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FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS AND LIMITATIONS
OF YOUR AIRPLANE
Your airplane has the normal flight char-
acteristics of a 2-engine, low-wing monoplane. It
has no unusual tendencies.
Manoeuvres: The following manoeuvres
are prohibited: loops, Immelmanns, spins, dives,
rolls, vertical banks, inverted flight and all other
aerobatic manoeuvres.
26,000lbs.
GrossWeight
Item
Max. Level Flight (IAS)
204 mph
Max. Glide (IAS)
255 mph
Max. for Extending
Landing Gear (IAS)
160 mph
Max. for Extending
Wing Flaps (IAS)
112 mph
Turns: Normal flight characteristics. Re-
member the size and weight of your airplane.
Stalls and recovery: All stalls give warn-
ing of their approach with light buffeting.
Power-off stalls: Power-off stalls give
warning sooner than power-on stalls. If gear and
flaps are down, this warning is more apparent and
the airplane tends to stay in level flight during the
stall. If gear and flaps are up, stalls occur with less
warning and the airplane has a tendency to fall of
on one wing.
Power-on stalls: Power-on stalls occur
more suddenly and with less warning than pow-
er-off stalls. If your airplane is not in straight and
level flight, stalling speed is increased. In steep
banks, for example, your down wing stalls and
your airplane rolls. Under these conditions the
stalling speed of your airplane can reach values
of over 100 mph.
Stalls in turns: Stalls in turns are more
sudden than stalls in straight and level flight. The
down wing stalls first and drops quickly.
Limit speed and load factors: The DC-3 is
designed to operate within designated limits un-
der various load conditions. If you exceed these
limits, you place undue strain upon the airplane
and structural damage or failure results.
These limits are:
29,000lbs
31,000lbs
GrossWeight
GrossWeight
187 mph
170 mph
207 mph
191 mph
160 mph
160 mph
112 mph
112 mph
Recovery from stalls: You need between
500 and 1500 feet to recover from a power-off or
power-on stall. Method of recovery is normal.
However, avoid excessive airspeed when you are
recovering from a stall, to keep loss of altitude to
a minimum.
STALLING SPEEDS
Stalling speeds of the DC-3 vary greatly
under different conditions. Changes in load, pow-
er, flap and gear position and even slight chang-
es in pressure and temperature affect the stalling
speed. Your own technique also affects the stall-
ing speed. If you fly smoothly, with co-ordinat-
ed control pressures, you can fly at slower speeds
than another pilot who is rougher on the controls.
The following chart of stalling speed tells
you approximately when the airplane will stall
power-off. Use the chart until you are thoroughly
familiar with your airplane.
BEFORE LANDING
Automatic Pilot.......OFF
Altimeters ..............Set
Fuel Selectors.........Left to Left Main,
Mixtures.................Auto Rich
Before you enter the traffic pattern, set
mixtures to AUTO RICH and change fuel selec-
tors to the main tanks. It is permissible to land
on Auxiliary tanks if they are fuller than the Main
tanks.
Carburettor Air.......Cold
Fuel Booster pumps.......ON
29
30
Propellers...............Set
Landing Gear......Down and latched,
gear handle NEUTRAL, Green light,
check wheels visually.
When you have turned on the downwind
leg and are opposite the runway, extend and lock
the landing gear. Check green light and wheels vi-
sually. Increase propellers to 2250 rpm.
right to Right Main
Tailwheel......Locked
De-icers.........OFF
Parking Brake...OFF
Flaps.... As desired.
With landing gear extended, reduce pow-
er to achieve a descent of 300-400 feet per minute
Once on the base leg make another pow-
er reduction and maintain 120 mph until you are
straight, on the approach leg. Then make a further
power reduction to approach at 85-95 mph.
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