RE: The new Saab J-35 Draken arrived!!!
Jeff called again......second flight yesterday almost a disaster!
Coming out of a half Cuban-8, Jeff describes incredible WING flutter....could really hear it and see the wing vibrating, and it immediately went hardover right(?). Frank got it slowed it, got it leveled w/ hardover opposite stick. Put it down w/o incident. Turned out a servo pocket/mount let go and jammed the surface hard up. I believe the Draken has redundant surfaces, so there was some control left on that side. (Work party, constisting of Jeff, Art Arro, Mike Turocy, others I'm sure, worked from 3PM til 8 last night re-doing them all.) Obviously, a great piece of flying. Incidentally, Frank is an American Captain......you'd want him up front, no doubt, in an emergency ).
He does fly jets almost uniquely...relatively slow and extremely scale-like, re speed and energy management. His 15 demo is as realistic as anything you might see at a full scale show...no doubt the Draken is flown the same. He'll score very well if realism is finally appreciated over ripping them around down there )!
Earlier thread, someone asked re slow/high AOA flight. Frank is constantly re-trimming the in pitch during flight the Draken uses all the full up Tx trim available when in slow flight/high AOA, says Jeff. Frank flies the MD-80s same way....whatever the speed, it is re-trimmed so that there is no back stick needed. Models the same.
Ray