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Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 12:55:35 -0500
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Subject:  Re: [LML] Re: Lancair Stalls
Thread-Topic: lml Digest #1104
Thread-Index: AcUEX4jL5b/DuRShS6Sw4WbYMRVzSwAM06dg
From: "Halle, John" <JJHALLE@stoel.com>

I will leave alone the question of what skill it takes to build a Legacy =
(noting only that you do need to be very careful and seek lots of =
advice.)  As far as flying one, though, the skill you need is the same =
skill you need to fly any airplane and it consists of an accurate and =
complete knowledge of what the flight envelope is and a conservative =
attitude that enables you to stay at all times well within it.  If your =
total flying experience is 35.1 hrs. in C-150s and you just got your =
ticket, I think you would be unsafe in a Legacy.  I also think that in =
far less time than it takes to build one, you could solve that problem.  =
Once you have that done, there is simply no reason EVER to fly a Legacy =
close to the edge of the envelope.

C-150s, 172s etc. were designed with the primary goal in mind of being =
idiot-proof.  Performance was a secondary (or non-existent) =
consideration.  Accordingly, you can do almost anything to them and =
recover easily.  Lancairs, and most other airplanes, try to balance =
performance against other characteristics, including recovery from =
unusual attitudes.  They also do not have the level of flight testing =
that is required of certified a/c and, as Brent observes, if you make it =
wrong, who knows what you have?  I have personally stalled the factory =
Legacy and, with Don Goetz aboard, we did approaches to stalls in mine =
as a part of initial testing.  Since then, I have not been within 20 kts =
of a stall except right after takeoff and flared for landing.  Unless =
you are a qualified test pilot, have extensive military combat training =
experience, have thousands of hours in Lancairs or are otherwise =
qualified to push airplanes right up to the edge of the envelope, don't =
even think about it.  You can do a very impressive show for folks on the =
ground without getting anywhere near stall.  I have done it the last two =
years at our local airshow.

It takes only a very little flying skill not to stall an airplane.  =
Anyone with at least that level of skill who stalls one anyway and =
crashes is not being killed by the airplane!