From the "Still Learning" department

[Sam Buchanan]

Flew XL-58 this evening in the course of chasing a beautiful sunset. But in spite of this being the fourth summer I've flown the little bird, there are still things to either discover or call to remembrance.

1) This is most definitely a "rudder" airplane. I decided to fly around for awhile using the stick only to maintain an altitude and making several turns with rudder only. My plane has the standard 3" of dihedral and will fly very nice, nearly coordinated turns in smooth air solely with rudder input.

The issue that has been the biggest aggravation about XL-58 is the heavy (low sensitivity) ailerons in turbulence. My other plane is a RV-6 and aileron response is instantaneous with more authority than you would ever need. It is a dramatic change to jump into the Eagle and row the stick side-to-side in turbulence without a whole lot of response.

But me thinks I need to be more aggressive with the rudder. Instead of just using rudder to initiate bank in a gentle turn, it needs to be aggressively kicked simultaneously with lots of aileron when the plane is upset by turbulence. This is a technique that is foreign to flying the RV, but one I am going to refine in the Eagle.

2) This evening I was making some of the cobbiest landings I've ever inflicted on the Eagle. "What is going on...have I forgotten how to fly??" In my defense, today had the highest density altitude our area has seen in two years. As I analyzed the "arrivals" it became apparent I was falling victim to using my lower-density-altitude-calibrated eyeballs to gauge landing speed instead of the airspeed indicator. The high DA required the Eagle to approach at considerably higher ground speed than I had flown the past two summers, but my old habits were allowing the plane to get too slow because I was flying the 'old' ground speed. Once I started watching the airspeed indicator and touched down at the proper 30 mph IA, good landings resumed.

Lesson learned; These little planes will humble us if we get complacent or neglect to use good airmanship. A 250 lb aircraft requires much more finese to fly smoothly and accurately than a heavier plane. Little mistakes are magnified instead of concealed.

A reminder from the "Still Learning" department is a good thing. Fly fun and safe.  

[Jlwright]

All good information for the old memory bank! Thanks Sam.

[Jerry Carter]

Good point about the rudder, Sam.  I found an article in an old aviation magazine not long ago that talked about a technique to improve one's rudder skills. The author recommended initiating the turn with the rudder and coordinating the ball with the ailerons. I've done it in airplanes like a Taylorcraft or a C-150, and it really does help show how to use the rudder more efficiently. We can all work on our stick and rudder skills.

[Sam Buchanan]

Good point about the rudder, Sam.  I found an article in an old aviation magazine not long ago that talked about a technique to improve one's rudder skills. The author recommended initiating the turn with the rudder and coordinating the ball with the ailerons. I've done it in airplanes like a Taylorcraft or a C-150, and it really does help show how to use the rudder more efficiently. We can all work on our stick and rudder skills.

Yep, that is pretty much standard procedure with the Eagle, it flies like the old long-wing vintage aircraft.

What I want to work on is combining rudder with aileron when picking up a wing in turbulence. I do it when I think about it, but it isn't second nature....yet.   

[riorex2002]

great article Sam.
Makes me think,that's hard these days?but brings up a question in my mind,do you think there is enough differential  built into the plane as its designed?from your description it appears to be lacking.
Rex

[Sam Buchanan]

great article Sam.
Makes me think,that's hard these days?but brings up a question in my mind,do you think there is enough differential  built into the plane as its designed?from your description it appears to be lacking.
Rex

Probably wouldn't hurt to have some aileron differential, I suspect some Eaglers have done that. Differential is standard on the DE and I built my bellcranks so they could be modified for differential. But I just haven't found it to be enough of an issue to go to the trouble.

Biggest issue in turbulence is the Eagle is LIGHT and SLOW. The ultralight weight makes the plane very sensitive to bubbles in the air and the low speed results in low-velocity airflow over the control surfaces. For a light, slow plane the Eagle flies nicely, but for someone transitioning from a heavier, faster plane it is quite a change.

Ultralights have unique flight characteristics, a pilot needs to realize this and develop skills to enjoy the plane safely.

[grdev]

You need that little ball and keep it centered

[rockiedog2]

well, in my Legal Eagle experience aileron differential isn't needed. I think that's what Sam said. what's wrong with pushing the right amount of rudder instead of having a mechanical compensator "help" you by limiting the amount of adverse yaw. it's not hard to learn when we got the right amount of rudder. if you haven't already figured that out all we gotta do is install a $14 ball like Gil mentioned and that will teach your butt when the rudder is right. once your butt learns that you can take the ball out. much has been said here about what good teachers the Eagles are. part of the reason is they are true Old School planes and  require that we master the basics of the art to fly them well.
i never have understood why folks have problems with the rudder...during the thankfully short period that i was instructing that was the hardest thing to get students to do...just push on the thing...much less master the use of it. many had some sort of mental block to the rudder. from what the students these days tell me it seems that the current crop of instructors don't use the rudder right either
there is a certain quiet pride in being able to artfully fly these things. i suggest that rather than go messing with the design trying to make it fly like some spam can that we resolve to master it as it was designed.

if i was building a DE i would take the diff out of it.

[riorex2002]

Joe, I guess that's why Wolfgang Langewiesche called his book Stick and Rudder.I was taught to lead with the rudder not fight it with the rudder.Fly it not fight it.Why build it and put in a defect?Do you fly with a flat wing as well
Rex