Just tested what I mentioned above:
I always fly with 3 phases, normal (1), flaps half down (2)and flaps full (3) down. (A 4th phase on gliders with reflex up for speed, but not on the MIG-29) I always land with no flaps when windy, half flaps if a bit windy and full flaps with no wind. And butterfly / crow on gliders.
I tried the setup of about 50% TV and 50% elevator in all three phases. While flying it's fine.
The problem is during landing when you come in with a mix of elevator and thrust. With the 50% TV and 50% elevator you only have half elevator function (pitch) if the thrust is off. And if thrust is on for small corrections the pitch function is very effective. But as the elevator is limited during thrust off there is just not enough pitch function. Another result is that it's hardly possible to come in with high alpha during a landing without thrust. And there is simply not enough pitch if thrust is off. A small correction with thrust instantly moves the nose up and messes up the glide path.
With the 50% elevator / TV setup it takes longer to get out of locked high alpha. I actually intended to make lock alpha nonexistant that way. But the downside is during landing with varying pitch function. So that I had to use the programmed switch for 100% TV and elevator.
It would be possible to have some TV / elevator mix in the normal (1) phase but if windy that would make a landing more tricky.
So what happened to my today is I came in on a perfect glide path, added some thrust to come closer but as I had some up elevator the TV added more when I gave some thrust. Nose went up a bit so I corrected down with elevator and no thrust to glide the last bit before touchdown. As the aeroplane had reacted so directly I did not pull the elevator as much as I should have. Landed a bit hard. Then the nose gear conked in after touchdown. I simply had not thought about the pitch having little reaction when thrust is off. Well, should have thought about that. The landing before that one was perfect.
Also during flight when I turned off the thrust just to glide the pitch function (elevator but not thrust) has half the effect than flying with thrust. So I suddenly needed to pull a lot more as the ground was coming closer fast. Thrust added and it bounces upwards. Does not really look nice.
So It seems to me the best is a setup in all phases without TV in all phases because it makes landing (and gliding without thrust) so much trickier. And add full TV / elevator via switch.
Just adding 20% TV in all phases would be an option, but it does affect the glide path if you add power a few times during landing. It actually think it may explain why so many TV videos end with a pretty hard landing.
It seems to me with full TV movement via switch the stock EDFs are enough to get out of alpha lock. So other EDFs with more power are nice but not a must.
I always fly with 3 phases, normal (1), flaps half down (2)and flaps full (3) down. (A 4th phase on gliders with reflex up for speed, but not on the MIG-29) I always land with no flaps when windy, half flaps if a bit windy and full flaps with no wind. And butterfly / crow on gliders.
I tried the setup of about 50% TV and 50% elevator in all three phases. While flying it's fine.
The problem is during landing when you come in with a mix of elevator and thrust. With the 50% TV and 50% elevator you only have half elevator function (pitch) if the thrust is off. And if thrust is on for small corrections the pitch function is very effective. But as the elevator is limited during thrust off there is just not enough pitch function. Another result is that it's hardly possible to come in with high alpha during a landing without thrust. And there is simply not enough pitch if thrust is off. A small correction with thrust instantly moves the nose up and messes up the glide path.
With the 50% elevator / TV setup it takes longer to get out of locked high alpha. I actually intended to make lock alpha nonexistant that way. But the downside is during landing with varying pitch function. So that I had to use the programmed switch for 100% TV and elevator.
It would be possible to have some TV / elevator mix in the normal (1) phase but if windy that would make a landing more tricky.
So what happened to my today is I came in on a perfect glide path, added some thrust to come closer but as I had some up elevator the TV added more when I gave some thrust. Nose went up a bit so I corrected down with elevator and no thrust to glide the last bit before touchdown. As the aeroplane had reacted so directly I did not pull the elevator as much as I should have. Landed a bit hard. Then the nose gear conked in after touchdown. I simply had not thought about the pitch having little reaction when thrust is off. Well, should have thought about that. The landing before that one was perfect.
Also during flight when I turned off the thrust just to glide the pitch function (elevator but not thrust) has half the effect than flying with thrust. So I suddenly needed to pull a lot more as the ground was coming closer fast. Thrust added and it bounces upwards. Does not really look nice.
So It seems to me the best is a setup in all phases without TV in all phases because it makes landing (and gliding without thrust) so much trickier. And add full TV / elevator via switch.
Just adding 20% TV in all phases would be an option, but it does affect the glide path if you add power a few times during landing. It actually think it may explain why so many TV videos end with a pretty hard landing.
It seems to me with full TV movement via switch the stock EDFs are enough to get out of alpha lock. So other EDFs with more power are nice but not a must.
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