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09-10-2015, 05:21 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Reno
Posts: 3
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Severe Turbulence
I experienced a single jolt of severe turbulence in my RV-7 while crossing the Sierra's near Donner Pass. My head hit the canopy hard and things (like my iPad) flew around the cockpit. After I landed, I inspected the aircraft and found no damage,i.e., no rivets popped or rippled surface sheet metal.
Question: Would anyone suggest any specific areas to check further? Should I get a professional to look at it?
PS: It flew fine afterward. No obvious distortions in any surface.
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09-10-2015, 05:27 PM
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Senior Curmudgeon
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton Airpark, NV A34
Posts: 15,420
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Welcome to VAF!
First post -----
Welcome aboard.
This is probably a good question to ask the good folks at the factory.
__________________
Mike Starkey
VAF 909
Rv-10, N210LM.
Flying as of 12/4/2010
Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011 
Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.
"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
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09-10-2015, 05:31 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Estes Park, CO
Posts: 3,947
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Welcome
Welcome.
Is there a G meter?
Doesn't sond like more than 3 negative.
__________________
Larry Larson
Estes Park, CO
http://wirejockrv7a.blogspot.com
wirejock at yahoo dot com
Donated 12/03/2019, plus a little extra.
RV-7A #73391, N511RV reserved (2,000+ hours)
HS SB, empennage, tanks, wings, fuse, working finishing kit
Disclaimer
I cannot be, nor will I be, held responsible if you try to do the same things I do and it does not work and/or causes you loss, injury, or even death in the process.
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09-10-2015, 06:05 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Tampa (Wimauma actually)
Posts: 421
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmartin871
I experienced a single jolt of severe turbulence in my RV-7 while crossing the Sierra's near Donner Pass. My head hit the canopy hard and things (like my iPad) flew around the cockpit. After I landed, I inspected the aircraft and found no damage,i.e., no rivets popped or rippled surface sheet metal.
Question: Would anyone suggest any specific areas to check further? Should I get a professional to look at it?
PS: It flew fine afterward. No obvious distortions in any surface.
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It doesn't take much negative g to push your head into the canopy if you don't have your straps cinched down. Very few of us fly around with the straps cinched tight on a cross-country. Personally, I wouldn't be concerned about one jolt that threw you out of the seat.
__________________
Randy King
Tampa (Wimauma), Florida
RV-4 N212CS (sold)
RV-8 N184RK (flying)
Flying an A320 to pay the bills
Exempt and gladly donating anyway - Current through March 2021
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09-10-2015, 06:07 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Redding, Ca.
Posts: 274
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You can't make an uneducated statement like that wirejock. Could have been 2 G's or 6 G's. Your head will try to hit the canopy and your things will fly around either way.
__________________
RV-8, flying since 2000, 1,020 hours TT
Have completed;
1 RV-8 My personal toy, IO-360, C/S, Tip tanks
3 RV-7A's
1 RV-4
1 Glastar
1 Velocity XL
1 Glastar under construction
1 RV-8 under construction
1967 Camaro RS undergoing frame off restomod
Pre-purchase inspections are my specialty
I cover everything west of the continental divide by RV-8
EAA Tech. Counseler. Chapter 157
Dues paid 2014-2015
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09-10-2015, 06:31 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SC
Posts: 12,887
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Quote:
Originally Posted by R. Daniels
You can't make an uneducated statement like that wirejock. Could have been 2 G's or 6 G's. Your head will try to hit the canopy and your things will fly around either way.
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Remember, you are sitting still at +1 G. So a -1 jolt simply brings you to zero. So, a negative 1.5 G hit will read as -.5.
I hit a 3.7G positive hit once. Oh, that hurt! Pulled the data later to verify and sure enough, I didn't misread the G meter.
__________________
Bill R.
RV-9 (Yes, it's a dragon tail)
O-360 w/ dual P-mags
Build the plane you want, not the plane others want you to build!
SC86 - Easley, SC
www.repucci.com/bill/baf.html
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09-10-2015, 07:08 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Tampa (Wimauma actually)
Posts: 421
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My educated rebuttal
Quote:
Originally Posted by R. Daniels
You can't make an uneducated statement like that wirejock. Could have been 2 G's or 6 G's. Your head will try to hit the canopy and your things will fly around either way.
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I've pulled, pushed, and experienced enough positive and negative g in my life to know the difference between 2 and 6 g - positive or negative. If the OP had a minus 3g or greater hit, while strapped into his airplane in typical cross country fashion, I assure you he'd have more damage than just a "hard" head hit and some things flying around the cockpit. Knocked unconscious would be more typical of that type of event.
Hey guys, I'm not saying he didn't experience a significant turbulence event. I just doubt it came close to approaching the limits of our fantastic airplanes. If you've ever experienced minus 3g or greater, and I have, you have some appreciation of the extreme nature of those conditions.
__________________
Randy King
Tampa (Wimauma), Florida
RV-4 N212CS (sold)
RV-8 N184RK (flying)
Flying an A320 to pay the bills
Exempt and gladly donating anyway - Current through March 2021
Last edited by f14av8r : 09-11-2015 at 05:43 AM.
Reason: error in judgement!
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09-10-2015, 07:16 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Wichita Falls, TX
Posts: 2,182
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If it wasn't a continuous sustained negative G load, I wouldn't worry too much about it. These RVs are incredibly strong airframes and can withstand a lot. If you're really concerned, you could pull some wing skins off and eddy-current test your spars but IMHO that would be overkill.
__________________
Neal Howard
Airplaneless once again...
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09-10-2015, 07:30 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 4,435
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Neal@F14
....If you're really concerned, you could pull some wing skins off and eddy-current test your spars but IMHO that would be overkill.
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I wouldn't do that on my plane. A good visual inspection ought to suffice, unless there's some new damage found.
Dave
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09-10-2015, 07:53 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Wichita Falls, TX
Posts: 2,182
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I guess I should've used the words paranoidly concerned instead. 
Unless your head broke the canopy and there were visibly signs of overstressing the airframe, it's probably fine. RV flyers encounter strong mountain turbulence every year while crossing the Rockies and these airplanes endure it just fine.
__________________
Neal Howard
Airplaneless once again...
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