2-33 to 1-26

I am about to make the transition from the 2-33 (the only glider I have
flown) to the 1-26.

What are the differences which should be emphasized?


-----
Jack
-----

"Jack" wrote in message
...
I am about to make the transition from the 2-33 (the only glider I have
flown) to the 1-26.

What are the differences which should be emphasized?

First of all, the 2-33 and the 1-26 were specifically designed to work
together as a training system, so expect very few troubles. You have read
the flight manual haven't you? It not, the whole thing is here
http://www.126association.org/frames.htm and you can print out your own
copy. While you are there, look through the 1-26 association site
http://www.126association.org/ for all kinds of good information.

Start out by adjusting your seat position properly, this can only be
accomplished by an assortment of cushions in some versions. Make sure that
your head is up high so you can see the tow plane and that you can reach
everything when you are securly strapped in. While you are in there, stay
for a while; practice reaching for the release and spoilers and get used to
the position of the instruments. Now look out at the view while someone
holds the tail down and etch that picture in your brain because what you see
should be pretty close to your landing attitude. Now you are ready to get
a good cockpit checkout by your instructor or your field 1-26 guru before
you attempt to commit aviation.

The 1-26 is quite light on the stick compared to the 2-33. Usually
that will be a delight, but it sometimes leads to a problem is takeoff. I
have seen one new 1-26 driver make a bad PIO on takeoff. The usual advice
to prevent PIO is to pin your right elbow next to your body and move the
stick with your wrist and fingers only. If you DO get into a PIO, first try
smaller and slower stick movements, if you can't immediately get control,
try to release just as you pass the high tow position on an upward swing,
slow to (but not below) normal flying speed, and the PIO gremlins will
immediately disapear. You will now be left with a plain 'ole broken rope
drill on your hands, something that should be familar to you by now, but
will be easier to handle because the 1-26 will turn on a dime. Brief all
this with the tow plane pilot on your first few flights to be sure that
he/she remembers that you are new at this.

Be sure that you know proper spin recovery and watch your airspeed in
the pattern; the 1-26 is a very safe machine and is appropriate for low-time
pilots, but it will spin if seriously provoked.

Soar Safely;
Vaughn




-----
Jack
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everything Vaughn said...

ohh.. and something to wipe the silly grin off your face when you land..

If the 2-33 is the Family Van... the 1-26 is the Mazda Miata

pin the elbow... easy on the stick on take off.. and smooth round out on
speed 45mph.. with 1/2 or less spoiler... for landing..

enjoy

BT

"Jack" wrote in message
...
I am about to make the transition from the 2-33 (the only glider I have
flown) to the 1-26.

What are the differences which should be emphasized?


-----
Jack
-----

Jack wrote in message ...
I am about to make the transition from the 2-33 (the only glider I have
flown) to the 1-26.

What are the differences which should be emphasized?


NOthing. It's a Schwiezer, go fly the damn thing.

Jack wrote in message ...
I am about to make the transition from the 2-33 (the only glider I have
flown) to the 1-26.

What are the differences which should be emphasized?


-----
Jack
-----

Every pilot I have seen do their first 1-26 flight pio'd the elevator
at least once. You'll notice the controls are much more responsive and
the 1-26 almost feels like a sports car compared to the 2-33. Also,
1-26s spin great.

Have fun,
Steve
ex 1-26D 411

On 2/18/04 6:45 PM, in article
, "Vaughn"
wrote:

First of all, the 2-33 and the 1-26 were specifically designed to work
together as a training system....

I figure that is a big advantage (along with the price).


The 1-26 is quite light on the stick compared to the 2-33.

That should be interesting. I was surprised at how much of a fingertip
control ship the 2-33 is.


Be sure that you know proper spin recovery....

It's been thirty years since I last spun an aircraft. I don't think I'm
going to like it as well as I used to.

Thanks to Vaughn, BT, and Steve for their helpful comments.


Is it possible (and practical) to convert an open Schweizer trailer to a
covered model?



Jack

All good advice except for the one mentioning spin recovery...'Be sure
you know proper spin recovery...'. You should know the signs of spin
entry and avoid one!
Low time pilot, first fight, PIO's, pulling the pin then trying to
turn. Your first priority is to avoid a spin not trying to get out of
one. Get a good sense/advice of signs of spin entry and avoid one.
My two cents.
Don
C-GLUV

In article ,
Jack wrote:
I am about to make the transition from the 2-33 (the only glider I have
flown) to the 1-26.

What are the differences which should be emphasized?

The PW-5 and 1-26 seem to get a lot of comment on PIO (pilot
induced oscillation) on takeoff.

Yes they are more pitch sensitive (less pressure on stick to
make nose go up). Yes forearm to leg can help dampen
this. But the reason new pilots PIO has a lot of
subtlety.

First, the sight picture is different. A pitch you
think is level may actually be very nose high. This
encourages rotating too early on takeoff.

Next, at least for the PW-5, the trim in the middle of
the range means that on tow the glider will (for some CGs)
lift off too soon. Put the trim fairly far forward,
or have someone about your size/weight fly it and determine
the best initial trim. Safeside for trim a little too
nose down.

Last, the rotation airspeed feels different. The
1-26 and PW-5 "feel" like they accelerate faster (they
do a tiny bit if you use the same towplane).
Pilots have a tendency to rotate before
getting to sufficient airspeed. Below min sink speed
for rotation (which is different in ground effect than
the published min sink) if you rotate, the glider
may fly in and out of ground effect, oscillating.
This can be solved by very still stick forces, or
just rotating at sufficient airspeed.

What is this airspeed? Well, it varies with weight,
and the amount of ground effect. So it is a little
bit experimental. Somewhere between 2/3 published min sink
and min sink is what I have seen.

The dangers of landing too fast are well known. I haven't yet
seen any dangers of rotating at flying airspeed.
On my first flight in several aircraft, I've made it a point to
keep the main wheel(s) on the ground until at a good flying speed.
This has worked for me. Good luck.

In article 4034d5a6$1@darkstar, Mark James Boyd wrote:

What is this airspeed? Well, it varies with weight,
and the amount of ground effect. So it is a little
bit experimental. Somewhere between 2/3 published min sink
and min sink is what I have seen.

I've noticed ground effect is very subtly different
for low vs. high wing as well. I think this is one more
reason why high wing cessnas and 2-33's are a little
easier to land than mid/low wing Pipers or Blanik/Grob 103s.

It is a little subtle, but the lower wings really do seem
to get more dramatic ground effect those last few feet,
and this dynamic interaction on T/O and landing
seems more pronounced than in a high wing.

Shirley wrote:

I mentioned to the CFIGs/DPEs where I fly the comments made by people on this
group about the 1-26 spinning easily--this was met with various reactions,
though NO ONE agreed that the 1-26 spins "easily".

The 1-26 spins "more" easily than the 2-33. The 1-26 stalls "more"
easily and with "less" warning than the 2-33.


The comment was made here on RAS: "We teach people in the 2-33 and then put
them into a 1-26 that spins at the drop of a hat with virtually little or no
spin training ... shame on us!" In the hours
I've flown the 1-26 (summers in AZ
include some great-but-turbulent weather), I have not *unintentionally* come
close to stalling it, and no, I have not chosen to spin it on purpose.

The pitch sensitivity and elevator authority at most CGs of the
1-26 is much greater than for the 2-33. Combine this with the
lack of a back seat (no instructor to help on the first flight)
and a student can "more" easily get into a spin than in a 2-33.
Ideally, flying dual with a student in a glider which is pitch sensitive
with lots of elevator authority, before signing them off for
the 1-26, might have historically prevented some of the
accidents listed at

www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/query.asp#query_start

To those who have stressed the importance of spin training *when talking about
flying the 1-26*, I would like to know specifics -- are you saying it stalls
and spins with little or no warning? If so, I'd like to hear details of
specific instances where this has actually happened to you ... not just the
blanket warning that applies to being aware of stalls and spins in *any*
aircraft...I'm assuming we always have that in mind.

The 1-26 stalls with "less" warning than the 2-33. And it stalls
with "less" back pressure (in terms of absolute force applied
to the stick). And the wing stalls "more" uniformly than the
2-33 (where part of the wing, the inner part, stalls well before
the outer part). And the 1-26 has "less" dihedral than the
2-33, and the wing is "lower" with respect to the CG, so
a wing will drop "more" quickly during a stall (causing
a "quicker" spin entry).

I put "lower" and "more" like that to emphasize that no
aircraft spins "easily", just "more" easily and "less" easily
than something else. The only way to really explain
the characteristics is to compare them relatively to
another known aircraft.

Will a heavy person with very short legs and a huge
seat cushion stall/spin with the same stick pressure as
a tall, skinny person with a water bag behind the seat?
Not as easily. CG is a bigger issue for making stalls (and therefore
spins) easier or harder to initiate (on purpose or by accident).

My first flight with rear seat passengers in a power plane,
I almost stalled on takeoff, because the amount of
stick pressure needed for rotation and takeoff was
much lighter than I expected. Fortunately I trusted
the airspeed instead of my motor-mechanical memory of
pressure...

Can you use things like trim forward, or use seat cushions
to get yourself forward on CG, so stalls require more
back pressure? Sure. Will this mean you never inadvertently
stall, spin? Well, if you do this very consistently,
it may reduce the chances. But if one day you forget the
cushions, and trim far back right before landing, this
technique may have the opposite effect and encourage you to put
in more back pressure (since that's what you
always did before).

Sounds uncertain? Well, the airspeed indicator is pretty
accurate, so use it instead of "pressure" to determine
if you're close to stall. The 1-26 that I
fly won't stay in a spin easily, so I'm not worried about
stall/spin at high altitude (above 1500 ft), since I
can recover. In the pattern, I just use airspeed well
above stall. I check airspeed quite often during landing also,
to ensure I'm not getting too slow.

Should you practice a spin in the 1-26 solo to see
what it's like? I don't know, that is a very individual
decision... Should you spin a more "spinable"
trainer dual? If there's one available, it sure is
a good eye-opener...