Wayne Handley Video

[Scott Musser]

This is a "must see" video for all spray pilots and any pilot that navigates close to the ground.

After viewing this video, you'll never use your rudder the same. No more pushing the rudder to lineup on short final!

[ame]http://vimeo.com/7479092[/ame]

 

[lowlevelops]

I saw this video years ago. As always Wayne is a true professional and is spot on. If I remember correctly Wayne's son perished in a turning accident while spraying with a 500 series Air Tractor. There was a number of videos that were made with Wayne spinning an Air Tractor, most were unrecoverable without a drogue chute from any altitude.

One thing to remember about the 0g manuever is, you still have to get it flying before you get to the ground. The longer you hold it at 0g the steeper your decent angle the more Gs and flaps required to recover.

Great information from the NAAREF program.

 

[lowlevelops]

Here is another video that should make the hair on your neck standup!

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr4AzV75YO4

 

[Scott Musser]

Your link is broken.

 

[lowlevelops]

My fault, how about this....

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr4AzV75YO4[/ame]

I can't figure out how to embed like you did Scott, but give this a try.

 

[Scott Musser]

All you have to do is paste the url into your post without any special coding. I've fixed your post.

 

[lowlevelops]

Thanks!

 

[jkalus]

Trace,
Please expand on your reference to a plane not flying at 0 g and using flaps to recover from a [ 0 g] dive.

 

[lowlevelops]

In a low altitude recovery you can use flaps to help the wing maintain a higher load before it stalls.

Unloading the wing is basic stall recovery from any attitude. The problem arises when you are at low altitudes, with a wing you just unloaded (<1G) to maintain controlled flight and the ground is now coming up very fast. You need to get the wings level and start loading the wing again to level out before you get to the ground.

 

[jkalus]

Every airplane I have ever flown has a decrease in the limit load factor with an application of flaps. In the case of the Husky, a flaps 0 load factor of 3.8 and a flaps deployed load factor of 2.0.

Given the Husky will climb in stall buffet at full power, how would you use the flaps in a stall recovery? At about 1750 lbs it will climb 500 fpm, 40 mph and 20 deg nose up.

 

[lowlevelops]

I guess I am not talking about a 9G pullout here, I am talking about about a low airspeed, low altitude recovery here. 2Gs will actually make an amazingly tight turn if you can maintain 2Gs at 40 mph..... I would bet the Husky wing will stall before you get 2Gs at 40 mph either with/without flaps.

jkalus, take your example "1750 lbs it will climb 500 fpm, 40 mph and 20 deg nose up" and try it with flaps then try it without flaps. Then bring the airplane up into a stall and I bet your altitude loss in recovery is less with flaps than without.

If I get time today I will go out in the Husky and play with the different configurations and see what kind of delta I get between the numbers.

 

[denningte]

The power-off 2G speed for a light Husky is 64 MPH. If you pull full aft at 40 MPH seeking 2Gs in an unusual attitude you will simply remain in a stalled condition until the aircraft's ballistic path produces enough speed to overcome your input, you release the stick, or you and your plane impact the ground. A 2G turn is not a circle when recovering from a vertical condition. You will effectively have 1G of radius production at the bottom of that turn if you get to 2Gs and the increase in airspeed will lengthen the radius too.

My interpretation of the important safety tip provided by the Air Tractor video has two main points - 1) maintain safe flying speed when close to the ground; and, 2) don't expect the controls to do a lot of good if you don't maintain safe flying speed. A possible corollary is 3) the stick actuator is going to be thoroughly incompetent in #2 at low altitude. Empirical evidence is provided in the video.

Rudder close to the ground is perfectly acceptable in the case of slipping with appropriate approach speed to align the nose to the runway or lose energy. A skidding turn will get you in trouble when operating near stall speed, but otherwise is just a skid at safe flying speed.

Flight at 40 MPH and 2Gs is an impossibility - a theoretical red herring. Extreme attitudes are no place for huskies or air tractors. The FAA guidelines for non-aerobatic flight are there for a reason. POH stall speeds are also there for a reason.

In any case of doubt refer to rule #1 - MAINTAIN SAFE FLYING SPEED WHEN CLOSE TO THE GROUND. To borrow from a stick and fabric fighter pilot, "anything else is rubbish."

 

[lowlevelops]

The 40 mph given was just an example given with no respect to actual flight characteristics. I was just trying to explain a low energy state at low altitudes....a bad place to be in any aircraft if you are not landing.

 

[denningte]

Trace - I figured that was the case, but in posts read by many including novice pilots and non-Husky types we need to avoid creating the impression that there is flight capability where there isn't. My intent was to place the actual flight envelope as the centerpiece of the discussion and to remind any readers that the Air Tractor video discusses flight envelopes that are well outside normal operating envelopes for safe Husky operations.

I have had high performance aircraft to 0 knots nose up many times and well below flight speed going straight down but the Husky is not comfortable to me in either of those regimes.

 

[Snowbirdxx]

TD,

I agree with you, I hate high nose up attitudes in low airspeeds with the Husky too. Since the flaps are not locked I want to avoid a tailslide in any circumstances. Just the immagination that the flaps would be deployed by the rear relative wind drives me crazy.

Regds TomD

 

[Jack Threadgill]

Yes, I wake up in the night just thinking about it.

Keep'um going forward,

Jack

 

[jkalus]

My point in noting the climb capability was to illustrate that if you stall the Husky in a low power state, and haven't aggravated it with such a deep stall or yaw that it dives for the deck. Application of full power and positive control of the aircraft (including rudder) will affect a recovery almost immediately. I don't find that any stick forward (unloading) is necessary in most cases. In my opinion, going for the flap handle may well cost critical time, particularly when the stick actuator is not at full performance.

I've never had an application of flaps recommended for stall recovery and as a CFII I shudder to think that someone tries it rather than falling back on proven recovery procedures. Every situation is different, but in general, in my experience, the Husky stall is so benign that application of full power and maintaining the landing attitude will produce positive results.

Adherence to the FARs with respect to bank and pitch angles, will serve as a good start in avoiding a departure from controlled flight.

I hope my comments are not taken as confrontational. I've been flying the Husky for more than 11 years and as a CFII I am obligated to open the discussion when it seems a safety topic could be misinterpreted.

Joe

 

[panzl7]

i had the great pleasure to fly with Mr Handley, he is a true professional. i highly recommend aerobatic training to everyone, ijust might save your life someday, give it a try!