PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Selection of ground fine/discing on touchdown
Old 10th Mar 2012, 08:16
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hikoushi
 
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As an another example in the DHC-8-100 (exclude the Q400), typically (barring any gust or such) I would pull the throttles back in the flare, timing it to reach a point just above Flight Idle right before touchdown (leaving just a touch of power on to avoid the prop drag of the Flight Beta range and the resulting thump), flight idle as soon as the first main touches, and then SLOWLY "crack" the throttles about 1/4 of the way past the gate to Disc as soon as both mains are definitely on the ground. Then, SLOWLY bring it all the way back to Disc while allowing the nose to gently settle with steadily increasing yoke backpressure against the increased drag, basically pulling back on the wheel "in time" with the movement of throttle to touch the nose and the Disc stop at the same time. You can milk this out for quite a while and get an very smooth deceleration while avoiding the "skipping" bounces that Dashes sometimes do even with nice landings without using beta. In the earlier Dash the spoilers don't pop out until the nose gear is on the ground, so this sequence of beta usage provides an alternative lift killer to prevent the bounces while being gentle enough to prevent control issues. Of course you can do this more aggressively on a shorter runway; there is still plenty of elevator control left even if you go to full disc right after touchdown as long as the speed is reasonable and you have a halfway decent feel for the airplane. The Q400 is a whole different beast.
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