Thread: Flying a plane - my first flight lesson

Originally Posted by Wullie

We didn't hang that big engine out there for speed. We hung it on that plane so it would act like a helicopter. You could point it straight up and hang it off the prop. It was built with clipped wings for aerobatics, hence it also had the T-craft semi symmetrical airfoil. Stability? That punk was solid as rock in any attitude you had the balls to fly it in. It was faster but not a lot as you stated.

I've flown 220HP Stearmans and 450-HP Stearmans. Same deal. A Stearman will only go so fast. However, one with a 450 HP Pratt & Whitney will damn sure out perform the 220HP version as far as carrying a load and getting it off the ground. Burns a lot more gas too. No free lunches in aviation. Stability? ROCK FUGGIN SOLID!

Hanging bigger engines on planes usually results in a loss of agility due to weight increase. For example the BF-109's ultimate "knife fighter" version was the F model. It had less HP and a smaller engine than the later G's and K's. The G's and K's were faster and would climb better, but they would not turn like the F's. Gunther Rall ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnther_Rall ) had to be ordered to turn in his beloved F model for re-work to a G. He was never as happy with the G's.

Ken you are right, when you cobbed it to that punk you pretty well had to stand on the rudder. It took off nearly as good at half to two thirds throttle as did with full throttle and was a LOT easier to keep it pointed in the right direction.

And when full rudder doesn't work and you need to start adding differential braking to stay straight you begin to enter trouble territory.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

And when full rudder doesn't work and you need to start adding differential braking to stay straight you begin to enter trouble territory.

Recipe for disaster in a tail dragger

Ground loop special!

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

And when full rudder doesn't work and you need to start adding differential braking to stay straight you begin to enter trouble territory.

Wasn't big deal in that plane. It was airborne too fast to worry about using the brakes to stay straight.

Originally Posted by Wullie

LOTS of 'em out there from J-3's up to PA-18's ( Super Cubs ). They ain't cheap. ( even though they ought to be ) They are fun and you can do a LOT with one IF you have your ducks in a row.

Last Cub I flew was originally built in 1943 for Bevo Howard. It stared life with a 65HP engine, now it has a 350HP hot rodded Lycoming, clipped wings with a Taylorcraft airfoil ( because CUB wings have flat bottom airfoil and don't do well flying inverted), full aerobatic oil and fuel system, a smoke system, and "bass boat" seats. It would get airborne in about three or four plane lengths and climb nearly straight up. It would also put you to sleep quicker than any damn plane I ever sat in when you started pulling serious G's. Something about being wadded up and folded in half just sit in it I think.

i live a few min away from the old piper plant my grandfather was lead paint man on the production line for the cubs from what all the old timers tell me they are the best plane ever, id love to fly but cant afford it and the airforce wont take me as a pilot because of my vision once a year we have a fly in and man i must say its soo cool to see 100 piper cubs coming home and talking to all the guys and hearing there flight stories.