a brand spanking new O360-A4K and everything else from the
firewall forward is brand new (within the past month) except prop (according
to the owner all AD's are updated on the McCauley). Also has new Narco
stack, Garmin GPS, digital engine monitoring equipment, autopilot. At 128+
knots cruise this should be an excellent X/C aircraft.
I will probably get checked out at Fletcher Aviation at Hobby, they seem to
specialize in Grumman aircraft. Also, the owner pointed to a marked yellow
RPM area on the tachometer and I cannot for the life of me remember what he
called it and why it is there. All I remember is cruise RPM in green area
good, cruise in yellow RPM area bad.
Thanks,
Kirk Stinson PP-ASEL
DWH/Houston, TX
M. K. Stinson
mike regish
settings maybe causing problems with radios or nav/comms. Might be
something else-could just be a vibration thing at certain revs.
Sounds like a real nice AC.
mike regish
PP-ASEL
"M. K. Stinson" wrote:
>
Also, the owner pointed to a marked yellow
> RPM area on the tachometer and I cannot for the life of me remember what he
> called it and why it is there. All I remember is cruise RPM in green area
> good, cruise in yellow RPM area bad.
>
Flight.com
> arrangement for his 1975 Grumman AA-5B. Weather was el-crapo in Houston on
> Saturday so I have not had a chance to fly it and would appreciate any
> comments (handling, flying characteristics, quirks) from people who have
> considerable time in this aircraft.
The biggest consideration is the nose gear. It's free-castering, which
means that it's not connected to the rudder pedals. It really isn't a
big deal, but you can get into trouble the first couple times you start
to taxi and press on a pedal to turn and nothing happens. Differential
braking works fine.
Aside from steering comes landing. Since the nose gear doesn't have an
oleo strut (shock absorber) it can (and does) bounce. If you land with
too much pressure on the nose gear--not even necessarily a terrible
landing--it will start to bounce, bounce, BOUNCE. It's hard to explain,
but the nose gear will spring the airplane into the air. When you're
brand new to the airplane, you can make it a lot worse when correcting
and be forced to make a go-around. The aircraft I used to fly had a
significant prop strike when a woman who was flying it got into that
bouncing situation. She finally pronged the nose into the runway so
hard that the prop struck the pavement.
My secret to nice landings in the Grumman are to treat every landing
like a soft-field. Land on the mains only and keep the nose in the air
as long as you can, lowering it gingerly to the runway as speed bleeds
off. This keeps you from bouncing off of the nose as well as keeping
nose-wheel "chattering" to a minimum. You'll know what I mean about the
chattering after the first time you fly the airplane.
I like the Grumman a lot. It's 10-20 knots faster than a 172 for the
same fuel burn. The canopy is cool--especialy since you can slide it
back and fly with it open at lower airspeeds. Getting used to the gear
is tricky though.
Cordially,
-Richard
http://flight.com
t
Something to do with the propellor, I think.
Some of the Tigers I rent have them, some don't.
Todd Smith
Effie Andree Wiltens
castoring nosewheel, the low crosswind limits that seemed to be associated
with the nosewheel and nose strut.
But I found I had no problem at all with the Tiger. Maybe it was because I
soon found out that the best way to land it, is to pretend that it is a
tailwheel aircraft. Hold off the nose, you'll be allright. Watch out for a
wing drop, the stall is rather sudden.
Later, I bought a Traveler (the Tiger's low-powered sibling). When you are
lightly loaded (this goes for the Tiger too, the airframe is exactly the
same), the plane floats forever in ground effect, really eating up the
runway. The flaps are of the simple hinge tye and do not help much, the
problem is that the airframe is so clean, it takes a LONG TIME to react to
power changes whereas the other control response is very crisp.
Take your time to trim out the aircraft, let it settle, and retrim. Get it
on the step first and only then reduce power. The reward is at least 10%
more efficiency on an already very efficient aircraft.
Fletchair is very good and the guys there are very helpful. If you are
there, say hi from me (AA5 G-BCLJ).
Have fun!
FE.
M. K. Stinson <sti...@pdq.net> wrote in message
news:82gn3n$7hk$1...@mailint03.im.hou.compaq.com...
> This past week I have been communicating with a gentleman about a rental
> arrangement for his 1975 Grumman AA-5B. Weather was el-crapo in Houston on
> Saturday so I have not had a chance to fly it and would appreciate any
> comments (handling, flying characteristics, quirks) from people who have
> considerable time in this aircraft. The aircraft itself is in very nice
> shape. It has a brand spanking new O360-A4K and everything else from the
> firewall forward is brand new (within the past month) except prop
(according
> to the owner all AD's are updated on the McCauley). Also has new Narco
> stack, Garmin GPS, digital engine monitoring equipment, autopilot. At 128+
> knots cruise this should be an excellent X/C aircraft.
>
> I will probably get checked out at Fletcher Aviation at Hobby, they seem
to
> specialize in Grumman aircraft. Also, the owner pointed to a marked yellow
DOW_9er7Tango
Hehe,
--97T--
Flight.com <r...@flight.com> wrote in message
news:384C3FCE...@flight.com...
> "M. K. Stinson" wrote:
>
> > arrangement for his 1975 Grumman AA-5B. Weather was el-crapo in Houston
on
> > Saturday so I have not had a chance to fly it and would appreciate any
> > comments (handling, flying characteristics, quirks) from people who have
> > considerable time in this aircraft.
>
Effie Andree Wiltens
lovely fresh wind especially to the guys in the back seats!
Besides, there is cabin air control as well.
You can fly the canopy in the open position at any speed below 100kt, I tend
to trim it for 80kt 2000 RPM one stage flaps, you can do any manoevring in
that configuation short of STEEP turns.
FE.
DOW_9er7Tango wrote
Ron Natalie
DOW_9er7Tango wrote:
>
> Except the canopy isn't really that 'cool' in the summer, is it?
>
You can fly with it open (something like 4 inches). We did
that once. I've flown with the Navion canopy open to it's
in-flight limit (11"), I'll not do that again.
Ron Natalie
Effie Andree Wiltens wrote:
>
> When I first flew the Tiger I was, like everyone else, biased about the
> castoring nosewheel, the low crosswind limits that seemed to be associated
> with the nosewheel and nose strut.
Watched a Tiger turn around on a tight ramp the other day. Pretty
impressive, like watching a tail dragger spin around.
DOW_9er7Tango
it must be fun flying with it open, I love the AC in my old 172. This
summer, though there were some days when the shade from the wing and a 100
mph wind coming through that big window still didn't cool things off much!
Like on the ride to and from Oshkosh, sheesh that was something. Couldn't
even climb above the heat then.
--97T--
Effie Andree Wiltens <ea...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:82hupa$jjd$1...@news1.xs4all.nl...
> Sure it is! you can open it to about the length of your underarm, gives a
> lovely fresh wind especially to the guys in the back seats!
> Besides, there is cabin air control as well.
> You can fly the canopy in the open position at any speed below 100kt, I
tend
> to trim it for 80kt 2000 RPM one stage flaps, you can do any manoevring in
> that configuation short of STEEP turns.
> FE.
>
> DOW_9er7Tango wrote
> > Except the canopy isn't really that 'cool' in the summer, is it?
> >
> > Hehe,
> > --97T--
>
>
>
Effie Andree Wiltens
> Is the thing difficult to close once you are moving?
No, that's precisely the reason why you are allowed to fly with it open (up
to a certain gap, that is.)
It's pretty difficult to open, but it kinda wants to close itself due to its
shape.
You have no speed restriction, but 80kt makes it easier to open.
FE.
Dylan Smith
> comments (handling, flying characteristics, quirks) from people who have
> considerable time in this aircraft.
I have a bit on the AA5A on my webpage
(http://www.icct.net/~dyls/flying.html) since I flew one of Fletcher's up
from Houston to Illinois and back earlier this year.
> I will probably get checked out at Fletcher Aviation at Hobby, they seem
to
> specialize in Grumman aircraft.
Go for 9960U, it's the camoflague one ;-)
--
Dylan Smith, Houston TX.
http://www.icct.net/~dyls
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"
jack
> ...it's the camoflague one....
Yeah, the one with the really cute empennague!
At a loss for words,
Jack
Effie Andree Wiltens
It's an European site, though.
There is also a worldwide Grumman owners group called the Yankee
Association.
FE.
Dylan Smith <dylan...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:82lpcn$pn4$1...@ausnews.austin.ibm.com...
Michael Gillespie
> BTW, there is a website for a group called the Grumman Gang with some
> info. It's an European site, though.
*Not* European. The site is physically located in Canada, maintained from
Oregon, and has participants from around the world.
> There is also a worldwide Grumman owners group called the Yankee
> Association.
There is a link to the AYA site from the above URL.
Michael.
Gulfstream Cheetah C-GRCC
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Flying Colors Precision Flight Team | mich...@gray.mb.ca
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