Transitioning from Robin HR-200 to DR-400

[Oxeagle]

Evening all,

I'm currently flying Robin HR-200s and am looking to transition over to the DR400-180. I personally think the HR-200 is a lovely machine to fly, but a little under-powered, and from what i've heard the DR400 is even nicer to fly, so I have to give it a go! What i'd like to know about is how the handling of the DR400 differs to that of the HR-200, or rather how similar they are in all the different aspects of flight, if the DR400 has any party tricks it likes to spring on the unsuspecting pilot etc. If anyone could enlighten me as to the differences it would be of great assistance.

Cheers,


Ox

[A and C]

The DR400 has no nasty tricks to play on you, the only thing to look out for is that the aircraft takes a little longer to slow down from cruise to approach speed than you might expect.

This is due to he way that the wing works, the only down side to this is that if you let the Airspeed drop during the approach it will drop off more rapidly than you might expect so it is vital to monitor the speed.

The DR400-108 and 120 are a little underpowerd but the DR400-140 is a nice aircraft, the best in terms of MPG is the 160 but it can't lift the payload of the 180.

Due to the large payload of the DR400-180 (the payload is a high percentage of MTOW) the way the aircraft flys at MTOW is very diferent to the way a lightly loaded aircraft flys, So when getting the checkout try to fly the 180 loaded to a realistic touring weight but remember it is one of the few light aircraft that has a MTOW higher than the MLW (fuel dumping is only avalable if the suplimental tank is fitted below the baggage bay!)

The DR400 is without doubt the best touring aircraft in its class in terms of field performance vs range vs cruise speed vs payload............ enjoy!

[proctor]

Hi,

I haven't flown the Hr-200 much (as a pretty tall fellow I actually find the C152 more comfortable), but I reckon one of the hardest things to get used to in the Dr400 is the manual flaps lever. I couldn't quite believe it the first time I turned on final (with an instructor, of course), and had to take the stick with my left hand, push the little button on the lever, yank it up into the firmly locked position, then swap hands again, and fly a decent approach!

Luckily it very soon became second nature, but it initially took me by surprise.

Though I don't have much to compare it to (yet), I find the Dr400 a magnificent aeroplane. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Proctor

[BackPacker]

Proctor, same here, but I found it strange the other way around. Why is there an aux throttle control on the left hand side?

In all the aircraft I have flown so far (C152, C172, PA28, DR200, R2160, DA40), I have flown the aircraft with my left hand (on the stick or yoke, and in most cases just using the thumb and index finger) and used my right hand for throttle, flaps, radio, whatnot. In the Robin, I do exactly the same and use the throttle which technically may be intended for the RHS. But hey, I'm the PIC, it's my plane. All of it. Including both throttles.

The LHS throttle is useful though when starting the plane.

As for the manual flaps - I like them. I find it easier to anticipate trim changes when I manually pull the lever than if I switch a knob and an electric motor starts humming, leading to a trim change fully four seconds later.

Our club just took delivery of two DR400-135CDIs. Going over this afternoon to take a look at them. The performance and price-per-hour figures look very promising.

[Adrian N]

The DR400 has no nasty tricks to play on you

It has one, which should be pointed out during a good check out. In flight the nosewheel is aligned with the fuselage, and the link to the rudder is disconnected. It can sometimes happen that the steering mechanism does not re-engage properly on landing - particularly if the front oleo strut is not correctly maintained. When you land in a crosswind, it's a good idea to bring the nosewheel down fairly firmly after you have touched down. This ensures the steering re-engages properly, and you don't run off the side of the runway wondering why the aeroplane doesn't seem to respond to your efforts to steer it.

[BackPacker]

Good point. We had an accident due to this a while ago (nothing but a bruised ego, broken fairings and runway lights, fortunately). If you find out it's not engaged after landing, break sharp. This will engage the steering as well.

When you are landing at MTOW and aft CoG (full load of passengers) and make a true greaser, with all pax giving you a round of applause for your flawless landing technique, that's when this happens.

[Piltdown Man]

A lovely aircraft. Bigger the engine, the better the plane. The top of the pile is a 200HP with CS prop (a German mod. for aerotowing), what a plane! Advice, close the hood and go. Don't approach too fast - from memory, late forties/early fifties (in strong winds were enough) were enough.

PM

[BackPacker]

We took delivery of two DR200-135CDI "ecoflyers" at our club just this week. Can't wait to lay my hands on one of those. It's got the same engine as the DA-40, but is a lot lighter. And even cheaper to operate.