RV-4 Approach Speeds and POH

[AX-O]

Did not see the poh request. Go to the poh section of this site. There are a few RV-4.

[wrongway john]

As Axel has stated, there are plenty POH's completed already on this site.

Here are POH's for RV's, with three of them for the 4:

http://www.vansairforce.net/poh.htm

[campi]

Thanks. I will take a look at those at VAF, but would still welcome any others, particularly in Word format.

[Rick RV-4]

I have a 961 lb RV-4 w/ O-360 and Sensenich metal prop and the tall gear. All speeds are indicated in MPH, not knots.

I use 100 on downwind, 80 on base. Slow to 63 on final solo, 68 w/ a pax. I add 5 if doing a wheel landing. Anything faster and I just float longer than I want to. This is a non-standard 20% above stall speed margin (for my aircraft).

Rick
N999XS

[frowe_rv4]

wow - it's not a Harmon Rocket - even in the Harmon Rocket - an approach of about 85 - 90MPH is about right. the RV4 - has a stall speed of 48MPH with full flap - I believe that's at sea level - ideal conditions mind you. Here in Vernon there are only 2 RV4's - one that I own and one that a friend of mine with a heck of a lot more experience then me flys - he's also an instructor as well. He approaches much slower then I do mind you -he comes in at 65MPH, that said each plane's instruments - True Airspeed Indicator etc.. are slightly different and while that approach works for him I prefer about 75mph - maybe 80 max. the reason for this is simple if you approach faster you wil be likely to be landing way way down the runway - as you have noticed they continue on flying at these speeds and don't drop like other low wing planes - say a warrior or even a cherokee. I used to always have to punch on a little throttle on my cherokee so I did'nt hit to hard - since it had a fairly high sink rate. These don't - parly due to their wing design - notice the HUGE airfoil - not at all like say a glasiar airfoil. Also the slippery design with flush mounted rivets etc.. wheel fairings etc.. which all work together to reduce the drag - means it keeps going and going.

I trained with Mike Segar in Vernoria OR - in an RV7 Tail dragger before I started flying my RV4 - he taught me some great stuff and these things he teaches works with all types of RV aircraft - highly recommend dual training with him if you are anywhere near Vernonia OR it's dirt cheap too - only 45 per hour for the AC rental - he has both the 6a and the 7 TD - model so no matter if it's triaining for trike or tail wheel he's the man. 12000 hours of experience.

Here's what he taught me - in a quick nutshell;
1) - entering the circut on the downwind - reduce to idle and maintain circit hieght - allow the plane to slow to 120MPH on the downwind - maintian that with 1800RPM once you reach 120MPH.
2) on the X - wind - before final - reduce power again - slow to 100 MPH - maintain with 1200RPM - don't give up too much ALT yet .
3) ADD FLAPs to 50% or about 20 degrees on the X wind.
4) turning final - cut throttle to idle and apply full flap.- trim for about 75 MPH in your plane - maintain a glide path that will ENSURE you will make the numbers on the runway - so if you need to add power - add power - if you are a bit high slide slip to get back on the appropriate glide path - maintain 75MPH.
5) once you have reached the numbers over the tarmac - and at about 10- 15ish feet above the tarmac - LEVEL off. dont' fully round out - LEVEL OFF - and hold that - THROTTLE AT IDLE - very important.
6) Looking down the far end of the runway - not in front of the nose - or beside by the wheels etc... looking way down the runway - this is the trick he taught me and it believe it or not works like a dream - start adding back presure on the stick - once you start - continue to feed more and more - while watching the end of that runway or a point near the end.
7) It will come down nicely like this - usually no bounce- as long as your control inputs are smooth and solid - not jerky - and continue to maintain full back pressure - and stay off the brakes until it's slowed some and you know that tail's firmly on the ground. then add in brakes evenly- and maintain the AC down the middle centerline using diferentail braking and or rudder inputs as needed but with finese - what he likes to call Happy feet - it's being light but quick on the rudder controls. Mine has a locking tail wheel so it tracks nice and straight.

My first landing amazed me - not only was there no bounce but I barely felt the plane touch down.

Hope this helps - if you are still having some difficulties - again I would recommend Mike - he's a VANS's instructor and just an excellent resource.

[Christopher Murphy]

Originally Posted by luddite42

I think you meant to write 30%.

I did mean 30 percent... see you can't believe everything you read on the internet!

CM

[campi]

Wanted to thank everyone for their input. I'm going to perform some testing tomorrow at altitude first to see what I find, and then go back to the pattern for landing practice.

[Mark Bolton]

I got fly in a Soneri today - first bit of flying I did in years. I am a very low time pilot - did some Tiger Moth and Chippy back in the Mezozoic. I could still fly a bit. No mucking about and quite scary touching down so fast.

The chap I flew with was very good and he warned me my RV-4 will be wanting to be flown very soon and it might be a good idea not to let myself get going way green.

I have turned into an old fart who spends hours clanking about in my workshop wondering where I left the cleco pliers.

This sort of "reality check" self examination is so important.

All sorts of emotional baggage knowing good mates who got'em selves killed flying.

There was six months where I regarded a sports plane as an obscene object which killed a very dear friend. Couldn't even look at my RV-4. His brother told me my mate / flying instuctor whould never rest in peace if he thought his death would poison my love of flying. He was right of course but rational thought is only subset , a compartment of the totality of a man's outlook.

Didn't help that the Soneria came within a hair's breath of smacking into a couple of kangaroos after we were done and my mate was flying with his Dad - I fully expected them to come unglued.

What was so cool was that the Soneri pilot told me he had an irrational fear of freezing on the controls. Takes a brave man to be so honest. He said "If it did happen he didn't expect me to keep the plane intact on landing" . Just can we make it survivable? Not too much to ask methinks and I reckon I could have done it. The man was airforce trained and nothing wrong with his skill set at all. In fact his brutal asessment of his own abilities made me feel very comfortable to fly with him. Heros scare me.


Over the years I have had the oportunity to fly RVs and I was always ready to be overwhelmed by the work but before I knew it we were parked by the hanger and it never got exciting at all.

One day very soon it will be me "Giving the old girl a kick in the tail" and taking to the sky. So much has happened in my life since I first opened Pandora's / Van's box and I fully expect to be drenched with tears of joy when the wheels finally leave the ground. I will be needing good friends and sound judgement when that time comes and I know I cant go it alone.

This lack of introspection and Bravado that some pilots seem to carry smacks of a character flaw.

Just like the Old Bags at Delphi said "Know thyself"

Regards Mark

http://rv-4builder.blogspot.com/

[redrv6]

Mark - I'll be there cheering you on when the wheels leave the ground! As you say, no one does this completely alone. The friends we make during our projects are often the best.

It takes a village to raise an RV :-)

Shirley

[dkol]

Shirley/Mark,

I know this is a bit off thread but I'll be in your neck of the woods again in a few weeks. Working out of the NT but should be in Perth again finishing up the project later in October.

I have been flying my -4 for about a year now (bought flying). It has spoiled me for most of the other aircraft I've flown. I'm still working on getting my short field landings down. I'm comfortable getting in and out of 1000' runway now but there is still a lot of work to do. I use 65 knots with either a signficant x-wind or a passenger. If I have both I bump it up to 70kts. 57kts solo/calm wind. That looks pretty similar to what many have posted on here. Of course I went up and spent a fair amount of time in slow flight performing various maneuvers to really get a feel for my aircraft. The feel is what I rely on as I like to keep my focus outside the cockpit.