AdamZ
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2005
- Messages
- 14,866
- Location
- Montgomery County PA
- Display Name
Display name:
Adam Zucker
Saturday I had the opportunity to fly with my friend Dave in his Chipmunk. WOW! What a neat plane! The plane pretty much has semetrical wings and as I few it from the back seat all I really had avaialbel to me was the ASI, Altimeter and needle and ball.
First I'll say that it was a hell of a lot of fun. Second, as I sat in the back I kept saying to myself "now I get it!" meaning that the rudder was so damn important in the turns. Yes I understand the whole cordinated turn thing and have since my training but never have I flown a plane that required such affirmative use of the rudder to keep the plane stabilzed. I mean I could really feel it in my ass when I took an uncoordinated turn and stepped on the ball. I've flown 300hp birds where rudder opposite the turn was required but nothing I have ever flow required so much rudder input both in level flight and especially in turns.
So I've been wondering, is this because its a tail dragger, do the semetrical wings have anything to do with it. The engine is not tremendously big only about 145hp. Can anyone give me some guidance here?
First I'll say that it was a hell of a lot of fun. Second, as I sat in the back I kept saying to myself "now I get it!" meaning that the rudder was so damn important in the turns. Yes I understand the whole cordinated turn thing and have since my training but never have I flown a plane that required such affirmative use of the rudder to keep the plane stabilzed. I mean I could really feel it in my ass when I took an uncoordinated turn and stepped on the ball. I've flown 300hp birds where rudder opposite the turn was required but nothing I have ever flow required so much rudder input both in level flight and especially in turns.
So I've been wondering, is this because its a tail dragger, do the semetrical wings have anything to do with it. The engine is not tremendously big only about 145hp. Can anyone give me some guidance here?
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