Echo sans doors?

[Mike Green]

Has anyone out there tried flying a high-wing Tecnam with the doors removed? The non-opening windows are inconvenient when taking photographs and limit ventilation and just the fun of flying al fresco. Here in Canada it's getting a bit cool now to try it this year, but maybe next summer. Down under, of course, summer is on it's way but the doors may required to keep out the flies. Any comments?

 

 

[Guest 4aplat]

Why don't you make a window in the door ?

 

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

I'm pretty sure that the Echo is approved to fly without the doors - check in the POH though

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

[XP503]

Yep the book says you can fly without them, just remove the long wire that pins them in place

 

 

[Spin]

I suspect it won't be all that pleasant to fly though, not like a real open cockpit. I've flown a C150 without doors for photography and it was quite turbulent in the cockpit, also an irritating buffet on the tail unless you kept the speed right down. Interestingly enough, I was told that although the C150 is approved for flight doors off, the approval didn't migrate to the C152 POH. Can't say I got around to digging out the absence myself, but the CFI of the school where I hired the aircraft was adamant that we could only use the C150.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Before the days of inflight doors for jump cessnas, they were fitted with a long narrow wind deflector that picked up on the hinge fittings. stopped all those problems. Another thing to be a little wary about is the ingress of exhaust fumes into the cabin.

 

 

[Mike Green]

Thanks for the feedback, chaps.

 

I'd expected considerable breeziness in the cabin, but had not thought about an effect on the control surfaces. Since you say that the practice is permitted I may give it a try next summer, out of curiosity.

 

Spin, perhaps the reason you were allowed to do this only in the 150 is that it was worth less than the 152's.

 

"Check the POH". Now that would be a luxury. I bought my Echo Super second-hand and all I got was a Service Manual for a standard Echo with several pages missing and the Rotax Operator's Manual for the engine - nothing at all about flying the thing. The previous (original) owner did give me quite a bit of instruction, however. Since then I've scoured the internet and found, first, a booklet from the Chesapeake Sport Flyers in the US on Standard Operating Procedures and Maneuvers for Echo Super and Eaglet, and more recently two manuals produced by Tecnam for the American LSA version of the Echo Super; Flight Manual and Line Maintenance Manual. So I'm now not too badly off, although there's nothing in these books about flying without doors (American lawyers, probably). Can anyone point me to any other useful literature on these aircraft?

 

 

[Lowflyer]

re flying an Echo with the doors off.

 

I did a photo shoot with a friend this year and had a wonderful flight with doors off.

 

The cockpit turbulance was fine and not severe at all.

 

Handling was as per normal

 

As it was a hot day shorts and T shirt worked well.

 

I was told that 60 Knots should not be exceeded with the doors off.

 

A great experience in the warmer weather.

 

Happy flying.

 

Roly P92 U.K.

 

 

[louise skidmore]

Fresh air flight in my Echo

 

Yes, I took the doors off once (note once) in a moment of photographic enthusiasm! Removed everything loose first. Performance was unimpaired. However it was hellish windy and a little scary since my 100HP Oskar has car seat belts,not a harness. Louise

 

 

[Mike Green]

Well, I did remove the doors (the work of a moment) a couple of times this last summer - first a circuit just in case, and then nice low jaunts around the countryside. No handling changes, and 60kts was exceeded. It was very pleasant; a bit breezy, but not uncomfortable. and I shall probably do it again from time to time. Can't take anything that's not tied down, of course.

 

The best thing to come from my query was that Bruce Stark very kindly e-mailed me a copy of the flight maual for my aircraft. Wish we had a dealer like him in Canada - well, any dealer at all would be nice...

 

Mike

 

C-IRIC