ATR 42 and 72 - aerodynamics during landing
I've been flying both the 72 and 42-500 for some time and found the 42 much more forgiving during landing. The 72 seems very prone to balooning and it's is easy to to flare high. On the other hand, the 42 seems to land quite nicely by itself almost everytime - one just has to be careful with the power levers...
Can anyone explain me why those two similar planes behave differently? My theory is that the 72 has longer wingspan than the 42, thus higher aspect ratio and steeper lift curve - i.e a change in the AoA produces higher lift change, which leads to ballooning. Also, the 72 has a lower landing flap setting so is less draggy during flare (though it falls like a brick with PL's retarded too much). Am I right, or off track here?