PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Gear fails - Put down on grass or tar?
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Old 29th Apr 2005, 17:58
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Onan the Clumsy

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Join Date: Jul 2001
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The damage was limited to the prop
My understanding is any time there is a (significant) prop strike, the engine gets a tear down as there could be significant, unseen internal damage, most importantly to the crank.

As for a gear up landing, I have heard tarmac is to be preferred as (1) the damage done isn't that great and (2) it's smooth. Grass may look softer (not necessarily so in Texas though ) but if you're skidding along at sixty mph and you hit a little indentation, or a clump of something, It could get nasty fairly quickly.

Then there's the airframe shape to consider. It's not likely you'll be flying an F16, but consider the ram ifications of landing that on the grass, with the air intake being where it is.

As for one MLG only, I'd definately take the tarmac, no questions. I wouldn't want the wing tip to dig in on grass and start a cartwheel.

Love the story about the belly up seaplane landing and subsequent go-around. I've heard of people doing that in land planes too which sort of brings me back to the start of this post.
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