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Old January 19th 05, 01:16 AM
A Lieberman
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On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 13:22:40 -0800, Jack Allison wrote:

I'm wondering how many other
folks out there did their primary training with the wing on the top then
switched to flying (or even better, buying) one with the wing on the
bottom...or even the other way around? Any issues, likes/dislikes about
the transition?


Hey Jack,

Learned in a 172, and bought a Sundowner.

Differeneces I found....

Sight picture will be different on final. Flaps on my Sundowner pitch the
nose way down. I felt like I was diving toward the runway, when in
reality, it was only the nose pitching down. Cessnas I found when
deploying flaps, nose will pitch up.

Speed control on final (FOR THE SUNDOWNER) is critical. Come in too fast,
you will float further down then your expected touch down due to ground
effect. Also, the Sundowner is nose heavy, and has a bad porpoising habit
if you don't put it on the mains and remain on the ground. Initially,
found the Sundowner hard to land, due to such tight speed control, but now,
I find my landings have much improved with the Sundowner.

Handling enroute, no different between high and low wings whatsoever.

Visibility, for me, sitting sorta behind the wing, no big deal, you still
see the ground easily. Not sure about other low wingers though. Wheels
are under the wings, so if you are used to a tire hanging out from your
left side, that dissapears under the wing on a low winger. Makes it harder
to judge how far from the edge of the taxiway initially. I use a line of
rivets where the tire is under for "guidance". No biggie, but something to
be aware of.

Ease of getting in and out, for low wings and passengers, not so easy
loading if you have only one door. Sundowner has two, so I can assist and
ensure the passenger door is closed.

In the air, absolutely no difference flying. I do like the bigger cabin of
the Sundowner which increases outside visibility.

Fuel management, no "both" option, either right or left tanks only. I
switch every half hour to keep things in balance, and also makes me
"stretch" around to keep things moving physically. Some pilots switch
every tanks every hour, either option comes out the same.

Hope this helps.

Allen