lml@lancaironline.net Mailing List Archive

Ian,

Looks like you were right on top of this. It's a good example of why these planes can be more dangerous than a 172.

Once, I had an experience that taught me some respect. I took off downwind (10 kts maybe) on tall grass in a piper vagabond which is like a cub. I almost brushed the trees on departure from this 3000+ ft strip.

Tall grass and any tailwind are a bad combination. Small wheels would be more draggy also, especially on soft ground. When you go from 10 kts headwind to 10 kts tailwind, that's 20 kts more groundspeed you need to get airborne. With more wheel drag, those 20 are slower coming. Your speed while you are trying to get the 20 is eating runway fast.

A little wind can go a long way towards making trouble.

Mark Ravinski

N360KB 1390 hrs.

----- Original Message -----

From: Ian Crowe

To: Lancair Mailing List

Sent: Monday, September 11, 2006 11:59 PM

Subject: [LML] LNC 320 vs 360 performance.

On the subject of grass strips I am still up tight over the experience I had last Sunday. I fly a Lancair 360 with a 200HP Lycoming, Hartzell constant speed prop, outback gear.

A 3000' strip, 3"grass, not smooth but reasonably so, dry, wind fluctuating from 90 degree crosswind to directly on the nose and even to a light tail wind component, gusty.Tees at start of take off giving gusty conditions. Wind speed <10 Knots, 600' elevation, temperature 24C. A/C weight 1850 lbs.

Attempted take off, I could not believe how long it took for the airspeed to come alive, I thought I had left the pitot cover on, the speed did come up to 60 knots, my normal rotation speed and I rotated, gust of wind, right wing dipped, my abort point was there and I quit whilst I was ahead. I had used a good 2000 feet and stopped easily in the distance remaining.

Did a run up at full power, 2700rpm, 30"Hg, neglgible mag drop. Took off without my passenger using a short field take off, air borne without problem before my abort point. Landed and took on passenger.

Took off with passenger the second time using short field technique. Off without too much of a problem but was closer to my abort point than when I was on my own. Short field take off is harder to control on a runway that is rougher than an artificial surface.

I was totally blown away by the experience. !72's were out of there with no problem at all but all my power did not work for me.

Is it the small wheels on the rougher grass surface or finger trouble on the part of your's truly?

Ian B. Crowe
LNC 2 C-FKRO