FLYING A DAKOTA

Squadron Leader Stu Reid served on the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight for 11 years, so is well-positioned to comment on being airborne in a Dakota. “It’s known as a ‘tail-dragger,” he says, “with two large wheels at the front and a small one at the rear, and is therefore inclined to swing as power is applied at take-off. This is largely down to the influence of both the prop-wash over the rear of the fuselage, and the gyroscopic effects of the blades rotating at high rpm.

“The power settings optimise output in relation to throttle, or Manifold Air Pressure (MAP), and rpm. Take-off uses maximum 48in Map/2700rpm, but at cruise it drops to 29.5in Map/2050rpm.

“Once in the air, the Dakota is pleasant to fly and has highly effective elevator, rudder and aileron trimmers, but when landing it can be a bit like a supermarket trolley, with front wheels that will not rotate properly. It is also prone to bounce thanks to the wheels being ahead of the centre of gravity – the Dakota is an aircraft

that cannot be hurried in any way!”