Plane and Pilot

MARCH 25, 2025

Although I havent spent much time around GB1s (except for drooling over them while they are on display and flying at airshows) I am always taken aback by how much larger the airplane appears to be in personparticularly, the tall, sweeping rudder that curves down to a sharp point with just enough ground clearance. Sounds good.

Knot

Vintage Aviation News

JANUARY 30, 2025

A short 18 months later, on August 13, 1937, the XPB2Y-1 took to the skies for the first time, revealing plenty of room for improvement lateral instability was a major problem for the deep-hulled boat, so the single tail fin was augmented by two smaller fins on the horizontal stabilizers. “Very little,” the gunner reported.

Horizontal Stabilizer

Air Facts

AUGUST 1, 2025

I sat in the cockpit of the old Tecnam P92-JS Echo, tail number I-GITR. The plane was one of the earliest of its model built by Tecnam, and the tail number was an homage to former Italian finance minister Giulio Tremonti. Tail number I-GITR. A crosswind gust nudged me left; I corrected with right rudder. Full flaps down.

Runway

Plane and Pilot

JULY 1, 2025

Investigators noted at the time of the accident the temperature was 30 degrees Celsius, the dew point was 4 C, and the altimeter setting was 29.98. John Espe Cruiser Buhl, Idaho/Injuries: None NTSB Report: WPR23LA29 The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing, he encountered a gusting tail wind.

Density Altitude

Photographic Logbook

MAY 19, 2025

As with any taildragger, each rudder input required positive cancelation with opposite rudder to prevent the tail's momentum from yawing the airplane more than intended. Compared to the J-3, I found the rudder of the Decathlon to be significantly heavier, which reduced the crispness of some of my turns. He was right.

Rudder

Airspeed Junkie

AUGUST 2, 2024

Notable design changes included the introduction of a swept tail design in 1960 and a new cowl design in 1961, which improved aerodynamics and performance. Micro vortex generators are also a popular upgrade, optimizing airflow over the wing and tail surfaces to enhance control.

Knot

Air

MAY 21, 2025

Pilots must use specific techniques, applying rudder and aileron inputs, to maintain directional control and keep the aircraft aligned. Altimeter errors can also occur due to pressure changes. Headwind component (Vf), either on the face or tail, is calculated with the cosine function.

Crosswind