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Love my 7-A
I had a light experimental seaplane (Aventura II) for 10 years and i hated flying it in the chop. In turbulence the RV seams to just kind of jolt you. With my other plane, I was all over the place but then again, I was always flying about 500 to 1000ft AGL where the bumps are. Now I am up over the rough air quickly.
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That was one nice thing about the ride in a Velocity that I liked. It seemed really stable in the rough north Texas summer air. Don't ask about take off distances or how long it takes to build though... :eek:
Bob |
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But, not necessarily more bumpy. RV goes higher ... generally smoother. One of last summer's trips to Tahoe due to work we didn't get our early morning start. Tail winds were 50-70 knots at 13.5. The ride was perfectly smooth. Wind at KTVL was 180 18G26. Stayed on the windward side of the ridge, headed out to the lake to descend. A couple of bumps on final. A different flight plan would have been a bumpy experience. For a 9 not much difference in wing loading C172=13 lb/sqft RV9A=14.1 lb/sqft RV7A=14.8 lb/sqft. So the RV should be a little better ride... |
RVs seem to ride rough, but for a really rough ride, try one of the carbon-fiber LSAs at light weight. Very stiff.
Solutions as others have mentioned: * Fly heavy. Higher wing loading gives a smoother ride. I often carried water ballast in the CT to keep CG aft and weight up. * Fly high. Thermal turbulence will be almost nil above the mixing layer. You can get this from any of the sounding charts or soaring forecasts. You can also get an idea of the strength of the thermals from the prediction of max lift (fpm). * Slow down! Throttles work both ways. Flying at Va also means you are less likely to bend the airplane with full control inputs. The point about 4 or 5 point harnesses are also good. The advantage of a 5 point is that you are held "into" the seat and are less likely to hit your head. TODR |
Not mine
My -10 handles turbulence substantially better than the -172 I learned to fly in. It's not just me, my wife (who is VERY sensitive to that sort of thing) has commented on it several times. Also, an experienced instructor I took flying also commented on it. Now, if I am cruising along at 170 ktas and life gets bumpy, I have to slow down, but I can almost always feel it coming and slowing down or changing altitudes almost always improves things. The RV-10 wing loading is 18.6 #/sf, whereas the wing loading on the -172 is about 11-12, as I recall. That could explain it. You might need a -10 :)
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"Bumpy" is a relative thing. Any good rules of thumb regarding when it is necessary to slow down, maybe even to Va? Does the g-meter provide some help?
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My old plane, the Aeronca Sedan, had a wing loading of 9.47 so my 9 is way better. Having said that, I hit my head for the first time on Tuesday. I got in some rotors not too far from my home airport at 1500' and man, I was slammed! I have to say, that was probably one of the worst rides I've ever had. I did slow down and got out of it pretty quickly.
I have to say though, even though it was very rough, I think it handled it better than my Sedan would have. Flying the Sedan was like flying a leaf. It was all over the place in turbulence and it took a while to get out of it. Being able to get above it or around it quickly in the the RV is wonderful. |
About to buy a set of crow harnesses
For the guys with good harnesses, do you recommend the 2 or 3 inch width? Do you believe it makes much of a difference? I was about to purchase a set and wanted some last minute feedback before I do. Thanks
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