Forgotten Field wrote:
I appreciate the commentary. But I have some more questions.
Could you clarify the recommendation against the 60 degree flap landing? I have only L-5 time of any amount, and in my flying, it is rare that I use all flaps (45 degrees) and all ailerons (20 degrees). But I have used them, and was also trained to go around with them in place, and have found times where it was and wasn't appropriate to use them. There are definite changes in performance which need to be watched; at low power settings, your descent rate really goes up in such a dirty situation and a go around with full flaps and ailerons needs to be initiated long before you are over the threshold. Maybe it's not something to advocate for the first few flights, but isn't it a pretty important tool to have in the tool box, especially for emergency situations?
My logic is that you might need them for a short field or emergency landing, and that's the wrong time to be learning how to use the airplane and how it feels in that configuration.
Second, what is the meaning of, "It's a brake airplane?"
I don't get to talk tailwheel with too many people, so I appreciate it here.
The L19 is a bit unusual as the flaps are concerned in that Cessna designed it for military use. I'm fairly sure it was anticipated in the design specs that the mission requirement for the aircraft might dictate that it very well would have to get into VERY small unprepared spaces in emergency situations. The flap design for 60 degrees gave the airplane this capability. Checkouts in the L19 reflected the handling of the airplane in this configuration including all that went with it, including landing the airplane behind the power curve.
It is notable that even in military use, flap settings beyond 40 degrees in the L19 was considered as beyond that necessary for NORMAL operations. Pilots flying the Bird Dog seldom used the 60 degree flap setting for landings unless the circumstances were unusual due to the resulting changes necessary to the approach profile. The drag at that setting is so high that to remain on the front side of the power curve you are literally diving on the approach. At 60 degrees you can easily find yourself low, using a ton of power, and dragging it in under reverse command. This can then easily revert into a coffin corner sink rate scenario where reducing angle of attack to avoid ground contact becomes necessary but might not be available to you altitude wise. I DO NOT recommend that pilots get themselves into this situation!
60 degree flap down approaches are NOTnecessary in this airplane for normal civilian operations. Naturally I don't recommend flying the airplane in this manner. I DO however recommend that all pilots flying this airplane know how to fly the airplane using 60 degrees of flaps.
You can fly the L19 off any reasonable space or runway and land it there with partial flaps. No need to go to 60 degrees at all in this airplane.
Now as to how you should deal with checkouts in the L19;
By all means, anyone checkout out in the Bird Dog should get thoroughly familiar with the pros and cons associated with handling the aircraft at the 60 degree flap setting. Any checkout NOT including this would be inadequate and incomplete in my opinion. Normal procedure on checkout is to include full flap approaches while at the same time cautioning about the negatives associated with these approaches.
In other words, they are there if you want them. You should know how to use them. But using them is NOT necessary for NORMAL operations in this airplane.
Dudley Henriques
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