Barry You wrote: > The whole issue revolves around
>whether the Europa can be operated from a 280 meter (hedge to hedge) farm
>strip.
I speak from experience when I say that the Europa is capable of operating
---From 300 mtr grass most of the time one up. The snag, as I discovered, comes
when something is not quite right and you have failed to detect it. There is
absolutely no room for error and, at a certain stage of either takeoff or
landing, you are committed and there is no room to change your mind.
Last October I was attempting to take off from my 300m grass strip after 40
hours and many other successful flights from the same strip. The conditions
were as near perfect as possible and everything appeared to be normal until
I rotated. There was insufficient power from the engine to push the
aeroplane rapidly into the air after lifting the tail and it stalled a few
feet above the ground, level with the end of the strip. It dropped a wing
and cartwheeled into the adjoining field. I escaped virtually unhurt but the
plane was a write-off.
Why did it happen? I failed to detect that the engine was not developing
absolute full power - and it needed this to fly out safely. Maybe it was
just 100 rpm off the top - but that was all it needed to turn a safe
take-off into disaster. When I did realize that it wasn't really going to
fly, there was no room to stop - or to do anything else, for that matter!
There was only time to shout "Oh s--t!"
Graham Singleton summed it up very accurately. And the truth is that there
is simply no room for error. If you are lucky you will never need that room
- but...but...but...but.
My advice has to be, find yourself a longer strip!
Mark Talbot (starting all over again!)
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