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-   -   RVs Crash Worthiness (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=145122)

rv7boy 12-25-2016 08:47 PM

I was a passenger in an RV-6A, on final, about 5 feet above the runway, when a sudden wind gust picked up our left wing so violently that the right wing tip scraped the runway. How the pilot regained control I'll never know. We were returning from a long cross country and could see pre-frontal activity about ten miles away. In retrospect a straight-in long final would have gotten us on the ground quicker than the standard pattern we flew. The pilot/builder repaired the damage. We considered ourselves lucky.
P.S. Although it wasn't a "crash" I afterward wondered how a non-RV would have withstood our event.

TXFlyGuy 12-26-2016 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlomheim (Post 1136673)
Galin: Thanks for sharing your story, and I'm glad it all ended with only the loss of the a/c! No doubt there are freak and unpredictable weather anomalies out there that can exceed the performance of even an RV...

Doug

Yes, there are. I was flying a B-767-200 from EZE to IAH. Over the Gulf of Mexico at 38,000 feet, we had to penetrate a frontal line than ran from horizon to horizon. While in the clouds, and at full throttle, the big Boeing was losing airspeed rapidly. The downdraft was so intense that we could not maintain altitude. Only one thing to do...do down. We punched through the other side in a minute or so, but my knuckles were white from pushing the thrust levers through the instrument panel!

David Paule 12-26-2016 04:39 PM

Old trick - loiter in lift, skedaddle in sink.

Well flown.

Dave

sailvi767 12-26-2016 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f1rocket (Post 1136605)
In an off-field landing, the goal IS NOT to land at the slowest forward speed, it is to land at ZERO vertical speed. Keep that in mind and you have a chance.

Some of the best advice I ever got: Fly the aircraft all the way to the accident!
G

tgmillso 12-26-2016 09:15 PM

SAAA Airsport Magazine Article
 
Hi All,

There was an article covering buckling similar (but not identical) to that described at the start of this thread in a recent SAAA Airsport magazine. A screenshot of the article may be seen below. It came along a little late for my build, however it may be of benefit to others.

Regards,

Tom.


mdevans9 12-27-2016 08:54 AM

Thanks, Tom!
 
I am very interested in obtaining the plans that are "available on request". How might I go about that?

Happy New Year!

Merrill

David Paule 12-27-2016 10:32 AM

Me too!

Although I'll probably try to figure out a lighter version.

DR and Tom, that one posting justified my VAF donations this year. Thanks!

Dave
RV-3B, now on the fuselage, and not too far along to add this.

rockwoodrv9 12-27-2016 10:44 AM

I agree with David. This is great info and would love the plans. I went to the site and they only have to Spring 2016 online. I hope the summer 2016 is uploaded soon so we can download it.

On another note, SAAA Airsport has a great magazine. Very well done. Now I have a whole new series of issues to read!

http://www.saaa.com/Home/AirsportPublic.aspx

tgmillso 12-28-2016 12:43 AM

Hi Guys,

I've written to the author of the article requesting further information, so let's see what comes of it.

Cheers,

Tom.

terrye 12-28-2016 10:22 AM

RV Crash Worthiness
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by gasman (Post 1136603)
Here is where a properly designed brace between the two harness attach points at the longerons could absorb some of the energy and reduce the chance of the head to contact the panel.

Does anyone have any pictures of the longerons pulled in towards each other from a crash? I may have missed it, but I didn't see any reference to this in the OP link to the crash report.

Yes, it would be an easy (and cheap) to make a brace between the two harness attach points, but before doing so, I'd like to be sure I'm not just creating a solution looking for a problem.


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