Landing Performance

[nworthin]

I wanted to see if my new DA62 (or, rather its new pilot) could make book landing numbers. So I headed out to a local strip I was familiar with. It's 4000 ft, with a turnoff mid field and a second turn off at 2700ft. I used Foreflight to calculate landing performance (it takes book numbers and adjusts for winds, temps, weights and runway conditions). I put that all in and it gave me a total distance 2,450 with about 1,350 of that being ground roll.

My landing technique was just OK but not great. Maybe a knot or four fast and touch down maybe 100 foot beyond where I wanted.

What surprised me was, had I hit the brakes hard, I could have easily made the 2,000 ft turn off. I was certainly stopped well before 2,450 ft with moderate braking.

With really good short field technique, I think this could have been a 1,500 or 1,600 foot landing.

I didn't try again because this field is popular with an autogyro club and they all started showing up and many of those guys don't bother with radios....

I do have the Beringer brake upgrade and I'm wondering if that really makes that much difference. Anyone have a basis for comparison?

Or, is Diamond really conservative with their book numbers?

[michael.g.miller]

I've landed at St. Barts before in a DA42 with the Clevelands. The runway is 2119' long, downsloping, with a hill at one end. It's doable, but I'm thinking about doing the Beringer if I go back regularly.

[Mike Jones]

There seems to be many references to Beringer here with very mixed opinions. I am waiting for my 62 to be built but can refer to my experience with Cirrus SR22 which is night and day difference to standard Cleveland brakes. The install on Cirrus is dual calliper which seems to be the same on the 62 although it looks like a four piston calliper rather a pair of two piston callipers. The main difference is vastly improved feel and the ability to determine when the brakes are close to locking. I don't think I could ever have locked a wheel with Cleveland brakes just not powerful enough. All the pilots in my syndicate have commented on the improvement in manoeuvrability . My home field is 2400ft and I could easily land in 1200ft which is below book without having to fly slowly on the approach.

[Boatguy]

Do the Beringer's on the DA62 have the anti-lock feature? That seems like such an obvious and simple way to improve braking performance.

[michael.g.miller]

Do the Beringer's on the DA62 have the anti-lock feature? That seems like such an obvious and simple way to improve braking performance.

All Beringers have the anti-lock feature. To be pedantic, it's not exactly anti-lock, just a hydraulic pressure regulator, but gives similar effects.