Landing .09-.15 size stunters on grass?

[frank mccune]

       Hello All:

       Is there any way that I can do this without the plane not flipping over and causing major damage?

       Suggestions/Comments?

        Tia.

        Frank

[Ken Culbertson]

       Hello All:

       Is there any way that I can do this without the plane not flipping over and causing major damage?

       Suggestions/Comments?

        Tia.


        Frank

We flew a lot of these when I was a kid.  All of them were by the lost art of hand launching and had no wheels.  If you must use wheels on that small a plane over grass:  For takeoff a 4 x 8 sheet of coroplast (cheap corrugated plastic sheet) angled up on one end works nice but for landing - make sure the needle valve is protected and the prop stops horizontal.

Ken

Ken

[Steve Berry]

Another way is to try gliding almost to a stall, and just before actually stalling, flair the nose up so you land noticbly tail first. The idea is to keep from flipping over, so kill forward airspeed as much as possible and flop down.
I can see it in my mind, and I've done it in the past, but it's hard for me to describe. I hope that helped

Steve

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[frank mccune]

        Hi Ken and Barry:

         Thanks for the tips.  I will try them when I go flying next week.

          Taking off is not a problem as we have a small concrete slab to use.  Landing is another problem especially if there is bit of downwind.  Perhaps a wire”skid” under the fuselage would work after a hand launch.

           Stay well,

           Frank

   

[Brett Buck]

Another way is to try gliding almost to a stall, and just before actually stalling, flair the nose up so you land noticbly tail first. The idea is to keep from flipping over, so kill forward airspeed as much as possible and flop down.

  And, additionally, do that, but hold it off until you get the nose into the wind, 45-90 degrees past downwind. This will kill the groundspeed to the extent possible. There are no guarantees that it won't flip over, but it might not tumble as bad.

   Note that this was happening with the Brazilian "Catho" team P-51s, they were in the grass at the 600x600 pad in Muncie, when it was at it's worst, and they were trying to land like you would on pavement and spectactularly flipping in some cases. David and I went to their leader (Bene) and suggested they try killing the speed by landing as suggested, and while it still wasn't pretty, it did probably save some carnage.

    I also note that this is what stirred up the AMA, after years of very poor conditions, to clean everything up.  It has been in excellent shape for quite a while now, I hadn't flown much down there in recent years, but it was really good this year, not quite a golf green but a million times better than most WAM contests.

     Brett

[M Spencer]

Whydontyer trya dropoffundercarrage . They were all the rage in mother england .

Pay to have a ribbon / streamer on it , so as it dosnt get ' mislaid ' .

Couple of brass tubes in the fuse , vertical .

Two legs with a bound & soldered cross brace up top . Remove all burrs & sharp edges . The Castor should lube it . It wants to go in far enough so a few bumps dont end it all . Maybe 1 1/2 if its not tarmac .

[John Park]

As Air Ministry says, a drop-off dolly U/C is a good idea.  I used one all the time in about 1960 when I was learning the basics of stunt with an AM15 (.09 cu. in.) diesel and Flite-Streakish own-designs without a fixed U/C.  The dolly was quite tall, giving the model a pronounced nose-up attitude, so the takeoff roll was very short - inches rather than feet!  I used big (2") wheels made from 1/8" ply, painted bright orange to be easily found in the grass.

[Joe Ed Pederson]

My first Sig Akromaster had the kit rudder, and it got broken nearly every outing.  On my next Akromaster I installed a Fancherized Twister shaped fin/rudder (long and low) out of light 3/16".  I don't have any fewer flip-overs, but at least the fin/rudder never breaks anymore.

Joe Ed Pederson

[Paul Smith]

On the field where I am able to fly taking off with a 15-size plane in a challenge.  They always flip on landing.

35-40 size planes flip in the grass, too.

In the contest season I got desperate for some testing and risked complaint from The City by mowing a takeoff/landing area in an arc 50 feet long 30 feet deep.  Then if my whipping skill was good I could land upside right.

[De Hill]

I believe that using drop off landing gear is illegal to use according to the AMA.

[Motorman]

I land .061 stunters on grass all the time. You need the bigger light weight wheels. Looks funny but no flips.

MM

[Steve Helmick]

I believe that using drop off landing gear is illegal to use according to the AMA.

I'm certain that drop off LG is not allowed for Stunt Contests, but it is certainly used and legal for speed flying. I don't think AMA would care about it for sport flying, but would look in the "General Rules" to be sure. That aside, I would favor a short & simple skid, with hand launching. The airplane will fly much better without the weight and drag.  Steve

[De Hill]

I thought that in speed flying that it was called a dollie.

[Brett Buck]

I'm certain that drop off LG is not allowed for Stunt Contests, but it is certainly used and legal for speed flying. I don't think AMA would care about it for sport flying, but would look in the "General Rules" to be sure. That aside, I would favor a short & simple skid, with hand launching. The airplane will fly much better without the weight and drag.  Steve

      I don't think the "General Rules" say anything about using dollies, and in any case, don't apply to sport flying. It is as De stated in the stunt rules ('impractical for a manned..."), but that is just for stunt competition, which in Frank's case, probably does not apply.

  For sport flying, you only have to comply with the safety code, which also says nothing about dollies. So, it's fine.

     Brett