MKIV builders/fliers at KPAE

[shogan50]

I'm thinking, pretty seriously, of building a MKIV. I'm a pilot and part owner of a Piper pacer, hangared in Everett Washington. I would love to sit in and better yet ride in a cozy to help sway me in on direction or another. Al Wick is a couple hours south and has offered to let me take a peek, but both my pacer and his cozy won't be in the air for a couple of months.

 

I'm really curious about a couple of things. 1. How I would fit. 2. How the independant rudders work.

[Wayne Hicks]

1. How I would fit.

 

----> Height, weight, pants size?

 

2. How the independant rudders work.

 

----> Well, you see, it works like this. You step on the rudder pedal. It pulls a cable, the cable pulls the rudder outboard. Just kidding. The rudder pedals work and feel like any other rudder pedals on any other plane. There are two exceptions, all good.

 

First, these canard planes have so little adverse yaw. You can turn the plane without using the rudder pedals. Once I'm out of the traffic pattern, I take my feet off the pedals and don't use the rudders again until I re-enter the traffic pattern for landing.

 

Second, you might be wondering about what it's like to push the rudder pedals the first inch and a half to engage the rudders, then pushing more to engage the brakes. Don't worry about that. The feel for where the brake engage point is becomes second nature after the very first landing. On conventional pedals, I always had to take my feet off the rudder portion of the pedals, then lift them to place my toes on the brake portion of the pedals. You don't do that on canard pedals. You don't have to reposition your foot at all. All you do is push more to engage the brakes. I really love the simplicity of the canard pedals. Personally, I'd never switch back.

[Drew Swenson]

To second what Wayne says---there could not be a more simpler method of integrating rudders and brakes. The "conventional" way is much harder.

 

Other added benefits:

-On landing rollout, when you are pushing on both rudders, you are getting some good aero braking prior to engaging brakes. I usually at least "touch" the brakes right after I am on the ground just to make sure they are there---then let the plane slow down without brakes until I need them.

-In the pattern on final, when you find yourself a little high, board out, and already all the way back on the power---you still have the rudders to make make a correction----sideslip not needed---nor desired.

-In formation----if you are a little hot on a running rendevous, rudder deployment does the trick.

 

All good stuff...

[shogan50]

So on the rudders, there is no interconnection, i.e. pushing left rudder doesn't cause right rudder to push back?

 

Does that make it difficult to transistion back to something like the pacer where you fly first and foremost with your feet?

 

I'm 5'11 220 pounds, 36 waist, 32 inseam.

 

I know or assume that I fit in a cozy, but would like to get a feel for it. My pacer is definately on the "Cozy" side when it comes to cabin width.

[Drew Swenson]

The rudders are completely independent. The right rudder only goes right (deflects to the right). The left rudder only goes left. If you push both pedals, both rudders deflect outboard (like speed brakes).

[Zulu Yankee]

Hi Shogan50,

 

I have only flewn in a Cozy once, so I cannot be regarded as any type of Cozy expert. However, if it helps, I am 6'2'' and weigh 190 lbs, 36 waist.

 

Getting in took a little coordination for my long legs, but not difficult by any means.

 

I fly mostly Cessna's and the independent rudders were something that I was particularly interested in / concerned over. It was a non-event. Just step on the ball when needed and you will be fine. I have never felt the urge to step on both rudders in the Cessna, so I doubt that I would do that except for purposefully wanting to increase drag.

 

The real difference for me was in the handling. In a Cessna, you can control your glide path with adding/reducing power. If you are sinking a little, just add some juice and you can extend your touch-down point. Don't try that in a Cozy. You will just head to your crash-point faster by adding power. Elevator trim is what is asked for.

 

I close with the same disclaimer. I am not a Cozy expert. I am a fairly low time pilot that flies C150's and C172's quite often and who was in the wonderful position to experience a Cozy flight recently.

 

ZY