My 36% Extra is the most fabulous plane I have ever had. I do have one problem, however, and need a little advise.

Our field is rather short (400 ft) and slightly downhill when the wind is from the south. Also, there are barbed wire fences at the runway threshold on either end. Usually, with 5 - 10 mph wind I have no problem. The trouble begins when there is little or no wind. Coming in just over the fence, chop the throttle and watch the Extra float right by me for most of the runway length. When it gets into ground effect, it seems to pick up speed. I have floated the entire length of the runway before with predictable results.

Question: Would moving the CG rearward help? Presently my CG is about 1/4" ahead of the wing tube.

Any help?

HoseA

Several solutions: Use flaperons to increase lift and drag, add a little throttle to control the descent rate. should give you a steeper approach that is not too fast.

Use spoilerons to dump lift and let the plane come in at a steep descent, then, flip off the spoilerons and land. (Actually, this is more for a steep elevator approach to a landing).

Learn to fly slower. Doesn't have to be a super nose high harrier approach. Take the plane up high and learn its characteristics at slow flight. Add elevator to slow it down and add throttle to control altitude. Soon, you'll be flying "behind the power curve" This will allow you to chose the speed to fly at (from hover to forward flight). You do not have to land like a deadstick glide. Pull the nose up to slow down and use throttle to control the sink rate. These bigger planes will not snap over on you at slow speeds. Actually, I think it takes quite a bit of energy to snap, so don't worry.

Vertical dive approach, pull full up for a parachute, then elevator to a harrier landing

Inverted downwind approach over the runway, when you get to the approach/downwind end of the runway, give full down elevator for an inverted wall, and harrier to a nice landing into the wind.

The last two also adds a big wow factor. The third technique is good for most.

Have fun.

edit: oh yeah, a more rearward CG will make it easier to slow the plane down. Nose heavy will tend to make the approach faster.

I concur with moving your CG back a little.. With my edge I just had to learn to throttle back way sooner than I thought I needed to in order to not over shoot.. My first dead sticks were over shoots into the tall grass..

My simple solution is to wiggle the rudder a little once you get into ground effect. This points the side of the plane into the wind and scrubs off speed in a big hurry.

Be real careful when you do this the 1st time, you can get in trouble quick. But a couple fast wags of the tail will bring it rigfht down.

TF

One of the things i used to help slow a plane down was to turn onto final with the rudder and roll out of the turn with the alierons and keeping the rudder applied at the same rate as when i went into the turn resulting in a crab approch as tom said use caution. Releace both the rudder and alieron at the same time. Practice flying in a crab at a safe altitude exiting the crab without changing direction of travel before hand is a pluss. This comes in handy when your dead stick as well sometimes you just dont have the altitude to do a goround. Good luck

try crabbing ( slipping) in untill just before Touchdown, then, straighten her out. Used to do that in full scale Gliders way back when I was a Worm .................................................. ..
which prooves, the older I get---- the better I was

I agree with Bluemagic and Butches. I forgot to mention the Forward Slip. I'll never forget the first time my CFI demonstrated it to me when I was working on my private ticket. I basically looked out the side window on the approach.

Use lots of rudder to sideslip the plane, then use ailerons to keep the wings more or less level. Use elev (up or down as neccessary) to maintain airspeed. Usually, this approach is for getting down to the runway from too high of an approach and you don't want to go around, so the engine is normally at idle.

I rarely see this used in RC flying. Most people (me incld) just don't practice this technique. It does look pretty cool on the approach.

I was famous all around the airport when I was learning to fly full size for doing slips coming in on landing. I always seemed to come in too hot, and had to slip to slow down. I still remember the strange looks I got from the people doing their runups as I went by them, facing straight at them! :-)

Jim

My Dad in the 80's he used to side slip the L-1011 into frankfurt when people were sleeping..