Things getting a little clear
03-24-2004, 06:50 PM
#1
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: long island,
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Things getting a little clear
Ok well i had recently asked about a second planes since i have master my glider, (located under the post "very confused") and i was told to get a more sport like plane since i wouldnt need a flat bottom air foil trainer. So how about a rapture .40??
03-25-2004, 12:55 AM
#2
RE: Things getting a little clear
If you're going just on the advice given in your previous thread, there's more that folks should have mentioned... Do you have an instructor?
If you do, he'll tell you that mastering the glider will not necessarily prepare you to safely take off, maneuver, and land a powered plane. You will not find the behavior of powered planes similar to that of gliders. They respond very much faster to control inputs than gliders normally do, they require a much longer period of concentration than gliders normally do, and they're less forgiving than most gliders, so you have to anticipate them rather than take your time in reacting.
Now, I realize that if you've truly MASTERED your glider, then anticipating the plane will be no problem, but have you really? Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself... What percentage of your landings are greased in to less than 20 feet of where you're standing? What percent of your hand launches last over a minute or a minute and a half? How many times have you brought our glider back from being too far away (or too high) to see the tail surfaces?
So, what ya think about this mastery thing? (No need to tell US, just make sure you know for your own sake.) OK, now that you've clarified that for yourself, think of this: If you haven't fully mastered flying the glider, then you definitely aren't ready to fly a powered plane without an instructor. If you have mastered it, then your perception is tightly wound around belly landings and once that becomes the case, it's very hard to land a plane that has landing gear and stuff hanging from its underside... you just keep wanting to bring it down til the belly touches but the gear and the prop and the pushrods and the control surfaces and the servos and the engine mounts really don't like that treatment.
My advice is to ask your instructor what kind of trainer he's comfortable with. If you're as good as you think, you'll graduate from the instructor's guidance in no time at all so no time will really be lost. But if you're normal, it'll save you an airplane or two, even if you have mastered your glider.
If you do, he'll tell you that mastering the glider will not necessarily prepare you to safely take off, maneuver, and land a powered plane. You will not find the behavior of powered planes similar to that of gliders. They respond very much faster to control inputs than gliders normally do, they require a much longer period of concentration than gliders normally do, and they're less forgiving than most gliders, so you have to anticipate them rather than take your time in reacting.
Now, I realize that if you've truly MASTERED your glider, then anticipating the plane will be no problem, but have you really? Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself... What percentage of your landings are greased in to less than 20 feet of where you're standing? What percent of your hand launches last over a minute or a minute and a half? How many times have you brought our glider back from being too far away (or too high) to see the tail surfaces?
So, what ya think about this mastery thing? (No need to tell US, just make sure you know for your own sake.) OK, now that you've clarified that for yourself, think of this: If you haven't fully mastered flying the glider, then you definitely aren't ready to fly a powered plane without an instructor. If you have mastered it, then your perception is tightly wound around belly landings and once that becomes the case, it's very hard to land a plane that has landing gear and stuff hanging from its underside... you just keep wanting to bring it down til the belly touches but the gear and the prop and the pushrods and the control surfaces and the servos and the engine mounts really don't like that treatment.
My advice is to ask your instructor what kind of trainer he's comfortable with. If you're as good as you think, you'll graduate from the instructor's guidance in no time at all so no time will really be lost. But if you're normal, it'll save you an airplane or two, even if you have mastered your glider.
03-25-2004, 09:43 AM
#3
RE: Things getting a little clear
Following Al's advice, I would say that the Rapture 40 would be an OK choice. (It's an excellent plane, but personally, I would rather see someone in your position go with a high wing, but should you decide to go with a low wing, the Rapture is an excellent choice)
