how do you guys land?
07-26-2011, 01:11 PM
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how do you guys land?
i asked this on another forum but i would like to find out on here too. do you guys land and takeoff from pavement, or hand launch and land in the grass?
07-26-2011, 01:20 PM
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RE: how do you guys land?
It depends upon what you are talking about.
Almost all of my planes are flown off a paved runway.
They range in size from small 30" foamies to giant scale planes.
I only have three planes that require ( or I prefer ) grass landing w/o gear on.
I find the TH Synco to land best on grass, likewise my Miglet and my Electrifly Spear.
Any plane with wheels smaller than 2.75-3" I ( and forced to ) land on the asphalt runway as tires smaller than that can't really handle grass.
By the time I hit 3.5" wheels/tires, there is no problem flying off/onto grass... though with these smaller sizes I avoid grass to preserve the looks of any wheel pants.
Above 4" wheels/tires even that is no longer problematic.
Almost all of my planes are flown off a paved runway.
They range in size from small 30" foamies to giant scale planes.
I only have three planes that require ( or I prefer ) grass landing w/o gear on.
I find the TH Synco to land best on grass, likewise my Miglet and my Electrifly Spear.
Any plane with wheels smaller than 2.75-3" I ( and forced to ) land on the asphalt runway as tires smaller than that can't really handle grass.
By the time I hit 3.5" wheels/tires, there is no problem flying off/onto grass... though with these smaller sizes I avoid grass to preserve the looks of any wheel pants.
Above 4" wheels/tires even that is no longer problematic.
07-26-2011, 01:25 PM
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RE: how do you guys land?
I take off from the trampoline or hand launch. If you can call them landings 
They are in grass lawn , but as soon as the wheels hit the plane up-ends with no damage.
They are in grass lawn , but as soon as the wheels hit the plane up-ends with no damage.
07-26-2011, 02:18 PM
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RE: how do you guys land?
Thanks,I'm going to have to work on that then. I didn't think it even possible. The grass reaches up past the prop. The very few landings I did without up-ending were in the wind.
ORIGINAL: CGRetired
Well, guver, that's not a landing, that's a crash, even though you have no damage.
Get some help with an instructor and perhaps you can learn to land without up-ending that airplane.
CGr.
Well, guver, that's not a landing, that's a crash, even though you have no damage.
Get some help with an instructor and perhaps you can learn to land without up-ending that airplane.
CGr.
07-26-2011, 02:18 PM
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RE: how do you guys land?
You can handlaunch almost anything!
I tipstalled my Goldberg 72 inch Cub on takeoff last year and tore out the landing gear.
No Problem!
I had one of the other pilots hand launch it for the next flight. I kit the engine kill switch before landing and it worked fine...
07-26-2011, 03:29 PM
#9
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RE: how do you guys land?
Usually with a couple bounces!!! 
I'm guessing you are asking about electrics but it's the same as anything for me, If it has landing gear then I'm going to land on the smooth surface. I now fly on dry lake beds so there is no smooth grass or soft spots. Before I moved here I flew on asphalt runways. People keep talking about this grass stuff?? What's that?? Kidding aside, most of the guys I fly with that have the Delta type of planes just slow down and skid in. They have added tape or epoxy to help from ground rash. We really don't have any grass out there on the lake beds.
I'm guessing you are asking about electrics but it's the same as anything for me, If it has landing gear then I'm going to land on the smooth surface. I now fly on dry lake beds so there is no smooth grass or soft spots. Before I moved here I flew on asphalt runways. People keep talking about this grass stuff?? What's that?? Kidding aside, most of the guys I fly with that have the Delta type of planes just slow down and skid in. They have added tape or epoxy to help from ground rash. We really don't have any grass out there on the lake beds.
07-26-2011, 04:46 PM
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RE: how do you guys land?
I like to be at about 40 feet downwind leg, start turn to final ,lower nose to glide, pull back some power, Obtain a constant decent rate , level and line up with runway, pull back power as descending (dependent on plane)
Pull throttle back as entering ground effect (once again, this varies plane to plane) I prefer to wheel land, let it roll until tail starts coming down, gently hold tail down once the speed is low enough that you won't ground loop...
i probably left out some details, but thats my general goal when landing...
Pull throttle back as entering ground effect (once again, this varies plane to plane) I prefer to wheel land, let it roll until tail starts coming down, gently hold tail down once the speed is low enough that you won't ground loop...
i probably left out some details, but thats my general goal when landing...
07-26-2011, 04:56 PM
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RE: how do you guys land?
I removed the gear on my Alfa P-47 to belly land on the grass. I had to reinforce the belly with a bit of packing tape to prevent damage to the foam. In the winter, I modified the gear struts to accept ski's and had an entire 5 acre field to takeoff and land on in any direction that best suited the weather, usually to the north. With my new GP Sopwith Camel EP, I was able to leave the gear on and cut the grass short enough to provide as smooth a surface as possible. The Sopwith has 3" wheels and seems to work ok. Anything less than 3 inches I would think would have difficulty rolling on even short grass.
~Noah
~Noah
07-26-2011, 06:56 PM
#14
RE: how do you guys land?
I take off and land in the (mowed) grass. Our airfield is a full-sized civilian airfield.
I guess you could hand launch a 15 lb model, but the risk of sticking a finger through the covering trying to position it over your head one-handed is pretty high.
I guess you could hand launch a 15 lb model, but the risk of sticking a finger through the covering trying to position it over your head one-handed is pretty high.
07-27-2011, 08:04 AM
#20
RE: how do you guys land?
if I tried to hand launch my 1.60 p-47 I do not think it would fly LOL. None of my planes can be hand launched I usually take off from pavement and then land on pavement. I have started to try grass landings because they are better on your plane if your wingtip scuffs the ground.
07-27-2011, 08:41 AM
#21
RE: how do you guys land?
Well, last night I landed on grass, my friend however had to be different and land it nose first on a huge gravel pile a 1/2 mile away. I dont have the luxury of pavement, so it has always been grass. It was a bit tall last night, so the prop was clipping a groove when it took off, and now there are grass stains on my nice white plane.
07-27-2011, 09:04 AM
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RE: how do you guys land?
ORIGINAL: rowdog_14
I have started to try grass landings because they are better on your plane if your wingtip scuffs the ground.
I have started to try grass landings because they are better on your plane if your wingtip scuffs the ground.
Practically all of my planes have them in case a crosswind blows a wing down at landing.
Cheap insurance against asphalt rash.
07-27-2011, 03:26 PM
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RE: how do you guys land?
interesting to see more pavement landings/takeoffs than hand launches. hand launching is boring though. i need to build a new runway for the ember 2 out of wood because my patio is just not enough 
of course when i get the micro t-28 trojan im going to fly at my middle school field so theres a track that i can land and take off from.
of course when i get the micro t-28 trojan im going to fly at my middle school field so theres a track that i can land and take off from.
07-27-2011, 04:12 PM
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RE: how do you guys land?
G'day
How do I land? Sometimes quite well, sometimes quite badly. But usually well enough to walk away from.
Our field is large but on the rough side. The grass (what there is of it), is in clumps. As a result, take offs and landing with larger planes are fine but small ones have trouble and I hand launch them.
The other plane I hand launch is a Dynaflyte Butterfly. It is basically a large glider wing on a boxy trainer fuse. Mine has a Saito 30 for noise. It has no ailerons and so MUST take off straight into the wind. If you get it slightly wrong, it ground loops. But it is really easy to hand launch.
For landings, our large field makes it quite easy but it is amazing just how many people still manage to miss the huge strip and land in the long grass, the fence or the creek which runs along the edge of the strip.
Our biggest problem is a big row of trees behind us to the north. They, like the strip, run east west. If the wind blows even quite gently from the north, the resulting turbulence at about 40 feet can be quite interesting when landing. It is not uncommon for a plane on final approach to suddenly roll 90 degrees. This really keeps the pilot on his toes.
Cheers
Mike in Oz
PS That is not me but one of our young members with his nice Ultimate.
How do I land? Sometimes quite well, sometimes quite badly. But usually well enough to walk away from.
Our field is large but on the rough side. The grass (what there is of it), is in clumps. As a result, take offs and landing with larger planes are fine but small ones have trouble and I hand launch them.
The other plane I hand launch is a Dynaflyte Butterfly. It is basically a large glider wing on a boxy trainer fuse. Mine has a Saito 30 for noise. It has no ailerons and so MUST take off straight into the wind. If you get it slightly wrong, it ground loops. But it is really easy to hand launch.
For landings, our large field makes it quite easy but it is amazing just how many people still manage to miss the huge strip and land in the long grass, the fence or the creek which runs along the edge of the strip.
Our biggest problem is a big row of trees behind us to the north. They, like the strip, run east west. If the wind blows even quite gently from the north, the resulting turbulence at about 40 feet can be quite interesting when landing. It is not uncommon for a plane on final approach to suddenly roll 90 degrees. This really keeps the pilot on his toes.
Cheers
Mike in Oz
PS That is not me but one of our young members with his nice Ultimate.