Landing a -7 vs a -7A

[hevansrv7a]

My friend and CFI mentioned to me that he finds a difference in landing a -7 vs a -7A. He said the -7A is easier because it can have a greater nose-up angle at the ground. He is a very accomplished pilot of many homebuilt types and teaches tailwheel endorsements in his Luscombe. It's not about tailwheel airplanes being harder, it's about the deck angle and how slow you can make it go for touchdown.

That made us both curious so we measured the angles on my -7A and on the -7 that he often flies.

-7A: 14.5+ degrees nose up. (could perhaps have gone even lower but allowed 1-2 inches for safety. BTW - the tie down ring does not protect the bottom of the rudder.

-7: 11.3 degrees nose up.

This is just FWIW and because I'd never seen this information on the forum. Does a similar difference exist for the -6/6A, -8/8A and/or -9/9A?

 

[Mel]

Yes!

-7A: 14.5+ degrees nose up.
-7: 11.3 degrees nose up.
This is just FWIW and because I'd never seen this information on the forum. Does a similar difference exist for the -6/6A, -8/8A and/or -9/9A?
[/FONT]

Not sure the angles are the same, but the delta is very close.

 

[gasman]

In the "A" model (I speak for the 6A as this is what I fly) with a steep final approach and the engine at idle, (metal prop) you can go into a deep flair and due to the fact that you are sitting right over the mains, you are right at the cg, and descend at exactly the same rate as the aircraft. The deep flair gets rid of that last 3 mph and the wing quits flying just as the mains touch.

Finish the flair with full aft stick to expose the greatest amount of drag and wait for the nose to settle down. You should never feel it touch. I keep thinking that I will hit my tail ring (mine does protect) but I never have. Some day I will have someone video it so I can see how close it is.

One last thought.......... It also looks like if you bounce an "A", the AOA would not change as much as the TD.

Example is a 320 with a sensenich.

 

[DakotaHawk]

"IF" ???

It also looks like if you bounce (a landing)

I didn't know that there was an option to not bounce a landing! Which button do I have to push to get that option?

 

[David-aviator]

I didn't know that there was an option to not bounce a landing! Which button do I have to push to get that option?

Ha, there is Scott. It's called the training wheel up front.

My limited experience with the tail dragger includes many bouncers and no greasers, never did find just the right touch and some said I thew in the towel too soon on that abandoned effort. Greasers are easy with the training wheel. At my stage of life, flying is for fun and nose high greasers are fun.

Good work with your son Casey. I enjoyed reading his report earlier today.