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Old 01-03-2009, 10:45 AM
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Villa
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Default RE: Which plane would an instructor fear the most?

A few years ago a fellow pilot asked me to fly his plane. I have never known the model name. It was a 46 size plane with trike gear. At the back of the fuselage it had two false jet engines sticking out the side of the fuselage like an Airforce A-10, and I believe it had a "T" type tail (hor stab on top). I was not enthused over doing the test flight. I checked the CG and everything else and took it off. It seemed to be OK in the air. Well, eventually it would not respond in an expected manner. It actually scared me and I was not in a mood to experiment. I landed it and hoped not to see it again. About a year later this fellow asked me again to take it up and somehow I agreed. In a climbing turn(or perhapse in a shallow diving turn, I just cannot remember) the plane would not react in an expected manner. I actually lost control and did not know what to do so I went to idle, regained control and landed it. I told the fellow that I thought there was something wrong with the plane but I did not know what it might be, and that I would NOT fly that plane again. I think those dummy jet engines were acting like an air brake. If it was my plane I would have figure it out even if I totaled it.