I admit the last year or so Ive bored with FSX. Programming a FMC is not my kind of challenge so I rarely fly airliners any more other than the CS 727 and 737.
My idea of a challenge is getting a WW2 fighter off the runway and keeping it on when landing. In real life I grew up flying tail draggers,mostly Cubs towing banners and some Wildlife work in a 180.
I have always thought the Gee Bee to be one of the coolest looking planes ever. I also knew that most novelty planes I buy after a week or so start collecting dust. Well I held off on the Alabeo GB until yesterday.
Maiden was from a 8 grand long AFB.Take off roll was all over the place ending up in the grass,rotation unexpected and I had a death grip on the stick the whole time.You have to push forward to get the tail up but to quick and the plane will get soft and wants to swap ends.To late and the plane will lift off with a high aoa and its all kind of squirrly. This is one of those planes the first thing you think of after you take off is "I eventually gotta land this sucker."
View is limited but with TrackIr doable. However I do not like the fact you can cheat and stick your head way out of the cockpit. Normal flight has no real surprises.Torque roll is minumal. Lots of rubber and ail authority.
Now landing the Gee Bee. This is what us stick and rudder guys live for.Forget P-51s, f190s,this devil is a real handfull.If you already know how to deal with the long noses and reduced vis you are 1/2 way there.If you know how to slip the snot out of a plane then you are almost home.I slip it and keep my airspeed below 100 but no slower than 80.Flare,let off the rudder and let the nose come round.Goodbye forward view and then its that snapshot view you have off both sides of the nose you rely on.Its a floater if even a little fast.A little slow and the ailerons go mushy and it can get ugly quick. With the GeeBee it rarely allows you to salvage a bad approach.You fly this sucker all the way till you are at a dead stop.
Guaranteed to give your rudder pedals and wrist a good work out.Tonight I plan to transition to a 3500 ft grass strip which is going to be the Gee Bee's new home.Its probably frustrating to some but rewarding when you get her down.