Single-seat aircraft?

[MichaelJP59]

Looking at information on the Silence Twister at the weekend, and something occurred to me.

How do you do differences training on a single-seat type like this? Just read the manual and away you go?! Presumably you need much experience and confidence to do this... at least with a Pitts you can go in a 2-seat version.

[Mark 1]

Nice aeroplane.

There's no legal requirement for differences training on a single seater. If you need tailwheel differences training then that will need to be done on a suitable training machine.

As with any single seater, you'll want to make sure you're current on something reasonably similar, get a thorough briefing, take a deep breath, clench your buttocks and go for it.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Carefully, and with as much preparation as possible - reading up on the type, going through the manual, talking to previous pilots on type, preferably plenty of hours on similar aeroplanes. Then starting with some very careful, middle-of-envelope sorties in near perfect flying conditions whilst you bed into the aeroplane.

G

(6 single seaters, plus a couple of 2-seaters where nobody was able to offer conversion training.)

[robin]

Genghis is right. A slow and steady progression is best.

Go through the manual or any other guides you can get your hands on and get the speeds for take-off/climb and landing locked into your mind. Finals is not a time to try to read the book (or the placard)

Spend a lot of time in the cockpit getting the feel of the controls and get to know where the key controls are.

Practice taxying and a few straight runs at almost take-off speed to see how it behaves. Then on a quiet, but not windless, day give it a good go.

[Them thar hills]

You would also be wise to note what the 3-point attitude looks like !

[Genghis the Engineer]

Originally Posted by Them thar hills

You would also be wise to note what the 3-point attitude looks like !

Well, for a taildragger anyhow - but one would do that however many seats.


I also have a habit (again for all types, but particularly important without a "grownup" next to me on the first go) of getting all of the main speeds and settings down on my kneeboard before I fly. I have a particular format that works well for me and is clear and consistent but have noted that other people have the same habit, but different formats which work for them.

G

[Ultranomad]

When Soviet air force acquired the first Su-7's, they had exactly the same problem. The plane was wildly different from other types, especially on landing (just imagine the landing speed of 170 kt!), and the two-seat version (Su-7U) was not available yet. So, they used the two-seat MiG-15UTI to imitate the glidepath and speed of the Su-7, going around just short of touchdown.

[MichaelJP59]

The other example that occurred to me was all those young lads getting into Spitfires or Hurricanes for the first time in the 1940's. It must have been sink-or-swim being on their own and having so much power compared to their previous mounts!

[Mark 1]

I've done a few similar outings with not too many surprises (well the ASI not working on one provided some unwelcome extra entertainment).

I'd suggest trying a bit of slow flying on your first flight - just short of actually stalling, to get used to the approach handling qualities and preparing yourself for a late go-around.

Also, if you build it yourself, don't risk making the aircraft's first flight your first on type too, that's the job of professional test pilots.

[robin]

Originally Posted by MichaelJP59

The other example that occurred to me was all those young lads getting into Spitfires or Hurricanes for the first time in the 1940's. It must have been sink-or-swim being on their own and having so much power compared to their previous mounts!

When I was in my early twenties I was quite happy to leap into another type (gliders in those days). Moving between types that had no 2-seat equivalent, and a step change in performance was fantastic. I gave myself a few scares, like jettisoning the tail-chute when I thought I was deploying it

Now I'm an older and not so bold pilot (approaching mortality has that effect), self-preservation is of greater importance.

But you are right, given good preparation there is nothing to fear. Those poor kids who took their Spits up after courses on Tiger Moths and with less than 10 hours time were heroes - not because they were supermen, but because they did it relatively unprepared.

[chevvron]

Bear in mind that some American designs, both single and multi seat, have landing characteristics which might be unfamiliar eg you have to fly them on with no flare and maybe a trickle of power. I found this out to my cost when landing my Moni for the first time; just above the runway, shut throttle and a nice Cessna 150 flare, then it dropped like a brick and bounced along the runway. I've video'd a Quickie doing the same; in that case it bounced so badly the nosewheel broke off! The next time I landed the Moni, I gritted my teeth and didn't flare (took a lot of willpower to psych myself up) and it landed itself perfectly!!

[robin]

Had an interesting experience with a pilot with lots of nosewheel time.

On being converted to an easy tailwheel aircraft (a 2-seater) he made a perfect approach and not a horrendous landing. The problem happened as the aircraft slowed - he tried to lower the nose!!!!

So watch out for ingrained habits. In moments of stress or when concentration lapses, we all revert to 'autopilot'

[Kingy]

Back to the original question, ask those who have flown the actual aircraft in question speeds, technique etc. If it's a PFA homebuild go very carfull as there is no typical example of a type - they are all different.
I normally get used to the aircraft on the ground, make myself comfortable in the cockpit, try and make sure the engine has a reasonable chance of running reliably, then treat the first flight as a test flight I.E not out of site of the field, lots of slow flight including stalls, a couple of go arounds until I'm happy to put the thing back down - then gently does it...

It actually is quite fun,

Kingy

4 single seaters including Isaacs Fury at 67hrs TT, 2 two seaters (on own), lots of clenched buttucks, one broken tailspring (oops!)

[stiknruda]

Kingy's advice is sound.

I also have another "check" that really has saved my bacon and the KLM Captain owner's embarrassment and insurance excess.

If it is a first for an aircraft, then I insist on at least a minute at full power before I enter the runway, for the a/c types that I normaly fly this means having bodies draping themselves over the tail.

This little test diagnosed a failed mech fuel pump - had I not done this it would all have gone desparately quiet at about 60'!!

I've test flown 4 home built Pitts', have flown tKF's VP1 and have played with an EAA biplane thing which was frightfully awful.


6


Stik

[shortstripper]

Hi,

I have flown perhaps half a dozen single seat gliders and four all very different single seat PFA types. The most daunting (for me at the time) was a Jurca Tempete, but the one that nearly got me was my VP2! I wasn't prepared, bought it on the spot and decided to fly it home; didn't get a good enough brief and was in a hurry. I got it stuck on the back of the drag curve and just couldn't get it to climb ... or lower the nose as I was too low to risk any descend. I painfully weaved around two rows of trees and eventually gained enough height to get the nose down to rectify the situation. By then the engine temp was way way up and I was sweating buckets! What should have been the easiest was by far the closest I've ever come to a prang. I was very lucky and learned one hell of a lot from the experience.

So just make sure you don't rush and be well prepared. If you do these simple things, it's not at all as bad as you might think and very rewarding. Nearly all single seaters are more responsive and have excess "fun" built in.

SS

[Genghis the Engineer]

Originally Posted by stiknruda

Kingy's advice is sound.
I also have another "check" that really has saved my bacon and the KLM Captain owner's embarrassment and insurance excess.
If it is a first for an aircraft, then I insist on at least a minute at full power before I enter the runway, for the a/c types that I normaly fly this means having bodies draping themselves over the tail.
This little test diagnosed a failed mech fuel pump - had I not done this it would all have gone desparately quiet at about 60'!!
I've test flown 4 home built Pitts', have flown tKF's VP1 and have played with an EAA biplane thing which was frightfully awful.
6
Stik

Whilst that's good advice, I'd suggest that it's advice for first flight of a(ny) newbuild, or an(y) aeroplane that's not flown for some time, rather than specifically for something because it's single seat.

G