PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - The landing and judging height.
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Old 18th Apr 2014, 16:34
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Silvaire1
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: USA
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Once again thanks for posting that video that demonstrates so well when a wheel landing would have been the better choice.
Since the video was of a Luscombe, I'll chime in. I've discussed wheelers versus 3-point with any number of very experienced Luscombe pilots including two I can think of with 50 years of continuous ownership and thousands of hours on the type. They and others have held the opinion that the Luscombe has plenty of aerodynamic control authority to fly down to the stall in gusty winds, and for that reason you don't benefit from extra airspeed when flying close to the ground. Nor is the view down the runway better at higher airspeed, because its fine at any pitch attitude. Conversely, once slowing on the ground after a wheel landing, tail still in the air, you may run out aerodynamic control and be unable to maintain directional control at low airspeed before the tail is on the ground. That situation is not helped on the roll-out by no flaps and little mechanical brakes that are inconsistent in their response, hard to actuate, and mainly good for run up and slow taxi.

I do 3-pointers in a Luscombe unless I'm fooling around for fun. I think its an entirely type specific issue.
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