Mon May 12, 2014 12:12 am
#1280195
Lefty wrote:In the air - the most stable of the aircraft mentioned is the Rockwell 114 followed by the TB20/21. Both have relatively high wing loadings compared to the others. However the downside is that they need more runway.
I am not going to add anything to the advice on specific types, not really my type of aeroplane, but on a technical note I think that Lefty's comment is important.
High wing loading is what you need to cut through turbulence. I think you are looking for a high wing loading rather than "stability". That is a pretty simple thing to calculate even for types that you don't know well, just divide the all up weight by the wing area.
Rockwell Commander 3260 lb/163.8 sq ft = 19.9 lb per sq ft
PA28 2150 lb/160 sq ft = 13.4 lb per sq ft
It is pretty clear why something like the Rockwell doesn't get bounced around as much.
FYI Wikipedia has the numbers for most common types so you can work it out yourself!