First flight problems!!!

[Guest zimmerbz]

I flew KORD-KMSP. I took off and flew myself up to 18000, then kicked on A/P. I was using FD VNAV and LNAV to that point. Everything handled like a gem. I get to my T/D and go down to 11000 to cross TWINZ, then down to 4300 to get the localizer for 12R. I had the A/P on still and APP mode set because it was very cloudy. At the outer marker i see the runway so I disengage AP and A/T. At this point the plane becomes hard to control. I could not hold it straight. It kept turning right. Very nonresponsive. I was in landing configuartion, flaps 30 speed 127. I never had this problem before. I use CH Pedals and yoke and calibrated it before the flight....and it handled so well on departure. What could this be? Did I do something wrong? Please let me know. BRad

[Guest Lenny Zaman]

hey brad,only thing i can come up with is that in takeoff config(e.g. Flaps 5 or so, trim around +6) the airfoils are shaped seriously different from the landing configThe lower speed does make the airplane more 'unstable' and knowing that increase of airspeed is equal to an increase of sensitivity...that's also the main reason why in normal flight the rudder if hardly used on motored planes, their airspeed is simply high enough to attain responses with only the ailerons(and ofcourse the induced yawing)... when i fly my glider on the other hand, i have to constantly use my rudders as most of the time i'll(hopefully) be flying in good thermals and wanting to stay there thus lowering my speed to the optimal(only about 45kt IAS) at that time it's imperative i make corrections well in time as the plane will be slow and not very eager to respond to my inputs, turns will require serious backpressure and rudder input to keep coordinated...sp at flaps 30 and 127kt... can you say your GLW?(Landing weight), if you're heavy that seems a bit on the lower hand to me... hint: if winds are calm, increase your landing speed a little bit(3-4kt), this will make your approach more comfortable.Cheers