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Aviation History
1971
1971 - 0815.PDF
720 SLEEK ECCLESIASTIC . . . ward, requires enough force to merit en route assistance from the trim wheel. Trimming, however, is rapid and, once trimmed out, the aircraft stays there. The trim wheels are unusual and tend to lose on the roundabouts where they gain on the swings. Positioning is very convenient. Vertical trim is located in line with all other major controls directly in front of the pilot's right shoulder to the left of the throttle, but causing no inter ference with the control yoke. The lateral trim is tucked neatly below the throttle and away from the popular spot near the floor which has been known to encourage foot operation. But although light and effective, the wheels are small and set quite deeply into the panel. As a result I found my thumb tending to get slightly in the way. Moreover, the protruding indicators, although set well over a thumb's breadth from the wheel, can prove painful to an unfamiliar hand reaching for the wheel without looking. The diminutive undercarriage-knob is tucked between the vertical trim wheel and throttle in the RG's tidy line-up of controls (above), The locking indicators are just to the left, obscured by the control yoke. Mainwheels turning (below) as they retract in advance of the nosewheel FLIGHT International, 20 May 1971 Unfortunately, with the manifold pressure gauge per forming erratically, it was hard to obtain full readings and accurate settings. The engine is cleared for extended full-throttle operation. So at 2,700 r.p.m. and full throttle, I trimmed out at 110 m.p.h. IAS. With four persons aboard but no baggage, the VSI needle settled firmly on 1,100ft/ min, 335m/min. A high noise level and a fairly steep nose attitude resulted from this configuration and I would imagine that maximum ROC, listed at about 90 m.p.h. under these conditions, loses some of its benefit to the necessity of considerable twisting required to see where one was going. The handbook recommends 25in and 2,500 r.p.m. for optimum power/comfort ratio. Having reached the maximum altitude allowed by the cloud (lower than I would have liked), it was time to see what happened at the stall. It was this which produced some of the biggest surprises. Approaching the stall with gear and flaps up, the ailerons became distinctly mushy although the elevator still remained sharply effective- demonstrated by my overcorrections in holding the air craft level as the speed reduced. Exactly at 66 m.p.h., 106km/hr the left wing dropped sharply. A quick touch of the right rudder checked the drop immediately and a rapid recovery was made. Stalling clean was not pleasant in this aircraft for reasons of comfort. Throttling back below about 12in MP, with the gear up, or not locked down, activated a strident bleeper, and as the speed dropped to within 10 m.p.h. of the stall, this was joined by the penetrating stall-warning horn. The resultant orchestration does nothing for one's efficiency under these conditions but is perhaps a safer alternative. Both, however, can be cut out by switching off the alternator—an extreme measure, scarcely to be recommended. Steady sink After climbing again, I put on full flap and lowered the undercarriage. The ASI reached 47 m.p.h., 75-6km/hr and stayed there. All controls remained moderately effec tive and the aircraft sank rapidly and steadily, showing no tendency to flutter or drop a wing. Returning to Fairoaks by way of the railway line, I trimmed out at 2,000ft QFE with 2,400 r.p.m., and an esti mated MP of 25in. Suitably leaned-out, this produced an indicated air speed of 161 m.p.h., 259km/hr. Landing was surprisingly easy although, ingrained with aspects of my previous flying experience, I tended to make my approaches too steep. The first landing was therefore made at full flap. The flare was positive, the aircraft settled quickly and smoothly on to the grass and stopped within 400ft, 122m. After off-loading the passengers we flew three more circuits, the first with a bounce on touch down, the second fairly steep, and the third as per book. Lightly loaded and with 10° flap, the aircraft was very much more sensitive—hence the bounce. After this the landing proved satisfyingly simple. Although the aircraft is credited with much of Cessna's touch-down touchiness, I saw a little sign of it and the third landing with a hedge-speed of 80 m.p.h., 129km/hr ended no more than 500ft, 152m from a smooth touchdown. Time and conditions prevented inves tigation of the cross-wind performance but the prospect would not cause me too much concern. A long-legged six-footer myself, I tested the stretch in the back and found no restriction at all. The impression is of a potential six-seater with only four places. The only complaint was the distribution of the heating which kept the rear at a comfortable temperature but fried us in the front. The RG is undoubtedly Cessna's response to the Cherokee Arrow. The model in all forms has been highly successful and Brymon itself has expressed its confidence in this latest version by ordering 25 per cent of the year's European allocation. That further variations on the 177 theme will follow is inevitable. At the moment, in fact, Cessna is experimentally fitting a Cardinal with a Wankel rotating engine rated at 185 h.p. Although liquid-cooled this engine has about half the weight of its conventional equivalent and may spark off a revolution in general aviation design. |
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