Doors in flight

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Includes: Highlander, Escapade, Summit and SuperSTOL.
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Allan
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Location: West Australia

Doors in flight

Post by Allan »

Are any people flying with both doors open in flight and are any flying with doors off all together. If so are there any handling or other issues and what are the recommended speeds?

Can the superstol be flown with doors off to start with?

Allan
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alan
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Re: Doors in flight

Post by alan »

Hi Allan.

When we first built our Highlander it was summer and I didn't even finish the doors until I had 60 hours on it. There were no differences in any flight characteristics. Since then I have only flown it once with both doors open. Still none. With one door open there is a perceptible yaw.

The first thing I noticed on the first flight with the new doors was the feeling of more room inside as the passing wind was no longer pushing on my left arm. There was probably a speed increase as well but I don't remember.

I occasionally fly with a window or two open with no differences except wind on the mike.

Alan
If I had known I would live this long I would have taken better care of myself.
Allan
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Location: West Australia

Re: Doors in flight

Post by Allan »

Thanks Alan, that's good to hear as I thought that there was no issue with that. I started to get some stories here about issues with aircraft without doors getting into trouble with because of lack of side surfaces etc if flown "badly". So, the old self doubt thing...!
Anyhow, with the speeds, the size of tail surfaces especially on the superstol I don't believe that there will be any nasty surprises, again use your head and fly well and appropriately.
Definitely want the option of open doors and I had never thought about the wind "brushing" your arm effect!

Still lots to go but progress is good on the superstol.
Allan
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Johnny C!
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Re: Doors in flight

Post by Johnny C! »

I have had my RH door open a couple of times in
flight, but it caused no issues. I am going to add
a little divot on the stainless steel liner to try to
keep the latch centered.


But what I really wanted to say was, I saw a
guy blow out a back window in a J3 slipping
to the right with the door/window open,
several years ago. I have to think a hard
slip with the doors open might cause some
significant stress on our turtle decks.

Just a thought.

John
There are many things that happen really fast when you are
flying an airplane. There is no sense in rushing any of the others.

I would much rather be looking down at the runway, than up at it.

Duane Sorenson & Rick Norton Gone West 6/8/09. Godspeed
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alan
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Re: Doors in flight

Post by alan »

I added a couple screws as a "detent" in that area. Very simple and it works. Just position the door handle in between the screw heads as part of your run-up check.

Before I built the doors I slipped very agressively to a short field. Still a couple hundred feet up my brand new Just Aircraft ball cap blew off. I was amazed at how far I had to walk before I found it :-). The metal turtle deck hasn't come off or bent yet.

Alan
If I had known I would live this long I would have taken better care of myself.
Allan
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Location: West Australia

Re: Doors in flight

Post by Allan »

The doors on the Superstols are built differently to the highlanders or at least earlier highlanders. They are weaker and with the different shaped wing there is likely to more stress on the hinge. The information I have is fly no doors or doors closed.

The superstol isn't going to be a big slide slipper. I loved standing my flapless Taylorcraft on its ear in a side slip, there is something sweet about an aeroplane that side slips nicely...........

This airplane will have fences and big flaps etc there isn't the "need" to side slip. I will put the doors off routine into my flight test program I have to complete and add "balanced" (skid ball near the middle) recommendation to my Poh that I have to produce eventually, ie slips not recommended!

Still got to make my doors so will look carefully at the latching etc.

Thanks for everyone's feed back - in the field comments are appreciated.

Allan
Dave Krall CFII SEL SES
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Re: Doors in flight

Post by Dave Krall CFII SEL SES »

Allan wrote:The doors on the Superstols are built differently to the highlanders or at least earlier highlanders. They are weaker and with the different shaped wing there is likely to more stress on the hinge. The information I have is fly no doors or doors closed.

The superstol isn't going to be a big slide slipper. I loved standing my flapless Taylorcraft on its ear in a side slip, there is something sweet about an aeroplane that side slips nicely...........

This airplane will have fences and big flaps etc there isn't the "need" to side slip. I will put the doors off routine into my flight test program I have to complete and add "balanced" (skid ball near the middle) recommendation to my Poh that I have to produce eventually, ie slips not recommended!

Still got to make my doors so will look carefully at the latching etc.

Thanks for everyone's feed back - in the field comments are appreciated.

Allan
Regardless of bigger flaps, it's hard to imagine a Highlander descending faster with full flaps than an agressive side slip. It would be interesting to know for sure though when someone does controlled tests on both ways.
Tony Armour
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Location: Dalton Georgia

Re: Doors in flight

Post by Tony Armour »

Anymore info on opening in flight and flying with with doors open ? One piece SS doors.
av8rps
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Re: Doors in flight

Post by av8rps »

Most of these aircraft will fly just fine with the doors open. I would advise backing off max cruise just to reduce stress on door frame.

I also agree to avoid big slips with door(s) open, as I did see an Avid Flyer years ago blow the entire turtle deck off! Not a good day,,, :shock:

I personally like the Highlander doors that allow just the top half to open, as doing it that way has minimal effect on anything, even at high cruise speeds. Although I would even close tbem before doing slips (which is a blast in the Highlander).

I blew out a quarter window on my Kitfix one day while practicing monster slips, and I didn't even have the doors open. :lol:
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gkremers
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Re: Doors in flight

Post by gkremers »

I took the doors completely off last summer for a month or so. The plane handled the same. My wife did lean in towards the center of the cockpit and almost lost her phone taking pictures. She forgot about the slipstream. It was fun but nosier.

Gary
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