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Re: Transitioning to DA42 questions

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 3:00 pm
by CFIDave
The Seminole is a "draggier" aircraft than a DA42, so a DA42 may tend to glide along in ground effect better when touching down. To counter this, speed control is your friend. :)

As for tail strikes, IMHO it's more difficult to hit the tail in a DA42 than a DA40 (especially in an Austro-powered DA42 due to more forward weight bias) because the plane stands taller on its gear. Having said that, I once got hit with a 30+ knot wind gust just as I was flaring to land and gently scraped the tail of my DA42 -- the only way I could tell there was a strike was by afterwards discovering a scrape mark on the sacrificial plastic block on the bottom of the ventral fin. But that's very unusual.

Re: Transitioning to DA42 questions

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 4:51 pm
by ncrcurious
Thank you again, Dave.
The the follow up question will be: at what speed do you usually flare?
The bounce occurred when I flared around 72 KIAS.
I use the 1.3 x Vso ....or am I overthinking it?

My short final is typically 85 KIAS.

CFIDave wrote:The Seminole is a "draggier" aircraft than a DA42, so a DA42 may tend to glide along in ground effect better when touching down. To counter this, speed control is your friend. :)

As for tail strikes, IMHO it's more difficult to hit the tail in a DA42 than a DA40 (especially in an Austro-powered DA42 due to more forward weight bias) because the plane stands taller on its gear. Having said that, I once got hit with a 30+ knot wind gust just as I was flaring to land and gently scraped the tail of my DA42 -- the only way I could tell there was a strike was by afterwards discovering a scrape mark on the sacrificial plastic block on the bottom of the ventral fin. But that's very unusual.

Re: Transitioning to DA42 questions

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 3:19 am
by Colin
Tommy's comment made me think of General Yeager seeing an AOA in a fighter jet and saying, "If you don't know the angle of attack you have no business being in the plane."

I would like an AOA in my plane.

My BFR was today and we did a landing clinic for part of it. 100kt on downwind, 90 on base, 80 on final. My landings were SO much better. Don't mess with the final speed reduction until you are in ground effect. Worked flawlessly three times.

Re: Transitioning to DA42 questions

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 1:54 pm
by jb642DA
Colin - your BFR "landing clinic" reminded me of the "old saying":
"There are few good landings out of bad approaches and few bad landings out of good approaches!"

Has anyone read "The Concise Guide to the Diamond DA42" by John Ewing?
John recommends pattern speeds of 100 downwind / 90 base / 82 (+gust factor) final for a DA42TDI.
From my limited DA42 experience, the "Guide" seems pretty good?!
I should be picking up "my" 2008 DA42 within the next ten days from Jeff at Premier (KFXE).
Thanks.

Ps: I've flown aircraft with AOA and it is a great tool, especially when you have different external "drag" configurations and/or varying flight mass (weight), such as flying a heavy weight landing immediately after takeoff.

Re: Transitioning to DA42 questions

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 2:35 pm
by carym
Just a note to add about speeds: I fly the ILS at 106 KIAS until the MAP. At this point I add landing flaps and have never had a problem with a good landing in the DA42.

Re: Transitioning to DA42 questions

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 3:08 pm
by dgger
Am I the only one flying by power setting here? At larger airports with rather dense traffic situations I tend to shot my approach as fast as appropriate for the traffic flow to about 3 miles final. That is where I drop the gear and reduce power. Once the airspeed bleeds off, I bring the flaps down and the power back up to about 45-50%, depending. That reliably gives my 85-90 IAS and short final which works just fine at larger airports.

Re: Transitioning to DA42 questions

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 3:40 pm
by CFIDave
Peter, you're not the only one who flies DA42s via power settings.

If flying a standard traffic pattern (circuit), I tend to bring power back to 50% on downwind (dropping the gear mid-field), then when abeam the numbers I begin my descent by bringing power back to 35% and often holding that power level all the way (turning base and final) until I cross the runway threshold. Then I reduce power further (sometimes to idle) for the flare and landing. (On a DA42-VI or DA62 with their wide chord propeller blades, quickly bringing the power back to idle is like throwing out a drag chute. :) )

I also use 35% power as a starting point when descending on ILS or LPV 3 degree glideslope/glidepath instrument approaches.

I found that using these % power settings work equally well for DA42 TDI, NG, and -VI models, and also for the DA62. Obviously you may need to adjust power for winds or spacing from other aircraft.

Re: Transitioning to DA42 questions

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 3:53 pm
by jb642DA
Thanks CFIDave! Ewing's iBook also has recommended power settings - same 50% and 35% numbers. I like to know power settings also - makes life a lot easier! Have you ever read his book? It looks like a decent DA42 MEI reference.

Dgger - Thanks for flying quick"er" at larger airports - I'm around 150 kias, on final, in my "work" plane!

Re: Transitioning to DA42 questions

Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:23 am
by Colin
I am going to have to try Dave's power percentage method. And I now realize that although I had read it (thoroughly, early, and with commentary), I did not keep the numbers that Ewing uses in my head. But the truth is I have *always* landed too fast. Even in the DA40, I would scream down final at 110kts, and then pull the power, dump all the energy, and put the wheels on the thousand foot markers at 47kts. I really like air moving over the control surfaces. That makes me feel like I have *authority* over the airplane.

It is clear that I need to learn more finesse, though. The landings yesterday all had 1,200 foot rollouts. Or, rather, I was nearly stopped and able to make the turn before the 1,500 foot marker. That's going to be a lot better for KFHR and (once they shorten the runway) KSMO. Having a mile long runway is not good for learning any short field technique.

Re: Transitioning to DA42 questions

Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 6:17 am
by dselder1962
John
Thanks for the recommendation about John Ewing’s book: what a great find! I have been studying the Diamond handouts, the AFM and everything else I can lay my hands on, and I found it really helpful. The study cards ability is useful to make sure I know what I think I know...
Cheers
David