David was referring to the "Smartass" fitted to my Europa, so you might be
interested in my view on its operation and safety aspect.
The strip I am using at present has trees right up to one end and power
lines at the other end, so when on the approach and climb-out my eyeballs
are right out on storks to make sure I am taking the best line with maximum
clearance and enough runway to stop.
On climb-out Helen tells me every few seconds what my airspeed is so that I
can hold it at the best climb-angle speed to clear the obstructions and on
the approach I set it to my target approach speed for the current conditions
and hold it at that while I negotiate the obstructions. Helen then tells me
if I am "fast", or "very fast" or "slow" or "very slow", but if I get it
right she just says "speed good" which is very comforting in difficult
conditions. Also when the speed is "good" the interval between Helen's
announcements is longer and when the speed is "slow" or "very slow" the
interval becomes much shorter to emphasise the urgency.
I have also found it to be very useful if I inadvertently stray into cloud,
because there is one less instrument to worry about and there is a little
more time to adjust the GPS or radio without losing the plot.
There is just an on/off/volume knob and a mode selection push-button, so it
occupies only about a square inch of panel space and the box of tricks
weighs only a few ounces and can be installed anywhere remotely. Having
fitted one, I can confirm that it is a great safety asset and I would no
longer be without one, difficult strips or not. Very many thanks to Mark
for his brilliant innovation.
Best wishes,
William
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 3:25 PM
> <davidjoyce@doctors.org.uk>
>
> Willie, This for me underlines the benefit of Mark's Smartass system, as
> opposed to a stall warner. The Europa good weather approach speed of 60
> kts
> is some 20kts over the normal stall speed for my plane, and Mark's system
> will consequently give you 20 kts worth of warning if you are slowing,
> whereas the stall warner clicks in only 5kts or so ahead of trouble.
> Losing
> 5 or 10 kts due to windshear is commonplace in reasonable weather
> conditions, and although in ideal circumstances we are monitoring speed
> like
> hawks and will compensate before things have got too much out of line, it
> can be an entirely different kettle of fish if the workload is excessive -
> perhaps a very busy circuit with someone appearing to cut in front of you
> (typical rally scenario you might think!). In those sort of circumstances
> you may already have let things get a bit slow and low, and might without
> giving it full thought be still trying to make the nose point at the
> numbers, while mostly concentrating on the guy to starboard who is
> threatening to cut in. With the Smartass Mark's lovely wife will have
> already told you several times that you are too slow or much too slow, but
> without it, the windshear, the stall warner and the spin may all happen
> more
> or less simultaneously. That system incidentally lets you set the chosen
> approach speed very simply in the circuit, so that you can for instance
> set
> a higher speed if conditions are boisterous, 'fickle' or whatever.
> I should say that I don't have shares, nor yet a Smartass, but I
> have
> flown with one and plan to put one in when I redesign my panel.
> Regards, David Joyce, G-XSDJ
> ----- Original Message -----
> Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 11:22 AM
>
>
>>
>> It seems to me that everyone is right - it doesn't matter how you stay
> alert
>> to the possibility of one or both wings stalling, if you let them, so
>> long
>> as you really do stay alert and maintain a safe margin at all times.
>> Alert
>> is the operative word. I'm sure we have all been reminded by this tragedy
>> that stall/spin is a common killer and it could happen to any of us if we
>> let it.
>>
>> The one specific thing I'd like to share was an incident ages ago when I
>> stalled a Jodel from 30 feet due to windshear at Audley End (which can be
>> very fickle if the wind is coming straight over the top of the hill). One
>> moment I had an approach airspeed of 50kts, and the next it was 30 and I
>> was falling not flying. Fortunately that aircraft had loads of washout on
>> the wing so at least I came down the right way up.
>>
>> Willie Harrison
>> G-BZNY - about to get a dose of Mod 66 following breakage of gas strut
> attachment
>> lug...
>>
>>
>> ___________________________________________________________
>>
>> Tiscali Broadband from 14.99 with free setup!
>> http://www.tiscali.co.uk/products/broadband/
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________________________________________________
>>
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