The particularities of manoeuvering this aircraft are resulting from
its dimensions and its low speed. Length is only about 52% of Wing Span.
So what puts a resistance to turns is not its length but its width.
With a Wing Span of 1660in - and there are two wings! - in a turn the
radius of the outer wing-end is much longer than the radius of the
inner wing-end. Consequently speed and drag at the outer ends of the
(double) wings are much higher than at the inner ends, and they put
a rather high resistance to a turn. As a result - at the low speed of
this aircraft - banking of the aircraft won't do much more than make
it slide.
So this aircraft must be turned with the rudders. Like any control
input at every aircraft activation of a control surface should be done
slowly, but it can be augmented gradually. As the reaction on the
change of the angle of a control surface will never be a reaction
on the control input but a reaction on the effect of the changed
airstream at this control surface, it will take its (although short)
time till the aircraft will change its way of movement.
As with every aircraft to keep up flight level in a turn is up to you!
Look what the reaction of the aircraft is like, when giving rudder
input, i.g., and change your control inputs respectively.
START
Start with about two steps of Trim up (two doubble klicks on "1"
(numpad)). Don't lift the elevator until speed is at about
35 or 40 kts, the tail will come up easier.
Climb is at about 215 ft/min at 53 kts.
CRUISE SPEED
Adjust trim and throttle to have a speeed of 61 or 62 kts.
DESCENT and LANDING
There are no flaps, no wheelbrakes. Make the descent at 52 or 50 kts.
Flare at 60 or 50 ft above the runway. Aim at a horizontal flight. As
the angle of the fusealge on the runway is less than with most of the
taildraggers we are used to fly, we must not keep up the nose very far.
So our horizontal flight before touchdown may be almost like our normal
attitude! You may have a touchdown with 48 kts, on the Main Landing
Gear only. It will take the tail some seconds to touch down.
