Cessna 172 RG

[Shaft109]

Hello all, I'm doing a complex checkout and so far all my flying is on the mighty Pa28 warrior and so what differences can I expect in terms of handling etc in the C172RG?

This is only a general discussion as I have no cessna experience and was going to do it on the Arrow, but the school has swapped aircraft!

Thanks for the time

Shaft

[172driver]

Shaft, I think you'll find the 172RG very different from the good ol' PA28. This goes for pretty much everything, from seating position to handling. The RG is what I usually fly, so in a nutshell:

- the wingloading on a Cessna (any Cessna, for that matter) is lower than on a Piper, they feel much more 'nervous' at first.

- landing an RG can be quite tricky. I've see more than one (experienced) guy really struggle with it. The reason, IMHO, is the big nosewheel door, which, once openend, really changes the way the a/c behaves. When flaring it can feel like you are floating on a 'cushion' of air. Landing an RG in a crosswind most definitley reminds you what these rudder pedals are for :E !

- that said, a Cessna floats a lot less than a PA28, due to high wing

- depending on your a/c you may have a 40 deg flap setting. Use this with care, as it significantly changes the airflow over the rudder - which you will need!

- speaking of flaps, these of course are electric in a Cessna, therefore you don't get the instantaneous 'ooomph' of the 'handbrake' application ;)

- the view is very different in a Cessna, high vs low wing here. Flying a right-hand pattern (circuit) can be bit challenging at first, as you lose sight of the runway turning base.

- you'll enjoy much more space in the cockpit than in a PA28

- on the whole it's a great a/c to fly :ok:

[Piltdown Man]

It's a dead simple aircraft to fly. The tech. manual of the aircraft is the first place to start learning. And I totally disagree with 172driver because if you fly it at the correct speeds (the ones from the manual, not the 65kts or more that most plonkers fly at) it lands very nicely, thank you very much. The only real weakness is the position of the wings - they are really where you would like to be able to see!

[Shaft109]

Piltdown Man, 172Driver

Thanks for the replies so far, I should also mention I used to fly the Grob 109 (taildragger motorglider) so i know all about float on landing and the rudder pedals.:ok:

One one memorable occasion my instructor told me to try an approach and landing without the airbrakes. I rounded out over the piano keys and was still floating in ground effect over 4000' later:ooh: It just sits at 50kts for ages.

I have heard that a Cessna FEELS more nervous but i'll just have to find out for myself!

Thanks so far

[Halfbaked_Boy]

Shaft,

I moved to flying two Cessna 172s and a Cessna 172RG straight from the PA28 - once you get used to the different yoke and throttle, it's straightforward enough! I personally like the way they 'float' - you can take the power off a lot earlier and so far 100% of my landings on the 172RG have been made with the column at its aft stop, so just be aware of this and landing the beast is a non-event!

Cheers, Jack.