On Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:46:27 -0700 (PDT), Dan
wrote:

On Mar 16, 1:39 pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

That's not dragging it in. 1.3 VSo is standard approach speed for all
airplanes.

Bertie

Right.

But if you only target 1.3 Vso, and are 5 mile final in a 152, your
angle of approach will be very shallow and you will need lots of power
to make it to the touchdown point.

So it'd be time for some remedial training.
5 miles out the 150 should still be in level cruise.

Flying a long, or straight in final is difficult compared to flying a
pattern and not something for a student or pilot who is used to only
flying stabilized patterns. It's even more difficult to do a short
field landing from far out. Instead of turning final at 500 AGL and
nearly 1.3 Vso you have to calculate how far out to start the
descent, speed, and angle. So here you are at cruise. You don't have
to fly the whole final at 1.3 Vso, but should be stabilized at it as
soon as necessary. One key is knowing what the runway environment
looks like when turning a normal base to final. It should look the
same (angle) from pattern altitude when coming straight in. If it
does then you'll pass through the same spot and speed you'd normally
see when flying a normal pattern. Of course it's easier to do if you
slow up before starting down hill. It makes the energy management so
much easier. 1.3 Vso in a 150 with no flaps and full flaps is a
whole different ball game. 1.3 Vso, flap requirements, angle of
descent and when to stabilize are different for regular and short
field landings. I can maintain 1.3 Vso, for either type of landing
with full flaps but the stabilization point, will be different. I can
do that in a 150, Cherokee 180, or the Deb although "for me" the Deb
is the easiest for power/energy management and can come down the
steepest. The Cherokee is not far behind, but even at idle, 1.3 Vso,
and full flaps I don't think I could call the angle of descent in a
150 steep. (Everything is relative) For those that think a Cherokee
glides like a brick, try 1.3 Vso, and full flaps in a Bo. :-)) That's
why we carry so much power. Without it we don't have enough energy to
flare.

Now as to really dragging it in, a Farmer friend has a 1200 foot
strip off the end of a bean field. He'd bring his Cherokee in about
three feet over the beans and cop the power at the end of the strip.
His landings and roll our seldom took more than 200 to 300 feet. Of
course if the engine quite he'd just get a plane painted green all
over the front. That is unless they were white/navy beans. Those
vines (when green) would make a good arresting cable. Not something
you'd want tied around the nose gear.

So it's 1.3 Vso PLUS the optimal descent angle, where weight
complements thrust.


Dan Mc
Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com