From the thread that Eric is talking about. Posted on 12/04/07. All Yales should be placed on popsicle sticks just like all SOKO 522s.
I don't have any PIC time in the heavy iron like the P-51, F4U, Sea Fury, or Skyraider types but I've got about 750 hours in a Stearman and 250 or so in an SNJ. Most of the rest of my time is in odd ball antiques and most of that time is in the pattern. I've always considered a plane's flying characteristics as a "complete package". What does it do or feel like from the time you taxi out until the time you taxi back in. You don't really get to know an airplane until you've stalled it, spun it, rolled it, landed it in a strong crosswind, simulated a dead stick landing etc. At least that's my take on this stuff. I've had a few people tell me that "no airplanes fly badly, some of them just fly differently than others" That's like saying "there is no bad beer, some beer is just better than other beer" Bullsh*t! I've had some really bad beer and I've flown some really crappy airplanes.
Ah, the Yale. Let me tell you about that little gem.
So Eric Downing is busy in the hangar one day and his buddy John Lohmar is headed back out in the Yale by himself. "Hey Albert" says Eric, have you ever been in my Yale? The next thing I know, I'm sitting in the back seat of the Yale, headed down the runway. Hmm, seems like our SNJ, smells like our SNJ, about the same view as our SNJ, the controls sure look like our SNJ, and in level flight it sure handles like our SJN. Gear down and welded, minus 150 HP, but other than that, it's a T-6/SNJ.
Sure it is.
So John Lohmar says, "hey Albert, I got it", "Let me show you something". With that, John cranks down some flaps and starts to pull off some power. No problem, I'm just along for the ride, I guess John's going to show me a stall. I start to enjoy the nice view of St. Charles/St. Louis, Missouri area below and by this time I'm resting my head against the canopy. WHAM! My head bounces off the inside of the canopy and we're in a half snap, up is down and down is up and I'm really pissed off. "Hey John, what the heck was that?" "Sorry Albert, I just thought you would like to see how different this thing stalls compared to the SNJ". So I'm thinking, ok, smart a$$ airline pilot/warbird pilot is trying to see if he can bring back the hangover that I've spent most of the day trying to get rid of. I know John's five times the pilot I am but this time, I've got him. I've got lots more time in this kind of stuff. I'll show him. Right on cue comes John on the intercom. "Hey Albert, want to try it?". "You bet, rack em, set it up just like that last one but this time let me show you what happens when you keep the ball centered and the wings level" (all said to myself). So up we go, I've got the flaps half down, I'm pulling a bit more power off, now I'm cranking in the rest of the flaps, I'm watching the airspeed, balls in the middle, wings level....WHAM!!! *&#*@!% What the F*%K! Holy Sh*t! How did that happen! no buffet, no noise, no warning. Now I'm really mad and a bit embarrased but I regain my composure and ask for another try. We climb back up and I try it again, this time with a bit more power but this time I'm like a cougar ready to pounce on it's prey, my lightning quick Judo like reflexes had been lulled to sleep by our sightseeing trip over the Missouri corn fields but two "head smacks" against the canopy have awakened the crouching tiger within me.....WHAM! *&^%!*$ Pineapple upside down cake again. I recover after loosing about 900 feet of altitude and roll out on a heading of 425 degrees somewhere over southern Indiana. Little did I know that John had the ball dead centered and the wings perfectly level on the first demo, probably better than I did on either attempt. Try that with a T-6/SNJ and it will shudder and shake long before it departs. It will scream "let go dumb a$$" long before you manage to snap into a spin, inside or over the top. Not the Yale! It sits in the corner, coiled up like a rattle snake, ready to bite when you are paying the least attention. Oh, and then there's that landing gear. Taller and more narrow than the T-6/SNJ's, when combined with a stiff cross wind and the Yale's considerable wing dihedral, it's a real party to land. The Yale reminds me of a peach of a plane that I once owned, a SOKO 522. Another type that belongs in a static museum! But that's another story.
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Albert Stix Jr.
"Work is the curse of the drinking class"