The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Hi all!
It's Reid Wardle again from South Africa. I have just imported a C170B (now ZS-PVR), formerly belonging to Brian and KC Holm of Seattle (N2765D), and before she arrived here, I got a conversion onto my friend's 170A, formerly belonging to Don Diehl, also of Seattle.
Well, I have had a bit of a problem adjusting to the 170B, because it feels different in the elevator upon arresting the sink on landing. It feels as if there is a lag between the controll input, and the time it yields a result, making it more difficult to get the landing unbounced. (Almost like the controll cables are ever so slightly slack).
Is this so with all of them, or should I look for the solution in the cables etc?
I am also not ruling out the need for practice, practice, practice!
I have fallen so in love with her already, and am flying her as much as I possibly can. I am still being very careful and have not taken her to my farm strip (I am a farmer of beef and wool) yet though. I will do that when I am totally at home with her.

Reid

Chances are if your cables were loose it would fly no different. You can and should check the cable tension if you think the cables really are loose.

I'm going out on a limb and say practice practice practice.

As for differences in elevator response from an A to a B I'd say there really isn't any. They do feel different though because the B is balanced. Generally the A model will feel heavy unless it is in trim which is hard to do while your in the last part of a landing flare.

Thanks Bruce!
Yes, I really had no problem with the A on landings. I will just knuckle down and practice. The cables shouldn't be slack because my AMO gave her the full treatment on assembly, and he has been the one flying with me to familiarise myself (he owns the A and has been a tremendous help).
He was going to check on them this afternoon, and tomorrow I will travel the 120km back to town and give it another go in the circuit for a couple of hours. I think it is the lightness of controlls, compared to the A, making me pull too hard on the yolk and then starting a porpoising movement.
I will concentrate on being smooth.

Hello, Reid!
The B model's larger flaps offer greater down-wash (increased angle-of-attack) upon the horizontal tail surfaces, therefore the elevator was changed to accomodate that fact.
Try landing the B model with less than full flaps (I use 30 degrees when lightly loaded), reserving full flaps for heavier weights and shorter runways.
I'll bet you'll find the airplane more accomodating that way.
Best regards
George Horn

In addition to what George and Bruce said, I have learned that the CG makes a huge difference in how effective the elevator "feels" with 30-40 deg flaps on flare. A forward CG can make it hard to 3-point. I did some experiments with putting some ballast in the baggage area when soloing, and it seemed to help a little.