PART III - HANDLING
Clean aircraft
Full ammunition (480 lb.), full
drop and internal tanks ... 115-120 knots
Full ammunition and internal
fuel ... ... ... 105-110 knots
Light weight. No ammunition
and about 500 lb. fuel ... 95-100 knots
Undercarriage and flaps down
Full ammunition (480 lb.), full
drop and internal tanks ... 110-115 knots
Full ammunition and internal
fuel ... ... ... 100-105 knots
Light weight. No ammunition
and about 500 lb. fuel ... 90-95 knots
63. High speed flying
Clean or with drop tanks
(i) At high indicated airspeed and mach numbers, the tail-
plane must be used with caution until its sensitivity and
effectiveness becomes familiar; this applies particularly
when at low altitudes. Through unfamiliarity it is pos-
sible to set up a rapid porpoising motion by over-con-
trolling with the tailplane. If this occurs, it should be
stopped by easing the control column back instead of
chasing" the motion.
(ii) At the high diving speeds which are obtainable with this
aircraft, care must be taken to see that there is sufficient
height for recovery. When recovering from a dive the
air brakes, if used, should be opened before the control
column is eased back, to avoid the possibility of exceed-
ing the G limit.
(iii)At about .93M a slight rudder vibration may be felt and
may persist. At about .95M either wing, generally the
port, becomes heavy but this is easily controllable and
the heaviness disappears as speed is increased. This
characteristic re-appears as speed is reduced. In a steep
dive when the aircarft is accelerating rapidly the period
of wing heaviness is short and shown by one or two
port, becomes heavy but this is easily controllable and
small, sharp wing-drops which occur and disappear
before they can be corrected. An almost vertical dive,
at full power is necessary to accelerate the aircraft
beyond about .98M. These dives should be commenced
from at least 35,000 feet to avoid exceeding the limiting
airspeed. If these high mach numbers have not been
attained by about 30,000 feet it is unlikely that they will
be reached in the denser atmosphere at lower altitudes
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