poadeleted3
Pattern Altitude
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2005
- Messages
- 2,055
OMG, I am in LUST!! I wasn't sure what to expect from the Tiger. All the reports of quick, sporty handling had me wondering if I was going to be fighting with some twitchy beast, constantly feeling like I was struggling to balance on the head of a pin. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. The plane just handles "right." It's hard to describe, but the Tiger just flies the way a plane should fly. The controls are pleasantly firm without being heavy, but respond quickly and, more importantly, precisely. It takes very little control movement to do anything. Then, when you get the plane where you want it, it just seems to stay there with almost no effort. An absolute sweetheart to fly. We are taking one from Northeast Philly to Charleston, WV tomorrow, then back on Monday. I'm really looking forward to the trip now, and am sure I'll like it better than the Skyhawk. The plane is flat out far more fun to fly. The pain of not being able to land at my favorite airport has been eased somewhat. I'll just rent a Skyhawk from there and shoot a few landings 
I've flown both Pipers and Cessnas, but most of my time is in Skyhawks and those are my former favorite planes so that is what I was really comparing the plane to. Preflight is straightforward. I liked being able to open a whole side of the cowling to check oil and inspect the engine. I could do that on the older Pipers I flew, but the Skyhawks confine you to peeking through the oil access door, and so do the new Archers I think. I can stand in front of the wing and reach into the cockpit to hit the switches I need for preflight to check gas, lights, etc., then move on without having to climb in and out. Preflight brings home an impression that the plane is small, especially the wings, which seem short.
Getting into the plane is easier than climbing into the Skyhawk. I do think that getting my son buckled into the back will be a little harder, though. I'll have to make sure we bring his booster seat, too, because the back seat sits low compared to the windows. I've also got reservations about the baggage door. It looks a little small. It took about three seconds to fall in love with the sliding canopy. Having that big open hole will do a lot to improve cabin comfort on the ground this summer! The view out the front is fantastic even on the ground, helped out by a very low panel. The low panel carries a price tag, though. I can't wear my tri-fold kneeboard without getting in the way of the yoke. Oh well, I have a fold out desk that will work beautifully in the plane. Sitting there, I found two of the things I didn't care much for in the plane, though both are minor. First, I don't like the electric flaps without preselect, though when we got to landings we just went to full flaps before turning base. I'll probably get used to that, since there doesn't seem to be any point in the intermediate settings in the Tiger. The second thing was the trim setting indicator, which is a skinny thing that I almost can't see. Of course, the only time that matters is when setting it up for takeoff, after that you never look at it.
Taxiing is a little different because of using differential braking to steer, but I got used to it very quickly. The thing will turn on a dime. That, combined with the short wings, makes taxiing in tight quarters a breeze. Unlike in the Skyhawks, I've got a great view out the front even on the ground, which also contributes to easy taxiing.
The runup is no different than in the Skyhawks and Pipers, really, then came time for takeoff. Takeoff shows why the plane is not considered a really good short field machine. It's acceleration isn't really spectacular. It feels slower than the Skyhawk, though I certainly didn't measure it. It could have just been that I was sitting on 7,000 feet of runway for what I think is the first time ever. At 60 knots I rotated and around 70 or so (I wasn't really looking) we lifted off. Once off the ground, the climb gradient is quite flat compared to the Skyhawk,
but the climb rate is quite good. The visibility out the front is fantastic. When at best rate in the Skyhawk, I usually can't see the horizon in front of me. In the Tiger, I could actually see about as well as I can out of a Skyhawk in cruise flight. Once we leveled off and let the speed build, I was really in awe of the visibility. That low panel and the nose low attitude of the plane just has the whole world coming at you. Really beautiful. It does take some getting used to, though, because in the Skyhawks I'm used to, that picture means you are in a heck of a dive. A couple times, without thinking I set the nose to where I am used to seeing it and found myself in a five hundred FPM climb. Once trimmed up, the airplane stayed right where I put it. No twitchyness or squirrelyness at all. It does take a little longer than I'm used to for the plane to get to cruise speed, but then again, it's a higher speed It doesn't build speed quickly, just kind of keeps getting a little faster. Stalls are a total non-event. If anything, it's even more mellow than the Cherokee.
The plane is easy to land. Being forewarned (thanks, Anthony!) I started my descent and deceleration early, and had no issues there. While slowing for stalls, I'd confirmed that the plane does NOT slow down quickly at all, so planning ahead for the pattern will definitely pay off. Abeam the numbers, we reduced power to 1800, added full flaps, and left it that way until short final. Slowed to 70 knots and held it there on final, using power to hold the glideslope, and the thing just stayed rock steady. It really responds nicely to very small changes in power. Cross the fence, pull the power, and she just about lands herself. Actually, the plane can make very short landings, so you can get into tight places in an emergency. You'll just be trucking it out LOL.
Again, I very quickly fell in love with this plane. From start to finish, it's simply a real joy to fly. I'm certainly a convert, and for most of my trips I'll be taking a Tiger instead of a Skyhawk if my family enjoys the plane as much as I did! I'll report back on that front next week.
I've flown both Pipers and Cessnas, but most of my time is in Skyhawks and those are my former favorite planes so that is what I was really comparing the plane to. Preflight is straightforward. I liked being able to open a whole side of the cowling to check oil and inspect the engine. I could do that on the older Pipers I flew, but the Skyhawks confine you to peeking through the oil access door, and so do the new Archers I think. I can stand in front of the wing and reach into the cockpit to hit the switches I need for preflight to check gas, lights, etc., then move on without having to climb in and out. Preflight brings home an impression that the plane is small, especially the wings, which seem short.
Getting into the plane is easier than climbing into the Skyhawk. I do think that getting my son buckled into the back will be a little harder, though. I'll have to make sure we bring his booster seat, too, because the back seat sits low compared to the windows. I've also got reservations about the baggage door. It looks a little small. It took about three seconds to fall in love with the sliding canopy. Having that big open hole will do a lot to improve cabin comfort on the ground this summer! The view out the front is fantastic even on the ground, helped out by a very low panel. The low panel carries a price tag, though. I can't wear my tri-fold kneeboard without getting in the way of the yoke. Oh well, I have a fold out desk that will work beautifully in the plane. Sitting there, I found two of the things I didn't care much for in the plane, though both are minor. First, I don't like the electric flaps without preselect, though when we got to landings we just went to full flaps before turning base. I'll probably get used to that, since there doesn't seem to be any point in the intermediate settings in the Tiger. The second thing was the trim setting indicator, which is a skinny thing that I almost can't see. Of course, the only time that matters is when setting it up for takeoff, after that you never look at it.
Taxiing is a little different because of using differential braking to steer, but I got used to it very quickly. The thing will turn on a dime. That, combined with the short wings, makes taxiing in tight quarters a breeze. Unlike in the Skyhawks, I've got a great view out the front even on the ground, which also contributes to easy taxiing.
The runup is no different than in the Skyhawks and Pipers, really, then came time for takeoff. Takeoff shows why the plane is not considered a really good short field machine. It's acceleration isn't really spectacular. It feels slower than the Skyhawk, though I certainly didn't measure it. It could have just been that I was sitting on 7,000 feet of runway for what I think is the first time ever. At 60 knots I rotated and around 70 or so (I wasn't really looking) we lifted off. Once off the ground, the climb gradient is quite flat compared to the Skyhawk,
but the climb rate is quite good. The visibility out the front is fantastic. When at best rate in the Skyhawk, I usually can't see the horizon in front of me. In the Tiger, I could actually see about as well as I can out of a Skyhawk in cruise flight. Once we leveled off and let the speed build, I was really in awe of the visibility. That low panel and the nose low attitude of the plane just has the whole world coming at you. Really beautiful. It does take some getting used to, though, because in the Skyhawks I'm used to, that picture means you are in a heck of a dive. A couple times, without thinking I set the nose to where I am used to seeing it and found myself in a five hundred FPM climb. Once trimmed up, the airplane stayed right where I put it. No twitchyness or squirrelyness at all. It does take a little longer than I'm used to for the plane to get to cruise speed, but then again, it's a higher speed
It doesn't build speed quickly, just kind of keeps getting a little faster. Stalls are a total non-event. If anything, it's even more mellow than the Cherokee.The plane is easy to land. Being forewarned (thanks, Anthony!) I started my descent and deceleration early, and had no issues there. While slowing for stalls, I'd confirmed that the plane does NOT slow down quickly at all, so planning ahead for the pattern will definitely pay off. Abeam the numbers, we reduced power to 1800, added full flaps, and left it that way until short final. Slowed to 70 knots and held it there on final, using power to hold the glideslope, and the thing just stayed rock steady. It really responds nicely to very small changes in power. Cross the fence, pull the power, and she just about lands herself. Actually, the plane can make very short landings, so you can get into tight places in an emergency. You'll just be trucking it out LOL.
Again, I very quickly fell in love with this plane. From start to finish, it's simply a real joy to fly. I'm certainly a convert, and for most of my trips I'll be taking a Tiger instead of a Skyhawk if my family enjoys the plane as much as I did! I'll report back on that front next week.
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