SR-22. Elevator Authority

OzPilot

OzPilot

Pre-takeoff checklist
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OzPilot
Was there a change in elevator authority between generations? I'm googling, but would like reach out to you guys. :)

I've been flying the generation 3 mainly, which has been great and hasn't shown me any issue with elevator auth... However today I took out a G2 and the elevator authority before touchdown was quite terrible.

VRB to 8 knot quartering headwind, I maintained 85 knots from mid-final, down to 80-83 knots on short.

As I reduced power to idle just before the threshold, I kept having to creep back the elevator and was quickly at full aft with a still nose down attitude (it would have easily been a heavy nose wheel landing if I continued). Trim was correctly set for the base/final descent and the power wasn't pulled to idle quickly.

I went around on my first landing as I wasn't happy with a full control deflection and nose down attitude.

On the second attempt, I trimmed pitch up somewhat and just overpowered the yoke up to flare and landing with no issue but also very close to full aft on the yoke.

I decided to do another round to test it out some more... On coming back around, I left trim in normal pitch position and landed with power on a little as well as landing at 85 knots.. No issue with elevator trim. (Obviously).


So my question is... Did anything change between gens? Poor rigging? (perhaps not getting full travel?


On another note, a E-Bus warning came up with Alternator 1 popping on base for that last circuit, so perhaps this plane isn't happy.
 
With turbo and air conditioning, it's not hard to run out of aft stick on an SR22, and I don't think that's generation-specific. Without them, you can slow up a bit more without running out of elevator authority in the flare. Did that g2 have more weight up front than the g3 you've been flying?
 
Non Turbo but had air cond. Similar to the G3's I've flown.

Lighter passenger in copilot seat this time around as well.

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
 
I own a G2 and have never experienced that in over 500 landings. I'd say there was something not right with the trim (perhaps some mechanical issue...not blaming pilot here). I also know of no changes re: elevator etc. from g2/g3.

They removed the aileron/rudder interconnects, that was the big control surface change
 
SteveinNC said:
I own a G2 and have never experienced that in over 500 landings. I'd say there was something not right with the trim (perhaps some mechanical issue...not blaming pilot here). I also know of no changes re: elevator etc. from g2/g3.

They removed the aileron/rudder interconnects, that was the big control surface change
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Steve,
That is what I am thinking... Something just wasn't right. I'm going to ask around about that aircraft
 
Interesting! I have about 300 hours in several SR22-G2s and found that they had much better elevator authority than the 50 hours I have in a G3-turbo. I ended up having to caring just a touch of power to touchdown in the G3. Seems like your experience is just the opposite.
 
Pa28-140 said:
Interesting! I have about 300 hours in several SR22-G2s and found that they had much better elevator authority than the 50 hours I have in a G3-turbo. I ended up having to caring just a touch of power to touchdown in the G3. Seems like your experience is just the opposite.
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I am in another G3-22 tomorrow and I don't expect it to be an issue at all. Very strange, but tomorrow will be my chance to ask around about the previous one.
 
Ask Todd if he is there tomorrow. He should know if anything is goofy with the trim.
 
Did anyone measure the deflection angles of the tail feathers to see if the stops are set correctly?
 
Henning said:
Did anyone measure the deflection angles of the tail feathers to see if the stops are set correctly?
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No, but interesting. Pre-flight showed what I consider a normal range of motion.. I'll look at it today
 
The -20 I've flown felt like you barely needed to pull back at all to flare, especially because they like to land pretty flat. The bigger engine up front could make it feel a little different.
 
rainsux said:
> down to 80-83 knots on short.

What is Vso? 80-83 knots, strikes me as too fast.
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It is, by normal "1.3 Vs0" standards, but necessary in these planes. Otherwise, you risk a couple of issues. On the older short-legged versions, there's a chance of getting into such a nose-up attitude in the flare that you risk "skagging" the tail. On the later versions, especially those 22's with turbocharging and air conditioning, the extra weight up front means you risk running out of elevator authority in the flare and planting the nosewheel.
 
Ron Levy said:
It is, by normal "1.3 Vs0" standards, but necessary in these planes. Otherwise, you risk a couple of issues. On the older short-legged versions, there's a chance of getting into such a nose-up attitude in the flare that you risk "skagging" the tail. On the later versions, especially those 22's with turbocharging and air conditioning, the extra weight up front means you risk running out of elevator authority in the flare and planting the nosewheel.
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That sounds similar to a PA-32T at forward CGs. I tried it at 1.3 Vs0 and scared myself. A little faster worked a lot better, and once the mains were down the speed bled off very quickly.
 
Ron Levy said:
It is, by normal "1.3 Vs0" standards, but necessary in these planes. Otherwise, you risk a couple of issues. On the older short-legged versions, there's a chance of getting into such a nose-up attitude in the flare that you risk "skagging" the tail. On the later versions, especially those 22's with turbocharging and air conditioning, the extra weight up front means you risk running out of elevator authority in the flare and planting the nosewheel.
Click to expand...

Yep, this is spot on. So my original post was that even with the 80+ knots, the elevator authority was terrible compared to what I am used to.

Was out in another 22 today and ran a few circuits at different airfields, headwind and crosswind... No issue at all with elevator running the same stabilized approaches.

:dunno:
 
And if you ever drop the airspeed below 70 on final, instructors turn green.
 
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