speed brake for taylorcraft.

[Bill Greenwood]

Richard, I have not flown a Taylorcraft, but here is the way I have done it for other similar airplanes. First, find the stall speed, VSo. Now you can look in a book or ask another Taylorcraft pilot, but a better way and one that will be specific to your plane is to go up nice and high and do a few stalls. Find the power off stall speed, gear and flaps (if any) down, and remember the carb heat.
Let's say it is 40 mph, then your speed turning final can be 52 mph which is 1.3 x VSo, and not any more. As you get to the runway slow a little more to 48 mph or 1.2 x VSo. That should be adequate for control and allow a flare,but not have much float.
If you learned to fly in 172 or something with big flaps, this may seem strange to you, and take some getting used to. Just be careful, 800 ft is a very small runway, even for that light a plane. You may want to practice on a bigger strip first.
My Cub stalls at 38 mph, power off . If I drag it in with just a trickle of power, the stall speed is below the last figures on the airspeed indicator. I use 50 mph on final as 1.3 and make a full stall 3 point landing, no trouble stoppping in a few hundred feet after touchdown, with light braking, as the brakes are not much anyway, but at 30 mph and 750 llbs, not much is needed.

[EDGEFLY]

Very interesting discussion. I apologize to the originator for this being not really an answer but a tangential question. As one responder suggested, ask some experienced 80 hp T-Craft drivers about this and what they suggest about this "floating" tendacy. Some reasonable responses discussed more or less standard techniques for landing speed control (stall speed, 1.3 Vso etc.) and someone also said to fly with a CFI, both good ideas but make sure the CFI has lots of time in both tailwheelers and in type (Taylorcraft) instruction. My request is to see some response from those 500+ hr Taylorcraft pilots to respond and, in particular, their own reflections not only on an 800 ft runway but what their ideas of what is a minimum runway length and angle of descent for performance on a short runway landing with this bird ? Also, I would like to hear from pilots who are regularly making this use of the plane not just stories about "once upon a time........"EDGEFLY

[rosiejerryrosie]

I have another question. Since you originally posted that your Tcraft was an "ultralight", are you flying it without a certificate/license of some sort? How is it registered? Does it have an "N" number?

[richard cartier]

The Taylorcraft was originally from the states but when it was imported here in Canada it meets the ultra-light category because of the weight. We can do our own maintanance and enter it in a log book. There are quite a few taylorcraft,s here in Canada under this category.Rick

[steveinindy]

The Taylorcraft was originally from the states but when it was imported here in Canada it meets the ultra-light category because of the weight. We can do our own maintanance and enter it in a log book. There are quite a few taylorcraft,s here in Canada under this category.Rick

Ah...that's right. You guys have an ultralight category that is akin to the American LSA category. I totally blanked on that. *facepalm*

[bigdog]

The Taylorcraft TG-6 glider and L-2M tandem had spoilers. There were about 5 inches wide and spanned the 3 rib bays inboard of the ailerons. The hinge was at the front spar and they popped up via bellcranks mounted on the spar with a common rod driving all 3. The wing was virtually identical to the side-by-side models but with wooden ribs so the aerodynamic effect should be the same. I've got a L-2 project that was converted from a TG-6 so I know where and how they were mounted but I've never flown with them. You could seek out some L-2M owners that have spoilers (not all do) and see what their experience is. I had a BC12D 30+ years ago and remember getting in and out of 800 ft patches at sea level. That was with a 65hp but it's way too long ago to provide any guidance.

[Cary]

I have a whole hour of dual in a T-craft, so I'm a long way from being an expert. But as a long dormant CFII, I suggest that your floating is likely from too quick an approach speed. A Google search shows that the T-craft's stall speed is 35-40 mph, which means to me that your final approach speed should be around 45-55 mph--and I would choose the lower end of that range. Or you can use the mountain flyer's method, which is to get up to a safe altitude, find the indicated stall speed, and multiply that by 1.3, and then use that as your indicated approach speed. It won't be perfectly accurate, but it'll be close enough and safe to use. And I'll bet your floating will be a thing of the past.

Cary

[exftrplt]

Just a thought. Could you be referring to the spoiler that some of the Taylorcraft L-2s had? I certainly don't recommend trying to install one in an airplane not designed for it. The other comments are to the point. Much better to get some instruction and practice.

[steveinindy]

Could you be referring to the spoiler that some of the Taylorcraft L-2s had?

If I remember correctly- as there were beers involved- a WWII L-2 grasshopper pilot that I met mentioned nothing about using a spoiler during shortfield landings and I had a long talk with him about extreme short field operations for medical evacuation and resupply specifically asking about the techniques involved. His comment about how to best do it was to fly it "a couple knots" above stall and land uphill. This came with the caveat that it should only be done when staying in the air is more dangerous than getting on the ground (in other words, when people are trying to shoot you down, i.e., he would not do it as a civilian).

One of the best stories he had to tell was about hauling whole blood in glass bottles to the forward hospital units. Apparently some German took a pot shot at his plane. He heard the bullets hit the plane and the next thing he knows he's covered in blood. Upon landing the medics stripped him down to find no injuries only to realize that all the blood had come from a shattered bottle.

Also, i've seen quite a few vintage L-2s from that time frame and I can't recall any of them still having a spoiler still installed. It could be a selection bias though or something similar....

[Pearson]

I am one of those 500+ hour Taylorcraft pilots. I agree with the advice given above about getting some dual from an experienced Taylorcraft instructor. An 800 foot runway for a Taylorcraft is very doable if there are not extenuating factors, such as soft mushy ground, tall grass, obstacles, high density altitude, or a steep gradient.

I regularly land at my home airport on a paved runway with no obstructions in less than 200 feet. That is with no one else in the plane but me and less than half fuel. Depending on the density altitude, I can take off in about 300 feet under the same circumstances. That is with the original A65 engine and 6.00 X 6 tires.

The technique I use for short field landings is to slow down well before entering the flare. As you may know, when in ground effect induced drag is reduced. If the drag is reduced, you are going to decelerate slower. Meaning more runway will go by before you slow down to landing speed. So you need to arrive at the runway already slowed to the speed you will actually touch down at. For my BC12D with it’s 65hp engine, I reduce to about 1300 rpm on downwind and allow the airspeed to slow to about 65 mph indicated. At 65 indicated and 1300 rpm, I will descend at about 400 feet per minute. On base I ease the nose up to slow to 60 mph indicated and adjust rpm to maintain the descent. Turning final I raise the nose a little more to about 55. At this point with my left hand on the yoke and right hand on the throttle, I am adjusting airspeed with my left hand and altitude with my right. I like to slow to about 50 on short final. I like to maintain 50 indicated until I am just over any obstacles, or the runway is about to disappear under the top of the cowl. Then I reduce power by about a ¼ of an inch of throttle. I don’t look at the tach or airspeed at this point. I am flying by feel. If I am sinking to fast, I add a touch of throttle back in. Too high, reduce throttle just a hair. I can judge the airspeed by the feel on the yoke. My last trim setting was on base at 60 mph. When you are over the runway with the correct sink rate, just pull the throttle ALL THE WAY OFF just before you touch down and apply a slight increase in back pressure on the yoke. For short field you are not trying for a grease job touch down. It is more important to get it down. If you are dropping in from too high, just delay the power reduction.

Once you practice enough you will know the feel it takes for each airspeed below that. And that is the secret to making really short landings in almost any airplane, PRACTICE. Find a runway with a comfortable length and practice short field landings on it before you try it on an actual short field. Also practice doing a go around and don’t hesitate to use one if things get uncomfortable.