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When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 10:59 am 
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Regarding what is "normal" tailwheel steering authority in the O-1 ...

During the checkout process we are simultaneously adding pilots new to the O-1 and troubleshooting tailwheel installation issues. Not my 1st choice, but it is what it is.

So far, I've been getting very little steering response at taxi speeds on pavement; brakes became almost primary for directional control, even with the tw in the trail position. Tightening the chains and installing the shorter pawl improved the response, however, (in a controlled, clear environment) I performed some taxi tests at aprox 25 knots and induced some minor swerves using the steering. I could "S" right, then left, and turn back to straight, but when adding a third "S" through center, full pedal suddenly causes no correction back and brake must be added. This same phenomena has also made for some sporty 3-pt landings where aggressive brake was required on rollout as the rudder lost effectiveness and the steering failed to respond with any authority.

Common sense tells me that our mx folks aren't done tweeking the Bushwheel 3200 setup yet. I can't see a reason why the tailwheel steering would not continue to function or that Cessna intended the steering to be this lousy.

All this verbiage to ask ... what is the normal "feel" for an O-1 with a tailwheel not worn out and properly adjusted?

Ken

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:19 pm 
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As a Bird Dog owner and flyer for more than 20 years, I concur with Dudley's comments on 60 degree flap. The amount of elevator buffeting you get is another factor. It is not needed for normal flying ops. Max of 40 flap is more than good. Three pointers particularly on grass a just nice...


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 8:13 am 
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With regard to your tail wheel questions:

I have only flown Bird Dogs with the Scott TW installed and never had any control problems.

I always inspect tail wheels by jacking up the tail cone at the lift point and then move the TW slowly back and forth by hand to see how much play and wear is present. The rudder should move positively in each direction promptly as the TW is deflected. It should move equally well in both directions.

It is important however to set up chain tension loose enough to allow a small amount of rudder deflection before the TW engages. This is important to allow the pilot to hold a small amount of rudder off set in a down aileron landing in a three point crosswind landing. If the chains are set too tight you will have too much TW deflection when the aircraft arrives three point.

One additional thing you have to consider and remember is that an L-19 is not like a J-3 or champ and has significantly more inertia when the tail is moving in any given direction and will require more rudder and sometimes brake to arrest the movement.

Pilots should avoid letting the L-19 tail movement progress beyond the limited area of recovery as the aircraft will quickly reach a point where there is not enough TW, Rudder and brake to avoid a ground loop. Cessna 180s, and PT-17s I have flown are the same way, recognition of drift and prompt corrective action are essential.

I hope this is of some help.

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:35 am 
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Big help, thanks for taking the time to share that.

I flew an FCF hop in the O-1D yesterday and it looks like our mx guys gut it dialed in. There were a number of parts replaced (it's the Bushwheel, Scott 3200 clone) and they also put the main springs in a press to restore the proper arch. I made 10 landings on both grass and pavement; a mix of 3-point and wheels. Your comments about the targeted "limited area of recovery" are well put. I can easily see there is such a point; as you say prompt recognition and correction are key.

Since I'm new to the O-1 I'll be paying close attention to these fine points. I'd like to see this thread continue; thanks for your input.

Ken

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 10:31 am 
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Ken

If you need a big warm body to sit in the front of that thing and block your view? Maybe even pretend I cant fly it / scare you. I'd be glad to help!! =)

Steve

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 11:05 am 
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Great idea Steve! As a former Bird Dog & BT-13 owner who lives close to the AAHF, you would not only make a great front seater for me, you should be out flying solo and representing the Foundation too! The annual dues are super low! :D

Ken

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 6:54 pm 
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Ken,

That is your D (Dog) model Bird Dog sitting in the back of my hangar at PFN before I painted it. I had Wayne checked out in my Bird Dog at Quincy on the grass so he could fly the D model for AAHF. That was way back when before all of the aircraft were pulled back to Tara.

I understand that those fences have now been mended and the Ozark Group now has a renewed and great relationship once again with AAHF.

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 8:35 pm 
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L-4Pilot

I like the way you painted it. It was the first airplane in my Hangar after I got the pad poured out front. You will never guess why it was in it .

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 10:38 pm 
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Thanks for sharing those great photos. I went down to PAFB to inspect that aircraft before we got it and tried to talk them in to letting us fly it out of there but it had a low cylinder and they had grounded it. It had to be trucked out. The aircraft was being used to train South American pilots to fly tail wheel aircraft. In the same large hangar as the State Dept. L-19 were some black OV-10 Broncos and some Crop duster aircraft.


I am currently restoring T-41B 67-15084 and it flys very much like the L-19D with the constant speed prop only a little faster. They both have about the same HP, 213 on the L-19 and 210 on the T-41B.

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:21 am 
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Are the L4 and T-41B part of the AAHF?

Steve

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 5:16 pm 
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planeoldsteve wrote:
Are the L4 and T-41B part of the AAHF?

Steve



Steve, I am a life member of the Friends of Army Aviation Ozark but let my membership in AAHF lapse after all of the crap that hit the fan a few years ago and the split between AAHF and FAA Ozark. I have been thinking of renewing my membership in the AAHF. The two planes I am restoring I own personally, in addition to the T-41B I am restoring a O-58A delivered to the Army 11/18/1941, it flew in the Carolina Maneuvers, submarine patrol in the Gulf, Spring maneuvers out of Esler Army Airfield Camp Beauregard, La. and finally the liaison Pilot training School at Pittsburg, Kansas.

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 4:06 pm 
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Looking good! Is their a difference between the O-58 and the L-3, or is it like the birdogs change of designation from L-19 to O-1?

Steve

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 5:38 pm 
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planeoldsteve wrote:
Looking good! Is their a difference between the O-58 and the L-3, or is it like the birdogs change of designation from L-19 to O-1?

Steve


Steve O-58 and L-3 are the same as L-19 and O-1, however the O-58A and later L-3 are very different aircraft. Only 20 O-58As were built and all carry the military serial number as the Aeronca factory serial number. All other L-3 aircraft have a different factory and and military serial number. The O-58A weighs 60 to 70 lbs less than the L-3B and L-3C, the A has a greenhouse made of spruce and the later L-3s were steel. The A was equipped with Learadios, the other L-3s used RCA. The A was the only model that had a welded antenna reel lug welded to the upper diagonal tube, the B and C did not have this factory welded fitting.

The Army ordered the O-58A as an observation aircraft (not trainer) and specified it was not to have a rear throttle and no rear brakes. All other L-3s had rear throttles. The Spring of 1942 the Army began to modify some O-58As with rear throttles (L-3A).

The O-58A came with a Freedman-Burnham adjustable pitch prop, all other L-3s were fixed pitch. Except for the early L-3B serial numbers all L-3s had all wood wings and wood instrument panels, the A had aluminum ribs, leading edges and aileron cove and panel.

There are more differences but these are a few of the major ones.

Of the twenty O-58A aircraft built only two remain today and none are currently flying, ours will be the only airworthy example when completed. The O-58A reported to be in the Ft. Rucker collection is actually a replica made from a civilian TC-65 and carrying tail # 42-7798, 7798 actually is the other surviving O-58A and belongs to a Gentleman in Tenn.

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PostPosted: Tue May 05, 2015 9:19 pm 
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Well, we are underway with our pilot checkouts and currency events for the season.

I do like the D-model and appreciate the flexibility the constant speed prop provides. I suspect the Army -10 recommended speeds are a tad high to compensate for the weight of radio gear and other equipment these birds carried back in the day. She leaps off the ground and has truly run out of lift at around 45 knots with 30-flaps (approach flown 60-65 KIAS).

Stalls are a non-event; 60-flap brings a noticeable buffet in the stick and the most pronounced regarding stall rumble & break. The break, if you can call it that, is brief and, with the stick held back, the airplane sets up a hideous (& insidious) sink which is mostly noticeable on the VSI - loosely reminds me of aft-stick stalls in the T-38A. As discussed earlier in the thread, 60-flap is a checkout item, with normal landings made at 30-flap.

Even with 30-flaps this is a draggy machine in the base turn; the c/s prop is certainly part of that. At altitude, a valuable demo has been glide performance at idle then compared with the prop pulled back. Everyone is immediately amazed at the sensation of surging forward with renewed energy once the prop comes to low RPM. For a simulated forced landing, restoring the prop to high RPM seems a sensible drag addition prior to committing to any flaps.

The previous comments of "this is a brake airplane" and recognizing the swerve "window of recovery" are on the mark.

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