accident sonex N610DJ

[Pizza Boy]

When we learn to land in a C150 we are taught to bleed off as much airspeed as possible while one inch off the ground. When wheels touch the ground, we are pulling full aft stick.

When I landed C172's, same thing, and in this plane sometimes I would hear the stall horn bleep a little as well.

Is this how I can land a tricycle gear Sonex? Full aft stick when one inch off the ground? If so, then I can presume I can take advantage of the theoretical 40 mph stall speed, with its 33% lower kinetic energy compared to C150's theoretical 49 mph stall speed.

But Im still not sure if this is correct, either because A) Sonex can't actually be flown at this speed one inch off the ground, because lack of elevator authority, or B) because of a rapidly developing sink rate at these lower speeds when one inch off the ground, it will slam down before I can complete the flair.

[Bryan Cotton]

It's the same in a Sonex. It just takes less time to go from approach speed to stall speed.

[daleandee]

FWIW, I don't believe most pilots are ever looking at the ASI when awaiting touchdown. Speaking for myself, once I cross the numbers my eyes stay outside the airplane. I'm flying a taildragger and it's even more important to be sure I'm straight down the runway, fly it as close as I can, and then set the attitude to the landing position and wait for it to touch.

I had a camera onboard during flight testing and my touchdown speed, if it can be believed, was 37 IAS (in ground effect). You can see the LRI (lift reserve indicator) and read the ASI in this short video showing an approach & landing (tire chirp @ 0:29) ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjA7JDJVKeQ

BTW ... I owned a Sonex nose roller for five years and found it to be the easiest plane to land that I have ever flown!