Cessna 177 Cardinal - Landing Advice - Cruise speed...

Hi John;

Congratulations on your new airplane.

While I don't have any hands on (except as a mechanic) experience on the 177, I have been answering Cessna tech questions for a long time and it's my experience that the Cessna "book" number are pretty reliable.

As far as landing, it does depend to some extend on how the airplane is loaded. I fly a Piper and when I'm by myself, it lands so much better if I put some weight in the baggage area.

As I'm sure you know, the suggested approach speed will depend on the flap position. My book suggests between 70 and 80 mph on approach to landing. The rule of thumb for final approach speed is 1.3 Vso. Since stall speed (full flaps) in my book is cited as 53 mph, applying the multiplier would suggest that 69 is the correct final approach speed under normal flying conditions.

I know that when I come over the fence too fast, my landings aren't very good. I suggest you try the 69 mph (60 knots) approach speed to see if that affects your landings.

The POH for the Cardinal I have cites miles per hour instead of knots for airspeeds.
I'm assuming from your comments that you have a knot meter installed in your Cardinal.

I hope these general answers are helpful.

Let me know if these suggestions help,
Steve