Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net>
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Date: Sat, 12 May 2007 14:51:00 -0400
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From: "Skip Slater" <skipslater@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [LML] Re: Flight Characteristic Question
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References: <list-2039935@logan.com>

Rick,
   I think the consensus you'll find among those of us who are flying is 
that if we set the HS incidence where the factory says to, which is pretty 
good for cruise, we all run out of nose up trim for landing unless we have 
back seaters or cargo to move the CG aft.  My plane is pretty typical in 
that I'm right at the forward edge of the CG envelope with just front 
seaters and if I use full flaps for landing, I land with full nose up trim, 
which works OK for about a 75-80 knot final.  But without consciously 
holding the nose up in the flare, it will plop down on touchdown.
   One thing I did to help was make my elevator trim tab a little wider than 
the manual called for, making it go all the way from the inboard edge to the 
first rib in on the elevator.  Ed Rosiak went one step further and actually 
has his tab extending beyond the elevator's trailing edge to help hold up 
the extra weight of his TSIO-550.  He also took the extra step of moving his 
wing forward slightly wo help shift the CG forward (something which may have 
been done at the factory before the kit was delivered).  My memory on that 
part of it is a bit fuzzy, so perhaps Ed could chime in on this to provide 
his insights on what he did.
   The only other thing you can do is build the plane with your CG in mind, 
putting equipment and batteries in back and using a composite prop.  I did 
neither - I have my battery on the firewall and a metal Hartzell prop, but I 
do have oxygen and halon bottles mounted as far back as I could put them. 
We were prepared to move the battery back if necessary, but it turned out we 
didn't need to when we put the plane on the scales.  It sure would have 
helped with the CG though, even if just to put it under the back seats. 
That's over 25 pounds hanging on the firewall.
   I'm sure you'll get some good advice and ideas at the fly-in next week.
   Skip