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m188220
Joined: 22 Apr 2009
Posts: 3
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 Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:22 pm Post subject: Caution--Elevator VGs work as advertised |
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I installed the VGx at about 100 hours and 500+ landings in my kit built CH-701. You may be asking yourself two things. Why am I averaging about 5 landings an hour, and what's up with the Caution.
First the landings. I bought the 701 because of it's STOL capabilities. I have 17 acres in the mid-west. It's Flat but only 750 feet deep with mature trees at one end and power lines about 300 feet away on the other; this year it was 300 feet of soy beans. I've "perfected" my landing technique and usually drop in over the power lines--toward the trees. If you land long or fast they get big VERY quickly, so I'm always practicing landings and can consistently land in around 200 feet (solo and dry grass).
I installed the VGs thinking I could reduce my stall speed and therefore my touchdown speed and landing distance. I'm about 250lbs and with 15deg flaps and no VGs I stall around 40mph. With the VGs, around 35mph--nice.
Now the caution. (I don't know if this is the proper way to do do a STOL landing, but it works for me.) Come in over the power lines rather steep with flaps and holding about 45mph with no power. I aim about 50 feet before my threshold, so that after the flair, I touchdown very close to the threshold. Even after so many landings, I am still a little wary landing toward those trees.
Well with the trees growing fast, I forgot I changed the stall speed and just finish the approach as usual; at about 5 feet high I pull the stick full aft, nudge the throttle, and settle gently to the ground. Well...this time I was 10mph over stall speed when I hit the 5 foot mark. I pulled the stick all the way back as usual--the 701 climbs with VGs and 10mph of extra airspeed. I quickly found myself at 10 feet and zero airspeed. Fortunately the 701 stalls like a pancake thanks to the slats, so I didn't end up like a giant lawn dart; I just bounced on all three tires once and ended up stopped on the threshold.
I only bent the front axle, and bruised my ego. I measured the dents in the grass, and found I now only needed 10 feet of runway! The new axle was less than $10, so another 500 landings would be about $5,000. After fixing the axle and a little more practice, I'm now landing in around 150 feet--I'm OK with that.
Happy landings,
Jeff
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kmccune
Joined: 22 Sep 2007
Posts: 577
Location: Wisconsin, USA
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| Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 3:46 pm Post subject: Re: Caution--Elevator VGs work as advertised |
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Good info thanks!
Kevin
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