At 21:31 03 July 2009, John Smith wrote:
Don Johnstone wrote:

with the Junior, and is that problem in fact worse to the extent that
there is no recovery? We cannot know for sure but there is evidence
that
points that way.

Yes, we can and do know. The Puchacz as well as the Junior have been
frequently flown in aerobatics contests. To my knowledge, no Puch nor
Junior has been spun into the ground during a contest. So they do
recover. More, they even do recover forseeably and precisely, otherwise
they wouldn't be flown in contests.


Yes, but are they flown in contests with the CofG aft and in the case of
the Puchacz with the rear seat occupied with a heavier pilot? I doubt it.
I am not saying that under all loading conditions that there is a
problem. What I am suggesting is that under some loading conditions there
may well be. What has been said in previous posts tends to indicate there
might be.
Evidence from pilots who recover is unhelpful, evidence from pilots who
don't is not available.
My one experience (in a Puchacz) showed me that there was a problem and I
resolved from that day that I would never walk under one let alone fly in
one again. I assume the instructor filed a report, at the time I was not
involved with the BGA at all.