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Route stability: short wing PA28 with droop tips

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francois57

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Joined
Jan 9, 2011
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Before buying my 180C (equipped with droop tips and knots2U wheel fairings), I only flew PA28 Warriors with the long fuselage/long wing.

On the warrior I don't remember any yaw axis stability issues (anyway it was 15 years ago, O was starting to fly and didn't travel so much with not perfect weather)

On my 180C, when the air is turbulent with some micro gusts, the plane looks in need of a yaw damper.

In fact, that's true if the feet stay on the floor (I travel mostly with the AP ON). If I block the rudder by simply keeping my feet on the pedal with a slight pressure, the yaw oscillations aren't so much amplified, but they are there. Cables tensions are all perfect, and there is no play in the rudder chain.

Could it be that the vertical part of the front wheel fairing could cause the plane to react to gusts when the rudder isn't blocked ? Or is simply the short fuselage less stable on the yaw axis than the later models ? Or do the droop tips have a negative effect on the yaw axis stability? I never flew the plane without them, I don't have the stock ones, and beside that I like the overall performances of the plane (speed / glide / climb), which are in all aspects better than book.

François
 

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