PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Robin DR400/180 stick back at start of the roll
Old 15th Jul 2016, 10:40
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Specific for the DR400 (and R2160 too, btw), there is one other thing to consider.

The nose wheel is spring loaded and when there is no or virtually no weight on the nose wheel, it will "lock" in the dead ahead position. This is to reduce aerodynamic drag while in the air.

On the ground, particularly after an extremely soft landing, it is possible that the load on the nosewheel is not yet high enough to disengage the nosewheel from the lock. This means you have no nosewheel steering, and may become a problem as the speed diminishes and you also lose aerodynamic (rudder) steering.

For this reason you may want to put a little load on the nosewheel immediately after landing (check stick neutral or slightly forward of neutral). And it might also be something to be aware of when you do take-off with full stick back: You may just engage the lock before you have sufficient aerodynamic rudder authority.
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