Adjustment to High Thrust Line Engines
 

All,

Just looking for comments from people who have migrated from "standard" engine placement (where adding power gives a nose up pitching moment) to high thrust line engine placements where adding power gives a nose down moment. How easy is this to adjust to ? Does compensating for this become natural after a few hours ?

Regards
sets

High Thrust Line
 

Hi sets,

From time to time I fly a Sky Arrow VLA, which has a high thrust line pusher prop.

With this aircraft at least, I have found no difficulty whatever. The change in trim when you increase or decrease power in flight is noticeable, but not pronounced.

This may or may not be so with some of the amphibious or flying boat types. They may well have much more pronounced changes in trim by reason of their high thrust lines being much higher than that of the Sky Arrow.

Sky Arrow takeoff procedure is a little different as you start your takeoff roll with the stick fully back and release about half of it gradually as you gain speed to maintain the correct takeoff attitude.

The one thing you do need to remember, however, is that if you mess up a landing touch-down and open the throttle to do a 'go around' then the nose is definitely going to go down quite markedly when you put on full power all at once, even if you do apply it smoothly. For that reason, you need to keep a trickle of power on until after you round out. Once you are confident you are going to do a smooth touch-down, close the throttle smoothly and stall her in the usual way.

Broomstick.