Fig. 34.—Attitudes of an airplane in flight.
Maintain the proper gliding speed to within 5 miles an hour of what it ought to be as it is the speed which determines the proper gliding angle. The revolution counter will indicate what the speed is or the air-speed meter may be used. Arrange to come on to the field facing directly into the wind, which may be observed by watching smoke or flags below. In landing against the wind you are again copying the practice of the birds. When you come to within 15 ft. of the ground pull the lever softly back until the machine is in its slow-flying position, which should be attained 5 ft. above the ground (Fig. [34]). Hold the stick at this position of horizontal flying; no further movement of the lever is necessary except to correct bumps, for which purpose it would be held lightly for instant action. The aileron control must be used here to keep the machine level and it may be necessary to operate the rudder after touching the ground in order to avoid swerving; in fact some machines are provided with a rear skid which steers for this purpose.
In rolling just after landing keep the tail as close to the ground as possible without causing undue bumping, so that the maximum resistance of the wings may be presented to the air and the machine be slowed up rapidly. Some machines are fitted with brakes on the wheels to assist in the quick retardation of the roll. Landing is one of the biggest problems in aviation and is a hard thing to learn because it is done at a high speed especially in the fast military machines such as the Fokker, Nieuport, etc. Landing is more of a problem than it used to be in the early days when, for instance, the Wrights were able to land without any wheels at all on mere skids because their machines were not fast.
The following are examples of bad landings:
1. The pancake results from allowing the machine to get into its rising position when it is landing (Fig. [35]). There will be a perpendicular bounce and on the second bounce the running gear will break. In order to get out of an imminent pancake open up the engine to keep machine flying, put the machine into a flying position, then throttle down again and land.
2. Another type of pancake results from bringing the machine out of its gliding position at a point too far above the ground when the machine will drop due to lack of speed and break the running gear. To avoid this open motor full, thus regaining speed and flying position; afterward throttle down and reland.
(From “How to Instruct in Flying.”)
Fig. 35.—Bad landing, Type 1—the “pancake” landing.