G103 Acro airbrake handle

Andy, if memory serves it is about 3/4 deflection... for my seat
position that's just before vertical. (It's been a while since I've
flown a 103 from the front seat.) Smaller people using cushions often
don't have the leverage to get the handle fully back. I've seen some
place their forearm on the handle to get a little more leverage, and
in extreme cases let go of the stick and reach across to use both
hands. It takes a good bit of force to engage the brake fully. It's
not difficulat for a male in a good seat position (right mix of
leverage and strength), but can be very challenging for a small-framed
woman.

One solution is to use rudder pedal blocks to extend them. It gets you
into a seat position with better leverage on the spoiler handle. If
you experiment with this, make sure they are absolutely secure and
don't interfere with anything through full pedal movement.




(Andy Durbin) wrote in message om...
I would like to know the approximate position of the front seat
airbrake handle with wheel brake applied. If you are familiar with a
G103 front cockpit please give me an estimate of the position such as
"just past vertical" "45 deg past vertical" etc.

Reason for the post is that my wife finds it impossible to apply wheel
brake in the G103 front seat. It had been a long time since I had
been in the front of a G103 and I found it very awkward as well. I
could only get the wheel brake to come on if I turned my wrist
backwards. It's like pushing backwards and downwards rather than
pulling.

In that glider the handle is 45 deg or more aft of vertical to apply
the wheel brake. Is this typical or is something out of adjustment?

Someone will probably ask about pilot height and build so my wife is 5
ft 9in, medium build, and works out far more than I do. She has no
problem with brakes in my ASW 19 or our clubs G102.

thanks

Andy

Chris OCallaghan wrote:

Smaller people using cushions often don't have
the leverage to get the handle fully back. [snip]
It takes a good bit of force to engage the brake
fully. It's not difficulat for a male in a good seat
position (right mix of leverage and strength), but
can be very challenging for a small-framed woman.

I have had four flights in the G103A. I am 5'1", 108#, and use cushions. I can
*barely* muscle open the airbrakes all the way on the ground during preflight,
and it is quite challenging, to say the least, on rollout...I have to sort of
shift/turn upper body toward the left to do so. I have a similar situation in
the 1-26, as I am so short that I have the seatback up as far as it will go to
reach the peddles (can't use the bottom cushion made for the plane with the
seatback in that position because it gets in the way of the stick!), and
opening the divebrakes all the way ends up being an interesting, awkward
contortion. Worth it, though!!
:-)

--Shirley

I missed Andy's paragraph about his wife's height.

Inseam length is also important. The longer your legs, the further
back you can sit and the more leverage you can muster. Perhaps
bringing the rudder pedals all the way back, then adjust the headrest
and cushions to suit... this might get her in a better position to
handle the brakes.