Flying with the doors off

[Guest Qwerty]

I love flying my Lightwing with the doors off. it makes into a bit of a trike feel and the view is brilliant. But wot about the Jab. I've asked before and the thread was hijacked, can you fly a jab with the doors off? I know that its different and at 115 Kn will be a bit breezy but will they fly OK without doors? has anyone tried it?

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

Qwerty, the thing would be to contact the Jab factory and see if you can. They may not have done any flight testing. From the shape of the fuselage, I would guess flying with the doors off could disturb the airflow over the tailplane.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

if it was a GA aircraft you have to get a door off approval,have the lame enter it in the A/C paperwork, have him remove the door fit the STC deflector, enter it in the log and plackard the door off speeds and limitations, then pay the man and fly away

 

may not be so with rec aviation.

 

 

[Relfy]

Try a set of these!

 

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

This is a 19 reg a/c.

 

The clear doors will still stop the breeze.

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

There you go qwerty, this post had been laying dorment for a few days and got it going for you...is there nothing in the aircraft handbook about door off flight?

 

 

[Gibbo]

This is a 19 reg a/c.The clear doors will still stop the breeze.

MMMMM Sunburn on my lily white legs. Might get a tan to match my arms.

 

Gibbo

 

 

[Relfy]

One can only imagine the things pilots and passengers might push up against a set of those clear doors, not including those lilly white legs Gibbo! :cool_shades:

 

Qwerty there was nothing like flying my mates R22 with the doors off and yes the lack of breeze wouldn't be the same. You sure as hell knew if you weren't balancing the ball! I'd be really interested also to know if anyone has ever flown a jab with the doors off too.

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

I could't find anything in the J120 POH (mine is in the a/c), I didn't bother asking Jabiru. Seems strange that someone hasnt tried it yet.

 

 

[bilby54]

I had a chat with someone from Jabiru some time back about this subject - as the saying goes, no names, no pack drill.

 

Was advised that the aircraft fly quite well without at least one door as they were concerned about one coming off in flight and how the aircraft would handle. Seems that there may have been an amount of flight testing and the aircraft flew like any other.

 

I can say that a certain documentary series had an opening sequence with an aerial shot taken from a Jabiru with a door off. Be on the safe side, talk to the manufacturer as they have more info than most of us

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

I'd like to know what documentary it was , I'd like to see it.

 

 

[Thx1137]

Can you without breaking something or causing the aircraft to decreasing safety in either normal on abnormal flight modes? Dunno. however, the J160 POH says "Doors should only be opened for emergency fume evacuation" and "Opening of the doors in flight is approved in an emergency such as for smoke or fume

 

evacuation.".

 

It would be nice to know what the issues are with flying without a door or with the door open but I would want Jabiru to certify that it is allowed before doing it. Insurance companies love escape clauses!

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Some of the issues with flying without a door is disturbed airflow around the fuselage and over the tail and the risk of excessive exhaust fumes entering the cabin.

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

OK, I've just got off the phone with Rod Stiff. The factory 430 is in that air right now with a rear door off for photography. Rod said that there was a guy shooting deer in NZ with the left door off a jab. He also said that Jabs will fly OK with one door open, the door will fly 1 - 1.5 inches open and you need rudder to counter the yaw caused by the door.

 

Rod wasn't aware of anyone flying a Jab with both doors off, he suggested I try it and let him know how I go. He said to try it in ground effect first.

 

:raise_eyebrow:

 

no

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Send him a bill for being a company test pilot. ha ha.

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

That little turd of mine is twitchy enough as it is, I'm not sure that I want to be a test pilot.

 

:raise_eyebrow:

 

 

[Guest Pioneer200]

QWERTY, that fella over here is a cleaver bugger if he can fly a jab and shoot a deer at the same time, sounds a bit dangerous to me:hittinghead:

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

Rod said that the left door was off and the Pax was shooting across the pilot. Seems reasonable for a right handed shooter.

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

I would have expected a more informed answer from Rod than what he gave, if you do try it and it goes pear shaped, he will probably deny what he said..(liabilty thing!!).giving you the idea of flying in ground effect only reinforces to me that it probably will react to disturbed airflow as Ozzie so rightly points out, compared to a skyfox or lightwing box shaped fuselage, the disturbance that would come from a no door situation back over the tailplane could reduce the tailplane effectness to the point of being dangerous. One of the big selling points used by Skyfox and Lightwing was the fact that you could fly with both doors open and even rest a foot out on the main wheel. If jab could have done it they would have, the back door off on the 430 is a different scenario and should not be examplified as a flight characteristic with flying with both doors off. :no no:

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

I was a bit surprised that Rod didn't know. I would have thought that a doors off flight would be a part of a thorough testing program. Howie told me in conversation one day that the Lightwing wil fly perfectly with the doors off.

 

 

[slartibartfast]

George proved that when the door did come off his Lightwing in flight.

 

It might not have flown so well if the door had actually taken out the empenage instead of just grazing it, but he got lucky.

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

Do not open Lightwing doors under full power.

 

Do not open Lightwing doors with side slip into the door.

 

Please note that there are many other things that should not be done with Lightwings.

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Do not open Lightwing doors under full power.Do not open Lightwing doors with side slip into the door.

Please note that there are many other things that should not be done with Lightwings.

All good advice, but George didn't touch the door. "Teething trouble".

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

I have long considered that Lightwing door latches are a bit weak.

 

Slarti, George who???? PM me it might have been my a/c, it was owned by a George.

 

 

[bilby54]

I'd like to know what documentary it was , I'd like to see it.

A couple of blokes in a boat. Might have been a tinnie but they might also have had a tinnie or two while in the tinnie:laugh: