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  #31  
Old 09-08-2014, 05:35 PM
Ironflight's Avatar
Ironflight Ironflight is offline
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700' with a wheel landing is doing just fine David. If you NEED to be landing shorter than that, you are probably stuffing it into a field after an engine failure....
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  #32  
Old 09-08-2014, 06:46 PM
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Danny King Danny King is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Southlake, Texas
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Default Not all RV-8s are the same.

I enjoyed reading this thread. I couldn't help but notice that differences between RV-8s was pretty much passed over. I've had the privilege of flying eighteen different RV-8s. The solo CG of the various aircraft varied by a significant margin. One 8 had a LYC I0390A1B6 and was even more nose heavy than the Doll with its I0360A1B6. Others had parallel valve 0360s. One had an 0320. Most had the Hartzell constant speeds, but one had the MT composite, and one had a Whirlwind composite. Most guys put the battery in the back, but some put it on the firewall. All of these factors will change how that particular RV-8 will three point.

Solo, the Doll runs out of elevator and wants to dance around the runway until more knots are lost. With Builder Doll in the back seat, I can touchdown tailwheel first, and get a nice "roll on" three pointer.

My first aircraft was a Cessna 140, and I did both kinds of landings. Then only did nose high full stalls in the Gruman AA1-A "Yankee". My first homebuilt was a Pitts S1S, and I really learned what flying a taildragger was all about! I only three pointed the Pitts! Then shared a Christen Eagle II until the Doll was finished. I never wheeled the Eagle either! So three pointing the 8 or doing wheelies is not a pilot skill question. I do both, but wheel land when solo. The Doll is a little nose heavy even with the battery mounted in the back. How many times have us old heads advised to mount the battery in the back?

If your RV-8's CG allows you to do solo three points great! If not, wheel land. I will enjoy watching you do either.
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Last edited by Danny King : 09-08-2014 at 06:51 PM.
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  #33  
Old 09-08-2014, 07:41 PM
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Low Pass Low Pass is offline
 
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Location: Houston
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Default Burning tires and pads...

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aAoJyhF...B-Dd36LbuvE8Kg
and on good asphalt you can stop it in ~250'.
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  #34  
Old 09-23-2014, 09:21 PM
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akarmy akarmy is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Auburn, WA
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Now that I have 8 hours on my rv-8 I think Danny hit on possibly a key part of all this. The weight and balance must really make a difference. I find MY 1035lbs rv-8 with a 1/3 back cg solo easy to 3 point or wheel land by simply add or removing 10kts off the approach speed.

Today I got the AOA pro calibrated and now if you fly the center donut and flare you get one angle angle push and you touch in 3 point. I'll need to play more to see about AOA for wheel landings, maybe use the green bar of best glide speed?

From my first landing on, this plane is a pussycat! I just love flying it!
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  #35  
Old 11-10-2015, 08:09 PM
David-aviator David-aviator is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Chesterfield, Missouri
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Default Passed 100 hours today...

...and feel very confident and comfortable doing a tail low wheel landing. Still cannot do a decent 3 pointer but will keep on trying and see what happens...
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Last edited by David-aviator : 11-11-2015 at 05:12 AM.
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  #36  
Old 11-10-2015, 09:20 PM
sblack sblack is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Toobuilder View Post
I do tail low wheelies in the -8 and Rocket most of the time, but I am capable of doing a 3 point if I drag it in under power. That said, I doubt my Rocket or -8 will 3 point at all with power off. There just isn't enough elevator when solo to make it happen. As it is, I run out of trim in the pattern well above my desired glide speed and I'm using the majority of stick travel maintaining that speed....There just isn't enough left to flare.
So you can't stall the airplane at altitude? You run out of elevator? Is this an O540 powered airplane? Just too much stuff up front I guess?
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  #37  
Old 11-11-2015, 07:41 AM
David-aviator David-aviator is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akarmy View Post

From my first landing on, this plane is a pussycat! I just love flying it!
Same here except it was no pussycat for me and my weak brain in the beginning.

It took awhile to rearrange the molecules upstairs coming from a life time of nose wheels and would not go back for anything. Sort of like Caesar crossing the Rubicon.

The airplane is fun to fly! No other way to say it.
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  #38  
Old 11-11-2015, 08:31 AM
Chkaharyer99 Chkaharyer99 is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Pilot Hill, CA
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With about 30 hours of RV-8 time I can pretty consistently do wheel landings and I do them almost exclusively now. My concern is how much runway I need to accomplish it. I've never got out and measured it but it seems like it could/should be shorter.

On the first day I got my RV-8 I did (tried) 3 point landings during the first flight but that was with the seller in back (poor guy, sorry about that). Each landing seemed like a near disaster. Solo, I painstakingly practiced 3 pointers out in Benson Arizona for three days with horrible results while waiting for poor WX in California clear so I could head home.

Nearly all of my 3 pt landings would result in the tail-wheel touching first followed by the mains which would cause me to spring upward and sometimes sideways triggering a go around. You have to come down sometime. A crowd gathered to watch, none offered advise. My confidence was seriously shaken.

I was almost defeated when I read VAF threads and posts on how to wheel land an RV-8. Thanks everyone for that. Guys I really have come to trust and respect here on these forms giving advise on how they achieve a tail wheel low wheel landing.

On day 4, I went out to practice wheel landings based on techniques shared. In anticipation, the largest crowd so far was out at Benson lined up alongside the runway to watch the results of my efforts.

The first few landings were amazing and the crowd dispersed. They should have stuck around.

Now every time I read David's thread on landings and see his progress I am encouraged.

The first few days in Benson gave me pause and respect for the RV-8 landing manners.


Thanks
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  #39  
Old 11-11-2015, 08:44 AM
David-aviator David-aviator is offline
 
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Location: Chesterfield, Missouri
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chkaharyer99 View Post
With about 30 hours of RV-8 time I can pretty consistently do wheel landings and I do them almost exclusively now. My concern is how much runway I need to accomplish it. I've never got out and measured it but it seems like it could/should be shorter.
Hang in there Charlie. At 30 hours I was still getting a surprise on every landing, by 50 things began to settle down and by 100 you will declare victory!

Landing distance is related to the approach speed at least for me. I am using 60-65 KIAS and have no issues with runway used for landing. 1000' feet is routine with a little effort like light braking before the tail flies on, it can be less. It is amazing how wind effects landing distance. Last week due to local construction we had to operate with a tail wind a couple days, not much 4-5 knots, but it sure made a difference in landing roll out, added at least 1000' considering everything.
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  #40  
Old 11-11-2015, 08:50 AM
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goatflieg goatflieg is offline
 
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Really glad I found this thread; it's a subject that I've wondered about for years. A lot of good information here. When my -8 is finished, I plan to spend a LOT of time getting to know it as thoroughly as possible. I want to master the aircraft; have that direct connection to it that makes flying feel like an extension of my own body. That's what I've sought from my first hour of flight, and I chose an RV-8 because it checked all the boxes and seems an excellent candidate. I've had to put off the dreams of making this connection for many years, but the wait is over, and I'm on the road. I'll learn everything I can... from VAF; from instructors; from experience.
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