<flame suit on>

I’ve really tried to search through the fora.....but don’t find much about Huskys...except the occasional reference in a sort of “oh well” vein.

I bought a Husky about 6 years ago, couldn’t find a Super Cub that I could afford...and the old Husky has done a great job for me. Not deep into the back country, but a lot of grass strips, some off airport things, and has done a credible job of being a cross country machine when everything else was broken and I needed to travel. (I didn’t plan it, but mine had a full gyro panel, and when I was between “traveling planes” I actually flew quite a few IFR trips in the southeast in it....)


What has everyone else’s experience been with them?


stan

Stan,

If you are the Stan I am thinking of, I know you.

I have a Husky now, had one in 2004-2006, on my second one. I had a well modified Super Cub years ago. I really really like the Husky's!
Great airplane. PM me if you want to chat Husky's, leave your phone number and I will call.

Did you come to New Hampshire and do a pre buy inspection on my T-6 around summer of 2003? If so, I have the right Stan.

Kurt Wien

I think they're great. Recently had a fun day of flying in northern Minnesota with a fellow who owns an A1B on Wiplines.

They sure are finished nicely. If I understood correctly though, the front seat fore-aft positioning is not adjustable?

My next video will have some good Husky footage.

I flew three different Huskys at work, and several others for shorter periods, and I have always found them to be honest, great performing airplanes. They have buckets of power and they are stout, well built aircraft.

On average, the Huskys I flew cruised around 20 mph faster than our Super Cubs when mounted on the same undercarriage. While burning less fuel.

A lot of what I did was fly out 100 to 200 miles, working the airplane low and slow for several hours, then flying home. Try that in most other airplanes.

In short, I love Huskys.

MTV

My Alaska group had a husky in it, and I was really impressed. Great climb and cruise speed, and went everywhere we went that was short and rough also.

I used to own a super cub. Now I have a 2006 A-1B. I like the Husky better for all phases of flight except for the flare and touchdown. The cub has a lighter feel on the elevator due to the different trim system and makes the fore aft stick movements much easier.

The husky has a fixed seat position. Cushions of different sizes are used to fit your body to the plane. This can be slightly problematic if several people are flying the same plane. No one else uses my plane so I don't care.

Cub went about 80 kts. Husky in same config goes about 95 kts on the same fuel, but I can run more fuel and go 100kts + if I want.

The bungee gear system was recently improved. Most of my husky friends are using cub-style gear with AOSS. That is expensive but truly amazing.

Squash, that is one of the problems I have with the Husky. My girl doesn’t have enough upper body strength to handle the flare...and the Super Cub is easier.

I agree that it’s faster....

anyone have much experience with the AOSS gear? I’ve contemplated that, but not sure it’s worth it on a A1 (1991 model). I really enjoy my Husky, but it’s a “using plane”, not a show piece. (Lots of the Husky guys are ashamed of me...)


stan

Southern Boy wrote:Squash, that is one of the problems I have with the Husky. My girl doesn’t have enough upper body strength to handle the flare...and the Super Cub is easier.

It's easier to push forward against pressure than to pull aft on the stick. Has she tried rolling the trim full aft prior to the flare? Many husky drivers get set up on short final and then roll the trim all the way aft. Sometimes it requires forward pressure on the stick prior to the flare but once the flare begins, it is much easier to pull back on the stick to achieve a landing attitude. And she should have enough strength to push the stick forward against the trim pressure in the event of a go around. Pushing is easier than pulling.

Squash wrote:

Southern Boy wrote:Squash, that is one of the problems I have with the Husky. My girl doesn’t have enough upper body strength to handle the flare...and the Super Cub is easier.

It's easier to push forward against pressure than to pull aft on the stick. Has she tried rolling the trim full aft prior to the flare? Many husky drivers get set up on short final and then roll the trim all the way aft. Sometimes it requires forward pressure on the stick prior to the flare but once the flare begins, it is much easier to pull back on the stick to achieve a landing attitude. And she should have enough strength to push the stick forward against the trim pressure in the event of a go around. Pushing is easier than pulling.

Powerful trim. Big difference between the Husky and the Cub is that it's easy to fly the Cub off trim.....not so much in a Husky.

Tell her to USE that trim wheel. Shouldn't have to use much strength at all. I always keep my lower arm down there next to the trim wheel, and just roll the trim wheel with my forearm. Probably the single thing most people dislike on the Husky, and it SHOULD be a non issue.

Try flying a Cessna 185 off trim a lot.....gonna have one seriously strong right arm soon.

Trim is your friend.

MTV

Squash, MTV:

Agree with what you both said.

She is learning to fly, and it’s harder to maintain good airspeed control on short final and push on the stick...gets setup for a potentially difficult situation. (wish there was a cure for that setup on the Husky)

Southern Boy wrote:Squash, MTV:

Agree with what you both said.

She is learning to fly, and it’s harder to maintain good airspeed control on short final and push on the stick...gets setup for a potentially difficult situation. (wish there was a cure for that setup on the Husky)

I really disagree with trimming so that a push is required just to maintain the proper pitch for the desired airspeed on final, especially for a student or low time pilot. The better practice is to trim to remove all pressure during the final leg--much easier to maintain the desired airspeed. With experience, we all learn work-arounds to make flying easier, and if trimming nose up on final works for an experienced pilot, fine and dandy. I wouldn't do it myself.

For myself, I don't find pushing easier than pulling; most people's arms have much stronger biceps than triceps, and mine sure do. In fact, for a low ground effect take off, I'll roll in a little nose down trim, which keeps the airplane from climbing out of ground effect as it gains airspeed, while I'm pulling gently on the yoke to maintain my 3 or 4 feet AGL. When I'm ready to climb, then I'll pitch to the climb attitude and trim to remove the pressure.

For a student or low time pilot, I don't think it's a good idea to trim any airplane into the flare, either--most have a hard enough time just being in trim on approach! Then the risk of a trim stall on a go around is too great, especially for newbies. That being said, trimming into the flare isn't a bad thing for those nose-heavy airplanes that require smallish folks to use both hands on the yoke/stick to make the flare, but being spring-loaded to roll off the aft trim in the event of a go around is essential.

Cary

Cary,

You need to fly a Husky and experience the trim forces.

Another example might be wheel landing many tailwheel airplanes, where trimming in nose down prior to touch can make the timing of the push a lot easier. Done all the time.

MTV

Having owned a Super Cub as well as 2 Husky's I MUCH prefer the trim system on the Husky. Works slick! Just roll the trim wheel forward or back a half turn or so and you are set for most situations instead of the cranking and more cranking you have to do in a Super Cub.

After a thousand hours in super Cubs, I got to fly an a1c husky. The ailerons were fantastic. Elevator, not so much. I have two bad shoulders, and for the flying I do (low and slow) I'll take the cub any day over the husky. After doing the same flying as I do in my cub, my shoulders were hurting. But I don't do normal flying. I can see it being a great xc airplane.

Tom wrote:After a thousand hours in super Cubs, I got to fly an a1c husky. The ailerons were fantastic. Elevator, not so much. I have two bad shoulders, and for the flying I do (low and slow) I'll take the cub any day over the husky. After doing the same flying as I do in my cub, my shoulders were hurting. But I don't do normal flying. I can see it being a great xc airplane.

Low and slow, mountain flying, telemetry and game surveys is 90% of what I have done with Huskys. I have about equal time doing that kind of work in Super Cubs and Huskys....and I'd take the Husky every day for that kind of work. Performance is MUCH better in almost every realm, especially maneuvering flight.

The trim takes a while to get used to, and is hard for a long time Cub pilot (and I was one) to adapt to, but once you learn to fly the plane with the trim wheel, as G44 suggests, it becomes second nature. As I noted before, Cub pilots are accustomed to flying off trim, at least for short periods. Try that with a working Husky, and it will indeed wear you out.

But again, I flew that kind of mission a few thousand hours in each of those types (and a couple other types) and once I got the hang of working the Husky, I'd take it hands down over a Cub, for a lot of reasons.

But it's not something you pick up in a short demo flight.

MTV

I agree with Cary on trim with students, but I have never flown a Husky. I have always encouraged students to learn in trainers with original small engines, if possible. They need to learn the gaits, as Wolfgang explains it, but trim hides the difference from the cruise norm preferred by the airplane. Non trim develops muscle memory of the different gaits and allows the student to just turn loose initially in an upset.

Oh geez. If you don't know what a husky is like to fly, why bother commenting?

My comment about it being easier to push than pull goes for most any plane that is appropriately trimmed for a stable approach in the landing configuration when you apply power for a go around. So just ignore that one. By trimming aft for the flare means that slightly more forward stick pressure will be required on the go around. Not significantly more, but more. And just like other planes on the go around, you will push forward until you can trim off the pressure. Would I trim full aft if it weren't already aft on a stable approach in my 185 prior to the flare just to make my flare easier? Hell no. But a 185 is different than a husky. In the 185, I can pull the yoke all the way aft out of trim easily. Plus, the husky isn't trying to kill me like the 185 on the go around with full aft trim. Furthermore, it takes 20 zips of trim to go from full aft to neutral trim in the 185. In the husky, as Kurt points out, a quick spin or two of the trim could be all it takes to trim off the pressure.

For a person with shorter legs in a husky who is positioned closer to the stick, it can be difficult to pull the stick back in the flare if the trim is not set fully aft when getting to that point. There simply isn't enough leverage to pull the stick to your stomach against the bungee force if your shoulder hurts or if you aren't a super strong person. Therefore, you can simply give a quick spin on the trim wheel going into the flare to make it easy on your arm and shoulder.

Agree with MTV on the demo flight. I remember my first flight at the controls of a skywagon. Almost crashed it. My wife said I couldn't get one because I couldn't fly it. Other than the mystique of the plane, I didn't find that flight to be particularly enjoyable. My landing sucked. After several hours of training, I started to understand how to fly it. Hard to pass judgement on a plane and its characteristics after a demo flight.

I like the removable fuselage panels under the doors, goes back to the TE I think. They provide great access when working or looking there. More important almost is the thought ( not original with them I know) that supplied them, the intent: ease of long term maintenance. Cubs or my S7 just run fabric there. I see lots of them here in my area of course, specially when I breakfast in Afton!

Really great thread comparing the Husky to other planes like the Super Cub.

Just wondering why the ACA Scout has not been mentioned in comparison? Kinda comparable maybe ? At the very minimum they seem to offer more room.

Denali wrote:
Just wondering why the ACA Scout has not been mentioned in comparison? Kinda comparable maybe ? At the very minimum they seem to offer more room.

Probably because the OP didn't ask for that. He's not shopping for a new airplane or aimlessly talking about aircraft types. He has a Husky and wants to know other Husky pilots' experience.