High to low wing transition

SkyhawkJ

SkyhawkJ

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SkyhawkJ
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Anyone here know what it’s like to transition from high to low wing aircraft?
 
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SkyhawkJ said:
Anyone here know what it’s like to transition from high to low wing aircraft?
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About the only differences are:
you can get a little more ground effect on low wings which can help make landings smoother, or float more.
You have an electric fuel pump
You have to remember to switch tanks

If you're going from a 152/172 -> PA28 it's maybe 1/2 hour to an hour of transition time.
 
SkyhawkJ said:
Anyone here know what it’s like to transition from high to low wing aircraft?
Click to expand...

Angels will rejoice in heaven, your mom will give thanks for answered prayers, and your parole officer will breathe a sigh of relief.

Your sight picture will change a bit. Ground effect depends upon the distance from wing to ground, so you will perceive yourself to be higher when the plane begins to float. That’s an easy adaptation.

The more challenging adaptation will be all the added attention you will receive from members of the opposite sex, as low wing pilots are much more attractive than those flying with wings above them.
 
Nothingburger. Grew up in Cessnas, built and continue to fly an RV-10. As I age I want to go back to highwings.
 
my primary training was mostly in a 172, but included 10 hours or so in the warrior. It's not a big deal. But, sure, the emergency checklists to be mesmerized are different.
 
Bank the wings left, the plane turns left. Pull on the elevator, the plane goes up. Pull harder on the elevator, eventually the plane goes down. Don’t matter which side the wings are bolted on, these things are true.
 
On a sunny day:

High wing gives you a shady place to sit.

Low wing sits you in the oven.
 
Half Fast said:
OTOH, with a high wing, if you want to check the sky prior to your takeoff roll, you'll have to roll inverted on the ground.

:devil:
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But we don't have to check the sky, because all those guys on upwind are watching out for us.

:happydance:
 
Zeldman said:
On a sunny day:

High wing gives you a shady place to sit.

Low wing sits you in the oven.
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Sun coming in through the full skylight in my high wing had things cooking inside today when I was parked for an hour or so...

But the thing with low wings - if you land nose high with full flaps the streamlines between the ground and the flaps are squeezed much more than they are squeezed over the top of the wings - huge venturi effect - creates a low pressure that sucks you into the ground so you never have to worry about floating.

Unless, of course, you are flying a real life airplane and not just trying to apply some of the fairy tales you may have been told about how lift is generated.

(just couldn't pass it up...)
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Sun coming in through the full skylight in my high wing had things cooking inside today when I was parked for an hour or so...

But the thing with low wings - if you land nose high with full flaps the streamlines between the ground and the flaps are squeezed much more than they are squeezed over the top of the wings - huge venturi effect - creates a low pressure that sucks you into the ground so you never have to worry about floating.

Unless, of course, you are flying a real life airplane and not just trying to apply some of the fairy tales you may have been told about how lift is generated.

(just couldn't pass it up...)
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What’s up with the silly-looking green font?
 
eman1200 said:
It’s the font you use when you try to convince people lift is generated by newtons laws and not Bernoulli. Silly theories get silly fonts. :)
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Everyone knows that flight is only possible because of the ongoing fight between Newton and Bernouili . . .. :rolleyes:
 
Easy peasy, I switched back and forth while I was a student. A (very) long time ago I soloed in a low wing Cherokee 140 but did most of my farther lessons in a high wing. Did cross country training in a Colt, had some Cub time, then finished up training in a Citabria and passed my checkride in a Citabria. I used to rent C-150s and a Champ. So I flew mostly all high wing since when I soloed. But when I bought my first small plane 20 years ago it was an Ercoupe (Light Sport) with a low (Hershy Bar) wing like my early Cherokee experience. I sold that plane a dozen years ago because life got in the way. But last year I bought another 'Coupe - because I do like the way the low wing flies. Just today I moved if from my "usual" GA airport to one where I lease a nice T-hangar - just in case that hurricane Erin decides to flirt with the east coast. The picture was shot earlier today at Salisbury, MD (SBY).

Coupe-at-SBY-Hangar-bsp.jpg
 
Other than low wings are so much cooler, there isn’t much difference. Much better photo platform with high wings.
 
asicer said:
In a DA40 at high noon on a hot summer day, "cooler" is not the word that comes to mind. ;)
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I've got an EZ-bake oven, large canopy, low wing. In these temps the southeast has had lately I've been content to go out early in the morning and cruise the local area for a bit & then come back for some take-off/landing practice before I start to melt down.
 
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