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Rocket Airshow Video

Doug
Great video! What a coincidence. I have been practicing with my rocket trying to add an Immelmann to my bag of tricks. My first few attempts have not been pretty and just today at lunch I was asking for some advice from one of the snowbird pilots. I get home and you have posted this video that shows you doing two in a row from take off.
Sheesh, I am humbled again.
 
I bet you could coerce that airplane into a vertical triple 8. With smoke it would look like a snowman in the sky. :D
 
sandifer said:
I bet you could coerce that airplane into a vertical triple 8. With smoke it would look like a snowman in the sky. :D
Click to expand...

It would do them up to who knows how high,(high teens) but the drive between the 1/2 loops would get longer....

I use 130 KIAS as a min for the pull on the first Immelman at the surface, and 120 for the subsequent pulls... I can do it at lower speeds, but the roll on top gets really sloppy if I pull below 120..

I had 140 on the first pull and 130 on the second in the video. Both rolls were pretty clean.... about 900 ft alt gain on each...

I need a 4000 ft runway to make 140 KIAS unless the wind is blowing pretty good.

The standard caveat applies, DO NOT try this at the surface until you have a surface level acro card. This is a very easy maneuver to screw up. The probability of snapping, or spinning, out of the roll is pretty good if you get sloppy with the rudder. And a little push, to hold the nose up and the spin would be inverted....
 
B25Flyer said:
It would do them up to who knows how high,(high teens) but the drive between the 1/2 loops would get longer....
Click to expand...

I was thinking of the normal vertical 8 (with no driving) where you half loop up, half roll on top, and immediately continue into the next half loop up, completing the "8" shape on the way back down. Most planes are done after two loops (the full "8"). Was thinking the Rocket might be able to stack 3 high with a solid pull from Vne...even if the one on top is a micro loop. :)
 
Doug: What kind of "g's" are you using during pull-up at 140-130 KIAS? Any idea what speeds you are seeing over the top?

Thanks,



Lee...
 
sandifer said:
I was thinking of the normal vertical 8 (with no driving) where you half loop up, half roll on top, and immediately continue into the next half loop up, completing the "8" shape on the way back down. Most planes are done after two loops (the full "8"). Was thinking the Rocket might be able to stack 3 high with a solid pull from Vne...even if the one on top is a micro loop. :)
Click to expand...

I am rolling around 90. If you get much slower than that it gets really sloppy in the roll. On a vertical 8 or snowman, you would not have to roll on the last loop, so you could finish that at 40 or 50.

It would probably do it if you hit the first one at 240 and pulled 4.5- 5 Gs. I do neither. I never pull more than 4 and I never get to Vne, 210 KIAS is about as fast as I like to go... EVER.. I know the Canadians go much faster, but that scares me....

If I am pulling 4 and hit some turbulence or a wake, there i like to have lots of margin and I plan on flying this airplane for a LONG time. There is nothing better out there, so I don't like to beat on it.

Tailwinds,
Doug Rozendaal
F1 EVO

The Rocket, or the RVs, are NOT a great aerobatic airplanes... They just happen to do great aerobatics. If you want a Great aerobatic airplane, get an Extra, Panzl, or a Pitts.

Lee, I shoot for 3.5 to 4 in the pulls, I want everything to be BIG and SMOOTH....
 
Doug: Thanks for the info; that compares well with my limited experience. Of course, we have different wings, but the numbers seem to compare.


Lee...
 
very nice

I've been trying for years to get them to let me demo my -4 at FLY IOWA since it was built and first flown in Marshalltown. ( without any luck.) Glad to see they finally let an "RV type" perform there.

Is there any video from the ground? I would love to see that.

Chris M
 
First, Doug you have supplied me with a great motivational video to work on my Rocket, thank you very much!

Second, are you or we're you CAF, I think I have met you a few times in the past.
 
Have you ever done inverted spin in the Rocket?? I have done a lot in my Extra but I have never tried in my F1. I dont want to try but just want to know if somebody did and how it was.
 
Really nice show Doug!! Like Tom said, I'd love to see the show from the ground or cockpit perspective. If you have any video of it from either angle, (show or practice), it would be fun to see (and learn from!).

Needed to empty out the smoke tank today, so went out and did loops and cubans till it went dry. Used similar speeds and pulls to what you described, and concur...smooth and big is nice and fun! :)

Ol' 84 is lookin' good!! :) Thanks for the vid!!

Cheers,
Bob
 
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