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DIHEDRAL?

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Posted (edited)

Just read an article in this months Kitplanes mag about mountain flying in the Kitfox, and the writer states that the Kitfox does not have enough stall roll stability from the 1 degree dihedral of the wings, but can be stabilized with the rudder -

I believe the L-19 Cessna Birddog I used to fly had somewhere around 2.5 to 3 degrees of dihedral in the wings.

      It would sure be nice to have a direct line to an aeronautical engineer, like Dean Wilson, or Van, or someone who could answer simple questions we have on design.  Now, I have to open the books again searching to see if there is an answer about how much might be best.

      I know that too much dihedral can cause a dutch-roll effect, and that low-wing planes need more dihedral than high-wings, but I am wondering how much effect dihedral might have on stall speeds, or if any.

      Anyone with knowledge about dihedral want to put 2cents worth on here before I cut my struts?

EdMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

I think Dean Wilson may have addressed this when he designed the plane.... Just my .02 :lol:

 

Perhaps the wanker who wrote the article is just a shitty pilot as well... I take written articles and for the most part use them for fire starter.  If you take some guy thats only flown 172s and put him in a kitfox, I am sure he will tell you about all the bad habits as well as how much you have to use your feet to fly it and what a flying death trap it is.  If you take someone who has lots of time in a kitfox or Avid, then they go fly a 172, they will tell you how absolutely boring it is taking off a cessna and that the cessna flys like a heavy lead sled.

 

:BC:

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Posted

upon re-reading your post, I rest my case.. the poor author had to use his feet for something and it made him feel like the plane had a poor design.. I say its just a poor pilot writing about something he does not have enough time in to really give a useful opinion.

 

Pretty much like the people who have a friends of their ex wifes cousins uncle who had a pacer 30 years ago and ground looped it after trying to teach himself to fly in it so therefore a pacer is just a flying death trap....

 

:BC:

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Posted (edited)

I believe the guy stated that he was used to Lycosauris engines and not Rotax - This was just one guys opinion, but it will be read by lots of readers of Kitplanes mag.

I always have questions about something related to planes and flying - Dragging knowledge out of the ones who know more than I do is my part-time job! :lol:

The Birddog was fun and powerful to fly, and the government bought the gas, but it was like flying a rock once you lowered those 60 degree flaps! I believe the large dihedral really helped with steep banks and turns.

EdMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

At some point your gonna have to stop researching and get back to building or your never gonna fly the darn plane :lmao:  You also have to be careful who you drag the knowledge out of.. if its someone like me, I just have strong opinions and limited knowledge :news:  but I do know how these kick ass little planes fly and I aint afraid to fly them in the mountains or land them on a mountain ridge.  My feet work really good, I just hope I only use them on the rudder pedals and not trying to walk my happy ass out of the mountains cause my ego wrote a check my plane couldn't cash :lol:

 

I would bet that I am one of the few who have landed an Avid on floats on the side of a mountain... and not on a lake either.  :lol:

 

:BC:

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Posted (edited)

At some point your gonna have to stop researching and get back to building or your never gonna fly the darn plane :lmao:  You also have to be careful who you drag the knowledge out of.. if its someone like me, I just have strong opinions and limited knowledge :news:  but I do know how these kick ass little planes fly and I aint afraid to fly them in the mountains or land them on a mountain ridge.  My feet work really good, I just hope I only use them on the rudder pedals and not trying to walk my happy ass out of the mountains cause my ego wrote a check my plane couldn't cash :lol:

 

I would bet that I am one of the few who have landed an Avid on floats on the side of a mountain... and not on a lake either.  :lol:

 

:BC:

Dang, you need to post some photos of that happy ending! I just survived the flu and will get back to building after the holidays - struts now have to wait until spring thaw, or as you say, "Break-up".

I couldn't change the dihedral without bending something anyway - I drilled the wings on the first build - Just asking questions to see what answers might come back...

The welder shop is full of WACOs.

Ed

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted (edited)

My .02; they fly good as designed and they already have a bunch more dihedral than a cub.  If you take everyone's opinion and try to build a plane you will end up with something like the OSHA approved horse. 

Edited by SuberAvid
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Posted

I got a feeling the guy does not know the difference between effects of dihedral and the induced yaw from the flaperons... hence having to use the rudder.  By far my feet are the most active inputs when flying the Avid or kitfox.

 

:BC:

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Posted (edited)

Supposedly, the article was meant to be an "Education on Mountain flying", however I read no useful information on that subject; rather reading it like an advertisement for the Kitfox Sport and Alaskan Bushtires, and John McB was one of the 3 pilots flying, along with 2 of his factory wing-builders - Go figure!

Joey's "Backcountry" posts and adventure photos on here are much better and more fun to read.

EDMo

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted (edited)

Actually, it was an ad for Stick And Rudder, and Paul Ledabrand.

Edited by Av8r3400
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Posted

Guess all 3 of them got a $ worth - plus the 914 Rotax!

EdMO

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Posted (edited)

I just finished setting mine,  I clamped a string on the top of the spar ends, at the middle I have 2/3/4"  I found that I liked the looks of that best.

Edited by TJay

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