Is it ever legitimate to use reverse thrust before touchdown?

[crash-proof]

On airliners.net you can find a bunch of photos of the old ruskies and their Il-62s, Tupolevs et al with their buckets open prior to touching down - though they may have had only the buckets open without applying thrust. Couldn't hear the noise by looking at the picture.

 

[AC560]

So how about legitimately?

Concorde could deploy reversers in flight on engines 2/3 and one or more of the [SIZE=-1]De Havilland's is approved for in flight reverse on the props.[/SIZE]

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Why would one need to?

 

[con-pilot]

Why would one need to?

Best post on this thread. :laugh:

 

[JediNein]

Why would one need to?

In case you're behind SWA on final and have 30 knots on them, again, and ATC is threatening you with vectors to the back of the line if you don't slow NOW.

 

[Be 23]

I've heard of twin otter guys doing it to get back down to the drop zone for another lift of parachutists. Not sure if it's approved or smart, but I'd bet it would expedite operations significantly.

 

[JAFI]

I've heard of twin otter guys doing it to get back down to the drop zone for another lift of parachutists. Not sure if it's approved or smart, but I'd bet it would expedite operations significantly.

The problem would be if you can't get it out of Beta into forward pitch. A reversed prop would be a massive amount of drag and you would be at a slow speed. You could be - Low, slow, and out of ideas.....If you don't crash, you might have some "splaining to do", as I recall the otter has a limitation on the aircraft where you can't use reverse pitch in flight.

JAFI

 

[Cat3C]

I would think that the ride would be that more "sporty" if only one t/r deployed while doing this on short final

 

[USMCmech]

I've heard of twin otter guys doing it to get back down to the drop zone for another lift of parachutists. Not sure if it's approved or smart, but I'd bet it would expedite operations significantly.

I asked a pilot at a DZ if he had ever heard of that. He said yes he had, but it was specifically forbiden by the POH. The danger is that one prop will reverse first and roll the plane on it's back.

Also with an average of 2 1/2 minutes from jumpers away to landing, how much faster do you really need to descend.

 

[Princedietrich]

I was doing a lesson in a level B Caravan sim a while back, and one of the trainees was curious about TR in flight. The Van has no mechanism that will prevent you from doing it, and in the classroom I'd told the trainees that it was a very baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad idea to do it. He wondered why it was a bad idea, so I set him up at altitude and cruise speed to let him try it. He pulled it back into idle, lifted the gates, and back into beta. As soon as all that airflow from a 106" diameter prop disappeared from the tail surfaces..... well, let's just say the ride got kinda interesting from that point on.