One wingy-dingy
Q: Why do some airplanes
have a wing on top and some have a wing on the bottom and some have two
wings? Can’t you airplane people make up your minds?
M.S., Chicago
A: Well, here’s an
ambiguous answer from H.G. Frautschy, executive director of the Vintage
Aircraft Association of EAA: "There’s pluses and minuses to
both," he said. On a low-wing plane, one with the wing on the
bottom, the ground effect when landing (the cushion of air) is more
pronounced. "Some pilots like that," he said. With a
high-wing, the center of gravity is lower. "Some pilots think this
is more stable," he said. Also, high-wing planes have more wing
surface and visibility is greater because the wing isn’t in the way of
your downward view.
Steel this book!
Q: I am looking for a
steel-usage book written by Paul Poberezny. I think it might be called Acceptable
Steel Methods. Nevertheless, it covers correct methods for
attachments, bolts, etc.
J.N., Independence, Mo.
A: I haven’t been able
to find the book to which you refer. I checked with the folks at
Homebuilt Headquarters, and they don’t know of such a publication.
However, they have books covering every bolt and cotter key (if your
cotter needs unlocking) involved in the construction of an airplane.
Check with them. I’m sure they’ll be able to help you out.
Shutter bugged
Q: I lost a 35 mm Olympus
snapshot camera, black with sliding lens cover. It should have 10 or so
exposures. If found, please rewind the film or don’t open at all, as I
would like to save the photos.
N.F.S., Duluth, Minn.
A: Unhappily, a lot of
cameras get lost at AirVenture. Happily, a lot of cameras are found at
AirVenture and are turned in to the Lost and Found, which is just west
of the control tower, between the Housing and Area Information building
and Chapter headquarters. You can find it easily as long as you’re not
lost.
Three wheelin’
Q: I hear people talking
about airplanes and they speak of "taildraggers" and
"tricycles." What’s that all about?
A.T., Boston, Mass.
A: This refers to the
configuration of the landing wheels on an airplane. Three in the front
is a tricycle landing gear. Two in front and one under the tail is,
obviously, a taildragger, though my editor is inclined to use that term
to refer to me. I conferred again with H.G. Frautschy of the Vintage
Aircraft Association. He said that before World War II, virtually all
airplanes had tail wheels. A tailwheel airplane offers better ground
clearance for the propeller and therefore is better for landing on the
unimproved fields that were the norm at the time. That still is the
case, he said. An aircraft with a tail wheel is considered more
difficult to land than one with a tricycle landing gear because the
plane is more subject to a ground loop. It simply requires paying
attention, which you should always do anyway.
A Flock
Q: How many aircraft can
the "North 40" accommodate?
D.P., Gaithersburg, Md.
A: I tried counting, but,
you know, airplanes keep coming and going. However, I’m told that the
capacity is somewhere between 2,000 and 2,500.
Test pattern
Q: If I take and pass the
written sport pilot test, how long would I then have to take the
practical test?
L.H., Tulsa, Okla.
A: Relax. According to
Ron Wagner, chairman for light-sport aircraft, you have 24 months. Or,
to put it another way, two years.
FYI - LOL
Q: Does an A&P
mechanic need to be certified as a DAR to inspect and work on LSA?
J.S., Columbia, S.C.
A: I am told that you don’t
quite understand the alphabet soup of aviation. A&P does not refer
to that old grocery chain. It means "airframe and powerplant
mechanic." Wagner says that a person with this designation may work
on an LSA (which is a light- sport aircraft) without any additional
training. A DAR, meanwhile, is a designated airworthiness
representative. This is the person who, essentially, issues the
certificate that enables a collection of aviation parts to be called an
airplane. Unless you are building an airplane, this has nothing to do
with working on your LSA. Also, anyone with a repairman’s certificate
with a maintenance rating can work on a light-sport aircraft. Get your
letters straight. There will be a quiz later.
