Experimenter

SEP2014

Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.

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40 Vol.3 No.9 / September 2014 ULTRALIGHT WORLD dictates it should be done only over a surface upon which you could land. With less than one year on the trike I flew at a chapter event on a private airfield with a mature wheat field next to the runway. Making a low pass along the side of the run- way I noticed the downwash of air from my wing created a beautiful wake in the wheat field, not unlike the wake of a boat in water. The wheat bent over gracefully as I passed and then stood back up again undamaged. It was a beautiful sight unavailable to spectators on the ground. I was studying the effect on a second pass at a little lower altitude when I encountered a slight rise or bump in the middle of the field. I felt a sudden deceleration as the wheat rose up and grabbed my two rear, wheelbarrow-sized tires now dragging through the wheat at 40 mph. A burst of full throttle for four or five seconds broke me free, and you know exactly what I said to myself at that instant. (I'll never do that again.) I could have rolled it into a ball of expensive tubes and cables in front of all my friends. I'm still not cured of low flying, but I never do it over crops. YOU A RE NO T A T E S T P IL O T My third lesson came while attempting some fairly tame wingovers. I found myself pointed steeply down and going pretty fast when I encountered something I had only read about. At the bottom of the pull-out when substantial extra g-load was felt, the control bar moved outward toward the front strut, and it took all my strength to prevent it from zooming up into a steep climb. It wasn't fun, and I thought then and there I would never do that again. The explanation comes from a standard trike question about what happens to the trim speed when you increase the load (such as add a passenger). Trim speed decreases at increased load because the wingtips flex, the washout increases, and the center of lift moves forward. Most wings probably do it to some degree, but those with flexible tips and more sweepback may show it more. I didn't know then the escape maneuver is to bank the wing and convert the steep climb into a climbing turn. Trike manufacturers typi- cally recommend limiting bank angles to 60 degrees and pitch angles to 30 degrees. It doesn't sound like much, and they are not kidding. My three lessons about trikes occurred in the fi rst 50 hours of fl ying. I believe most trike instructors will recom- mend taking it extra easy the fi rst 50 hours until you learn how trikes are dif erent. Good advice for any new aircraft. By 50 hours you will have "bonded with the wing," as we say in trike circles, and you will understand why these aircraft are so popular all around the world. Please send your comments to dangrunloh2@gmail.com . Happy triking! Dan Grunloh has logged 1,200 hours in trikes, and he won the 2002 and 2004 U.S. National Microlight Championships in a trike. Photography courtesy of Dan Grunloh A trike with a folding mast and wing tied down for weather. Dan Grunloh after returning from a 600-mile round trip to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2007. His dog was happy to welcome him home.

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