RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

I never got any dead stick training...then when my airplane dead sticked (new engine), my instructor (he was spotting, thankfully) said, "Find your runway, find your runway." I said, "I'm finding it....too bad its over the grass [and not on the runway]" :D

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

To practice dead-stick landings, you don't have to actually kill the engine. Just get some altitude and throttle down to idle. You may have to "burp" the engine from time-to-time to keep it running, but if you have a reliable idle, your engine will keep running. With the power off, you can then learn to judge the approach and landing.

Another good way to practice is with power-off landings. Just throttle to idle when you're on the downwind leg of the landing pattern when you're about opposite the desired touchdown point. Work out where you turn to get the model landing where you want it.

A very good technique for this is to determine what trim setting you need so that you don't have to use the elevator at all to set up the correct glide. Once you've found that setting, you only need to turn the model, using just enough stick to keep the attitude. On the straight portions of the approach, you don't use elevator at all. The trim is set. Just keep it level. If you concentrate on keeping off the elevator control, you'll be less tempted to 'stretch the glide' by pulling back. If you're too low, just add throttle and go around to try again.

By the way, "dead stick" as a description of engine-out flying came about in the early days of flying because without the engine running, the control feel was much softened, and the stick gave almost no feedback...it felt "dead" in the pilot's hands.

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

Thats interesting info Bax, thanks for the post! And ill be sure to try some of that once i get my airplane built.

-Fox

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

Bax - i like your explanation of dead stick better. i was thinking something similar. the other theories.

prop stops spinning turning into a DEAD STICK
hydraulic pressure dies without a dead engine thus yoke becomes DEAD STICK
throttle was a stick in the past, dead engine meant the throttle stick was a DEAD STICK

i believe stick must have meant control stick but why, still not 100% sure.

however, bax, according to that definition, would you always be flying DEAD STICK on a pusher?

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

No, because "dead stick" now means "engine out". :D

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

Oooo! You are a meanie! Especially if there are trees at the end of the runway.

"Dedstyck" is an ancient Portugese word that means "I intend to crash silently".

Everyone hates deadsticks because it's the one problem you can't blame on a frequency "hit" or a bad receiver. It also gets everyone watching when you call it.

My first R/C plane was a two-channel hand-launch glider with a Cox .049 boost pod and a 1/4 oz tank. ALL landings were dead stick. :D The old saying about not running out of airspeed, altitude and ideas simultaneously certainly applies. As long as you can keep her nose down for a gradual glide (speed is life) and make it to the downwind end of the runway there is no reason to panic. If you're nose into the wind and at low altitude, pick something soft and outside the flightline/parking area.

OK. An inverted flat spin dead stick you can panic. And, any biplane with flying wires allows you to panic (what a drag).

If it happens during a torque-roll I just call it natural selection.

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

!!!!!!!CRASHING!!!!!!!lol:D

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

Bring the plane home in a trash bag is a true deadstick,

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

Dead stick: A boomerang that won't come back!

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

Have you guys seen the new solution to overcome dead stick? Its called VIAGRA!!! HAhahahahahaa ...

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

hey i have a boomerang 40 trainer(realy i do)...................

but there somthing wrong whith it every time i throw it it never comes back.

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

I understand that "dead stick" is what a wooden prop becomes when the engine quits. This term predated hydraulics in airplanes.

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

I practice mine on the sim just for fun I try to see how far out I can get & still float her back to the runway with no power. Starting to get pretty good at it too.:)


Mark

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

Do have them land straight ahead off the field, come around for a downwind landing, or do you leave enough altitude to fly a circuit and land normally?

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

Me thinks Ken might be having just a little bit too much fun tormenting those poor-poor students.[sm=crying.gif]

Hold on a minute Ken, let me put on my flame retardent suit, there ok blast away!:D


Mark

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

While Ken is having fun with that post, he is also being realistic.

Depending on the surrounding terrain, the climb-out can be a truly critical period, & a dead stick there is mighty entertaining. If you have no altitude & no airspeed you MUST land straight ahead. If there is nasty terrain, try to stall into it at the lowest possible airspeed.

If you have sufficient altitude & airspeed, plus plenty of cool, you can execute a diving (to maintain flying speed) 180 deg turn, or even a diving 540 deg spiral turn & land downwind on the runway -- both choices are worthy of close attention by the pilot. Any dead stick at the upwind end of the runway is a high-pucker event.

I'm usually much less impressed by a dead stick at the down-wind end of a runway -- you will often have height & speed at that point. The trick is to shed the height/speed & safely stay at the down-wind end of the runway. That can be achieved by carefully executing descending S-turns, or circles, or by turning onto final & side-slipping (beyond the skills of most beginners), or simply extending out in a long descending downwind turn back onto final. Getting the speed/height/distance is the trick -- that's why practice is necessary.

Having said that, a dead stick on an aborted down-wind landing is bad news (just like on a climb out) not enough height & probably more speed than on a take-off but still not enough to be usefull -- you can't safely execute a 180 back to the runway, & the wind is hurrying you along. It can mean a straight-ahead landing, as noted above, & an attempt to stall-on, or if there is some room & sufficient airspeed (as opposed to ground speed) a 90 deg turn across the wind to negate the extra velocity added by the wind. This is a judgement call & depends on the terrain & consequences of visiting that terrain.

A low-altitude flame out at high speed at the down wind end is sometimes fun & very spectacular -- you use your speed to zoom climb & then execute a descending turn back to a landing. With the right bird you can even pull straight up, then stall turn into a descending spiral before the landing (don't try this at home kids).

Finally --- it is most important is to remember that turns are risky without power, & airspeed MUST be maintained throughout the turn, by descending. Failure to remember that will mean a stall & spin --- THUD! When in doubt fly straigh ahead & grit your teeth.


This post was edited to correct my dumb-ass math & directions[:o]

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

Isn't the proper term for that a Lawn Dart? [8D]:D

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

If cutting the engine to idle on the downwind approach is considered deadstick landing approach, then I should be pretty good (I have landed twice deadstick, smoother than my usual landings), because that's how I land all the time. I like long floaty approaches. I usually get pretty high and kill the engine just as I pass the end of the runway, then glide it out, make my turn upwind and bring her home.

RE: What is a "DeadStick"?
 

Hey an old LA 40 has made me the dead stick king. One thing every student should know is during the even of a dead stick the use of the rudder can be extremely beneficial, especially if used with finesse. I am sure Britbrat can explain it better. I dont use rudder much with high wing planes as it makes the nose drop and may cause unwanted attitude changes but with opposing aileron and a little nose down elevator it seems to work really well for me when I need to turn in a hurry. I guess I may actually be initiating a quick spin in some instances as I can make my low wing plane almost turn 180 in place. Just need to be ready for a major loss of altitude depending on the wind and you need to be quick on the sticks. Sometimes that works out as I often need that results. Out of the last 20 or so deadsticks I have had only once did I not make it back to the road. I was climbing out over some power lines into a strong headwind when the thing died. I nosed down and commenced to stall it purposely right above a cotton patch. Minor damage only.

Wes

ETA: Cotton plants sound like they are nice and soft but they ain't!!!