Mailing List lml@lancaironline.net Message #49033
From: Tom McNerney <dudewanarace@yahoo.com>
Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Small Tail/Large Tail & Stall
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:48:10 -0400
To: <lml@lancaironline.net>
I have refrained from commenting on all of the stall/spin talk since I have no background to justify anything I say.  But, I will add what I have found in my recent experience and what others have said.

For starters, I have an odd setup to say the least.
Small Tail
Short Mount
Battery Behind Seat
Header Tank
XP-400SRE adds 35 lbs I think..
Hartzell CS Prop
155 lb Pilot

I have found if I land slower with full flaps, I can not trim to a neutral stick.  And it doesn't leave you much pitch up travel.  But, if you land with half flaps or a touch more than half, no problems at all.  I am more for landing fast and using brakes, than landing slow and breaking something.

I am a Lancair buyer, not a builder. I did my initial training with Skip Holm.  For those of you that don't know who he is, I would say "qualified" doesn't exactly cover it.  Skunkworks test pilot, Top Gun Instructor, yadda yadda...   Skip had the controls for about, oh,  1 minute.  During that time he did some very basic turns, slowing to 85 mph indicated in a 90 degree bank.  Once leveled out he pushed the rudder back and forth a couple times.  After this quick evaluation he looked me square in the eyes and in a serious Skip Holm manner said, "Don't Spin It".  We didn't slow below 100 mph the rest of the flight.

Not saying he is correct, or I am correct, but I am not going to take this Lancair near a stall/spin, period.

Tom McNerney
N54SG  50 hours on me and counting..
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