REFLECTOR:Brake selection.

[reflector@tvbf.org]

> I have not experienced any fading either.  But, I have not 
> landed half way down the runway and had to jump on the 
> brakes yet.

Yep Ronnie, 

As usual you are right on the mark. 

I *routinely* landed the XL-RG in less than 2000 foot with the Matco's and never had a problem. Really, a normal landing is a low stress event for a brake system. 

It was the rejected take off (RTO) that got me! That is the *real* test of the brake system

Find yourself a nice long, wide runway, (Sanford would  be a good one for you Ronnie) load the plane up to full max gross, accelerate to take off speed then tromp the brakes!! Then you will KNOW if they are good or not. Who knows, someday you might have to do exactly that for real and won't it be nice to know ahead of time it will do it? 

I have spent a lot of time what if-ing myself... I was 7 knots short with 900 feet of runway left when I aborted the take off. 

If I had not aborted would I have picked up the 7 knots? I think I would have and odds are I would still be flying 115XL. 

On the other hand the mental picture of me and my son hitting that ditch at 60 knots instead of 15 knots makes my stomach churn almost 2 years later. 

I really, really wish I had done an RTO test during the fly off. It's important to know *before* hand what you can and can't do.

Breaking an airplane can ride a man.

DM Rob