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Weed
Wacker on final approach
The
Weed Wacker flies about like a small barn, or maybe a large
house. The main thing to remember when driving the
Weed Wacker is that it has three basic properties:
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A
sharp, spinning propeller (just ask our dog).
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A
tendency to go on "autopilot."
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An
innate ability to shed parts while flying.
If
you know what you're doing, you will keep yourself and your
dog well clear the the airplane. We didn't know what we were
doing, but we have learned over time.
Once
you figure that stuff out, the Weed Wacker flies pretty much
like any other trainer-type airplane, with the exception of
its dihedral-driven characteristics (it has zero dihedral,
aside from wing flexing). Top speed is around 65 mph,
stall is about 15-20 mph. It can takeoff and land with
about 75 feet of ground roll. Its maximum climb rate
is around 800 feet per minute.
The
Weed Wacker does fly a bit differently when it is carrying a
bunch of stuff, like six JATO engines and three
missiles. We learned the maximum landing weight the hard
way.
Translation:
Flying a Weed Wacker is like flying a cow. It can be
done, but why?
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