Memories........My first Slepcev Storch flight.........

[Guest Maj Millard]

Back in 1999 I was working at Ingham airport NQld. A local cattleman called me to ask if I could do an oil change and check over on his new Slepcev Storch SS4. An instructor had flown it up from down South, and had spent the week at the station training my friend in the Storch.

 

They arrived at Ingham, we did the oil change, and the instructor offered me a checkout which we did during a short quick 15 minute flight...OKkkkaaayyy, got it !!... I think ! ..

 

Now as it so happens I have flown various Storches in the years since, but you never really forget your first flight experiences in this unique type aircraft.

 

After we were done, we put the new aircraft in the Aero-club hangar, they then both departed with the owner throwing me the keys, and telling me to take her for a fly if you want to !.

 

Well put the cat in charge of the chickens ..yehaa!. I took the pilot operating handbook home with me that night, and proceeded to absorb all I could about the strange gangly machine. Interestingly the wing is just a standard 'Clarke Y' airfoil (as on a Lightwing, DC-3, B-17, Spirit of St Louis etc etc ) , but with large fixed leading edge slats. The massive fowler style flaps only have two positions, OFF or ON...on being around 40 deg !

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

The main wheels are a foot further north then normal, to make the tail heavy so it won't sit on it's nose under full braking. And the Storch has very good powerfull disc brakes, which further enhance the very short landing capabilities.

 

All take-offs and landings are with full flap....huh ?...full flap for takeoff ??...

 

After a nights' sleep trying to absorb all the facts, I'm at the Aeroclub hangar at sparrow-fart determined to master the beast.. solo.

 

Climbing up is the same as mounting a horse, you have to use the correct foot otherwise you'll arrive backwards !...Once seated however it's all quite comfortable except you feel like your in a glasshouse jungle-gym with all the different windows, tubing, flap levers etc.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

I fire up the 100hp 912 and taxi. Visability is good seated at least ten feet above the ground but the windscreen center post is bothering me as I can't decide which side of it to look !. I line up on the strip, deploy full flap and bring up the power with a little foward stick. The tail comes up immediatly which surprises me considering the weight of the tail. The beast rolls about 30 feet and simply levitates in a fairly level attitude. During my departure call I feel like speaking German, and wish I'd paid more attention at high school.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Good stuff.Maj.I watched Nester Take off across a runway at Caloundra 1998( from memory). He just seemed to levitate.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Climb is very solid under full power. At 300ft I get rid of the flaps and she become a different machine. All controls respond instantly to even the smallest input, there's more rudder available than most aeroplanes dream of. There is no slip-ball on the panel of this CASA -approved aircraft, but you don't need one as it talks to you all the way, and with a very light touch on the stick. The cockpit is very ergonomic. Throttle and trim levers side by side on the flat door sill on the left, fall comfortably to hand. Comfortable high back seat, four-point harness and a solid business-like center stick. I set power for cruise, trim, (she likes to be trimmed) and then a lovely smooth cruise with excellent visability through the front screen, over the nose. At altitude I again deploy the flaps and slow down. And I do mean slow down !....the speedo bottoms out at 20 kts, and the needle is down there right amoungst it.

 

Surprisingly there is full and total aileron authority, and effectiveness, even in the fully stalled position. I go back to the airfield and decide it's time to try a landing. Out again with full flap and I set up in the same approach profile as I would use in my Drifter. The Storch just stops and parks 300 ft above the highway, not in anyway indicating it is ready to land yet !!?...

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

 

Ok, lets see how it slips. With full flaps extended I initiate a full-on side-slip down to above the runway, she slips beautifully, and then lands super-slow in a 3 point attitude once you pull the nose up in the flare. After touchdown during rollout she takes off to the right on the pavement, and I boot in left rudder. Nothing happens !...there is simply not enough airflow over the rudder for any effectivness, you could walk faster !..It's time to see how good the top rudder mounted brakes are!..A tap on the left and she straightens up nicely, and I'm back in control once again. I taxi back in with a smile, but still wish I knew more German !...What a supurb, well designed flying machine !...Nestor did a fine job...............................Maj...

 

 

 

 

[shags_j]

Great review maj. Should get a job wit the mag!

 

Beautiful looking aircraft. How much would one of them set you back?

 

 

[Piet Fil]

Good writing Maj, I enjoyed the read, I hope one day I can have the same experience

 

but in the finest traditions of the list, can I ask why as you state "no slip ball" in the words, then what is the small item in the cockpit photo on the bottom of the console just left of centre. Ha ha! (I am assuming the cockpit photo is from a different aircraft).

 

Just letting you see I read and enjoy your words and pay attention to your pictures

 

 

[eightyknots]

Love the write-up Maj.

 

Now.... for all those other aircraft you have flown over the years, Maj, we are now expecting one write-up per fortnight for the next 12 months!

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Yes I'm hanging out for the PZL Wilga flight report!

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Hi Kyliefil, That is indeed a slip ball at the bottom of the panel. It must have been fitted by the owner. The panel photo is not from the one referred to in the article, but a later one that I ferried, either 24-3315 or 24-3318. Both of those are still working daily in the Hughenden area. The SS4 did not come out of the factory with a standard slip-ball. The white Storch 19-3061 is a very early Storch with a fabric-covered wing and 80 hp Rotax......................................................Maj...

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

The Storch referred to in the article was 24-3244, the first production SS4 out of the factory. She no longer exists unfortunatly, and was rolled up into a ball on a cattle station some years ago. The only things salvagable from the crash was the pilots' seat and some engine instruments !....

 

I have never actually owned a Storch, but have flown around ten different ones through maintenance work or ferrying.

 

The white one in the photo 19-3061 was purchased for $25,000 from a station near Julia Creek. I flew it back for the owners and it is a delight to fly. I flew it again a couple of months ago after some maintenance.

 

Generally a good SS4 Storch will cost you between 45-70 grand, or whatever you can negotiate......................................Maj...

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

I also enjoyed the story. Thanks Maj.

 

 

[Southron Sanders]

Major Millard, Sir:

 

I am very much considering building a Storch Kit. In you report above you mention that the first Storch you flew has met with an unhappy fate. I have heard other reports of Storches here in the U.S. crashing. Does the aircraft have an "Achilles Heel," perhaps a quirk that might make it unsafe in certain operating conditions? How does it handle landing in a strong crosswind? How does it take moderate to heavy turbulence?

 

I am a former CFI, so I know all aircraft have to be flown safely all of the time. When you reported that the Storch has "aileron authority" in a full stall, that impressed the heck out of me! With a Cessna 150 in a full stall, if I wanted to pick up a wing I had to do it with the rudder because the ailerons were on vacation.

 

The reason for my inquiries is that I am thinking about building a Stoch and then teaching my Son and some Grandkids how to fly in it. Of course, I want something that is safe in the hands of a novice pilot. Any other insights you could provide about flying a Storch would be most Welcome!

 

THANK YOU!

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Hi there Southron, thank you for your enquiry. The Storch is a big plane, very well behaved and a lovely well balanced flying machine. It is not what I would call a 'novice' machine however, and it would be preferable to transition to the Storch from a previous 'lesser' taildragger. Not saying you couldn't train in a Storch, but the rear seat position is not ideal for training with bad vision of fwd instruments . I'd say the only 'achillies heal' with the Storch is finding pilots that can fly them really well, and confidently.

 

It does take a bit of skill to fly slow on final at 20 kts !....often you touch down so slow that the rudder is totally ineffective, if you give it a burst of power the tail wants to lift, and too much power and your instantly flying again !! They will wheel land beautifully but you do need to be always be ready with the excellent toe brakes, (discs) to maintain directional control after the tail wheel is on. Real effective when used to it.

 

Nothing really happens fast in the Storch, but good tailwheel skills are required. I've never got close to ground- looping one. Nor will you put one on it's nose with heavy application of brakes, as the main wheels are deliberatly 12" further toward the nose than normal, this is by design. So as soon as all three are on, you can apply full brakes which pulls you up very short.

 

Even with the 'heavy" tail, it still come right up as soon as power is applied, and it's ready to fly right then !!...

 

Most Storch crashes that I know of were caused by inexperienced pilots, generally turning downwind at too low an airspeed, and not being quick enough with power. The Storch responds beautifully with power application at any time. They also trim out very well.

 

The first one I flew which was written off, was being flown by a rookie pilot who shouldn't have been in it, in the first place.

 

They handle a good cross wind with an experienced pilot, and sideslip beautifully. And yes the very well designed ailerons are still totally effective in the stall attitude, with no indication of any tendency to drop a wing.

 

One thing to watch which almost got me one day, is the main wheels which hang about 18" lower in flight, than when sitting on the ground. They are about 6 ft below you in flight and you need to remember that if coming across a fence on final !...Any bounce by the way is instantly absorbed by the gear travel, and there is no tendency for any bounce to continue, which is nice. A very well behaved and hands-on capable machine in my opinion...................................................................................Cheers............... Maj...

 

 

[Southron Sanders]

Major Millard:

 

THANK YOU so very much for your "in depth" Storch report. Your reports above are some of the best pilot reports I have read anywhere and are esepciallially illuminating on how it actually is to fly a Storch.

 

WOW! 20 Knots on Final just before Touch Down! For me, that would definitely take some getting use to. Interestingly enough, there is a company down in Florida that is importing Storches that are manufactured down in Columbia, South America. They also offer flight instruction in a Storch on a per hour basis. So, I figure that I will definitely get some training in a Storch from them before heading into the Wild Blue in a Storch solo.

 

All My Best

 

Southron

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Your welcome Mate anytime......never pass up a chance to jump in a Storch !...............................Cheers Maj....

 

 

[ParkesFlyer]

Hey Maj,

 

Loved the story, thank you for submitting it! This kind of article really adds value to the forum, keep up the good work!

 

PF

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Thanks ParkesFlyer , Windsor 68 and I had the pleasure of flying over for a look at the dish north of Parkes on our way to Natfly. It was a very nice moment for us after hours over mulga scrub, for most of the day before that. Also flew right over Parkes and Forbes, and they both looked like nice towns. That's quite an airport you have at Parkes, and generally it looked to be a nice area to fly in also. Thanks for you kind compliments on my post..................Cheers Maj...

 

 

[Wayne T Mathews]

Bloody good write-up Ross. Thanks.

 

 

[eightyknots]

 

Windsor 68 and I had the pleasure of flying over for a look at the dish north of Parkes on our way to Natfly.

I bet the scientists operating the radio telescope became pretty excited to see such a huge 'blip' on their screens!

 

 

[ParkesFlyer]

Thanks ParkesFlyer , Windsor 68 and I had the pleasure of flying over for a look at the dish north of Parkes on our way to Natfly. It was a very nice moment for us after hours over mulga scrub, for most of the day before that. Also flew right over Parkes and Forbes, and they both looked like nice towns. That's quite an airport you have at Parkes, and generally it looked to be a nice area to fly in also. Thanks for you kind compliments on my post..................Cheers Maj...

Heh, yeah the dish is pretty hard to miss!

The Northparkes copper mine just to the west of the dish is worth a look too(not far away, you can see it from the top of the dish), they've got some pretty deep open cuts, but they also do "block caving" (where they dig out a huge cavern a km or so down, under the ore body. They then allow it to cave into the area they've prepared...from the air it looks like a giant ant-lion nest!)

 

:)