Airplane With The Nicest Handling
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Before I headed off on a Uk - Oz lengthy jolly, behind a Gipsy Major Mk 10 -2, Middle Wallop was abuzz with Chippies with like engines. Talking with the engineers there, who also did a final check on mine, I was told there had not been a failure due to the engine itself. Those that did go down were by trainee pilots, carby icing, mag points , fuel probs etc peripheral stuff. A confidence builder !,?. Was for me anyway.
impulse mag points needed regapping in India, a bit of carby icing over the Timor Sea…but that old Gipsy did just keep on noisily humming along.
impulse mag points needed regapping in India, a bit of carby icing over the Timor Sea…but that old Gipsy did just keep on noisily humming along.
Nicest handling piston twin - Aerostar by far. Then Aero Commander. C414A nice & safe if un-exciting.
Never felt relaxed in Chieftain for some reason.
Worst - Seneca 1. What a total ****-box. Later models marginally better.
Single - haven’t flown Chippie etc., but of the usual GA stuff only the C210 had nice handling (haven’t flown a Bonanza but suspect that’d be the only one that would be as good or better).
Never felt relaxed in Chieftain for some reason.
Worst - Seneca 1. What a total ****-box. Later models marginally better.
Single - haven’t flown Chippie etc., but of the usual GA stuff only the C210 had nice handling (haven’t flown a Bonanza but suspect that’d be the only one that would be as good or better).
Never felt relaxed in Chieftain for some reason.
I did the endorsement back in the ole days where the instructor pulled the mixture and you actually feathered and landed 1 inop. It handled well on one engine, even had an air return on one engine with 10 pob at a later date. Knowing exactly how much drag an open cowl flap or such creates is critical at max weight, that alone could be the difference between climb, level or not. They definitely did not like hot conditions, very easy for those oil and CHT temps to build up if you stayed low on a hot day, and opening the barn door cowls would slow you significantly.
I flew a number of well maintained chiefs on mostly passenger charter and some RPT. They were always very reliable and safe. I know more than a few that are in pretty bad shape doing freight work and outback. That might be the ones you would feel 'at risk' in.
I did the endorsement back in the ole days where the instructor pulled the mixture and you actually feathered and landed 1 inop. It handled well on one engine…
I did the endorsement back in the ole days where the instructor pulled the mixture and you actually feathered and landed 1 inop. It handled well on one engine…
I think it was because every takeoff was at max weight and we were flying out of very hot locations virtually every day, and I knew those engines were working to their absolute limit.
But apart from one return to the departure field 5 minutes after takeoff due to oil streaming out of the left engine they were pretty reliable aircraft, to be fair.
Every twin endorsement I did ended in the way you describe. The last one was more than fifteen years ago so maybe things are done differently now.
Nicest handling piston twin - Aerostar by far. Then Aero Commander. C414A nice & safe if un-exciting.
Never felt relaxed in Chieftain for some reason.
Worst - Seneca 1. What a total ****-box. Later models marginally better.
Single - haven’t flown Chippie etc., but of the usual GA stuff only the C210 had nice handling (haven’t flown a Bonanza but suspect that’d be the only one that would be as good or better).
Never felt relaxed in Chieftain for some reason.
Worst - Seneca 1. What a total ****-box. Later models marginally better.
Single - haven’t flown Chippie etc., but of the usual GA stuff only the C210 had nice handling (haven’t flown a Bonanza but suspect that’d be the only one that would be as good or better).
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Especially at low speed! Superb handling. Know of one that during an endorsement, was stalled at 15,000’, tumbled nose over tail and didn’t recover until 7,000’. There’s a winner right there!
Best of some 50 light airplanes (regrettably not including the Chipmunk), T-34, especially with an Allison 250 turboprop engine (one of a kind) that doubled the horsepower; Worst, Cessna 150 converted to a tail dragger with a more powerful engine for glider towing - inadequate rudder for much of a crosswind (and in some cases, it wasn’t as heavy as the sailplane being towed, which occasionally raised the question of whether the tow plane pilot or the sailplane pilot was in charge of the proceedings); second worst, Mooney M20, because of the lack of control harmony, but if you weren’t a big person and only wanted to go places, adequate for the task.
Twins
Aerostar, provided your endorsement was done by somebody with plenty of experience on the type and had been outside the local circuit area.
PA-31/310, great aeroplane with wing lockers, crew door and cargo door.
PA-39
Singles
F33 Bonanza
Aerostar, provided your endorsement was done by somebody with plenty of experience on the type and had been outside the local circuit area.
PA-31/310, great aeroplane with wing lockers, crew door and cargo door.
PA-39
Singles
F33 Bonanza
Join Date: Jul 2021
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Definition of “best handling” and for what
What is your defintion of “best handling”?
”best handling” for what purpose..?
Best handling jet for short strips that I have flown Boeing 727
“ Best handling” old school small corporate jet for hand flying Learjet 35
” Best handling” offstrip and short strips The Twin Otter
Agree that the Beechcraft 99 for unpressurized turboprops handled awesome
”best handling” for what purpose..?
Best handling jet for short strips that I have flown Boeing 727
“ Best handling” old school small corporate jet for hand flying Learjet 35
” Best handling” offstrip and short strips The Twin Otter
Agree that the Beechcraft 99 for unpressurized turboprops handled awesome