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Slip an RV-10 to landing?

dwilson

Well Known Member
Does anyone have any advice on slipping an RV10 on final to loose altitude?

I used to do it a lot in my fixed pitch RV9A, but wonder if it is a good idea in the RV10.

Thanks
 
RV-10 slips just fine. Nothing unusual except perhaps it feels like it takes a BIG push on the rudder.
 
I rarely have to slip*, as full flaps are quite effective; but as others said, it does slip well, as it has a very effective rudder.

(*Of course, I do slip the airplane every time I land in a crosswind).
 
My rule is:
Slips prohibited w/ flaps reflex or trail
Slips permitted w/ flaps 1/2 or full deployment, at a minimum speed of 80 knots

Background: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?t=60898&highlight=depart+slip

I was able to reproduce worrisome yaw behavior executing slips at 90 knots and below with flaps in reflex or trail. With flaps 1/2 or full, I saw no worrisome yaw behavior down to 75 knots, so I use 80 knots (minimum) as my slowest safe slip speed (with at least 1/2 flap deployment).
 
Can you define "worrisome" in more technical detail?

What is worrisome to one, may not be worrisome to another.

Thanks.
 
I slip the -10 very frequently. Comes down like an elevator, it seems like. Very effective and I have never felt any worrisome behavior. But, as PCHunt said, "what is worrisome to one, may not be worrisome to another." I do always slip with flaps, though. Flaps are my first resort to getting low without getting fast.
 
Sure

Sure, it can be slipped, but with a constant speed prop and full flaps it comes down rather quickly, usually even requiring some power down final. While slips are fun, and sometimes necessary, I never do them with passengers in the back, as it can be unnerving for them. I try to fly it real gently in all phases, and it will seem as solid as an airliner to most. :)

Vic
 
Does anyone have any advice on slipping an RV10 on final to loose altitude?

I used to do it a lot in my fixed pitch RV9A, but wonder if it is a good idea in the RV10.

Thanks

Good comments above.

With our fairly aerodynamically clean side into the wind, it does not seem as effective as in the 172. I hardly ever slip because other methods work better for me. I most always come in high in case of an engine failure. I use our flaps, big prop at 15 deg fine pitch, s-turns, 360's outside of pattern and the region of reverse command. Get to know this region up high first. One must put the nose back down to build energy back up before approaching normal glide path and definitely before the flare or our fragile landing gear mounts will need replacing.

I do practice engine out/flap out landings to simulate my turning off power/fuel during an in-flight electrical fire. I did 10-12 sim eng outs the other day and overshot a couple of times, came up short once. One will be low over the trees on approach if you want to make it in. Good practice for all!
 
I've slipped my RV-10 many times on short final and only once had a problem. I was in a full slip with full rudder deflection and a pretty good crosswind and when I released the rudder to stop the slip, it did not come out of the slip and I had to add full power and opposite rudder to recover. This only happened the once and I think I was caught in a downdraft or wind shear, recovery was a none event with the amount of power the RV-10 has.


Thanks

Ray Doerr
N519RV (40250) with 1142 hours.
 
I was in a full slip with full rudder deflection and a pretty good crosswind and when I released the rudder to stop the slip, it did not come out of the slip and I had to add full power and opposite rudder to recover.

It's hard to fathom the airplane staying in a slip despite removal of rudder. This is the first I've heard anyone say anything like this happening in ANY airplane. Are you sure the airplane truly did not recover, or did a momentary gust possibly cause a yaw reaction that somewhat masked the effect of your rudder release for a second or two?
 
I've slipped my RV-10 many times on short final and only once had a problem. I was in a full slip with full rudder deflection and a pretty good crosswind and when I released the rudder to stop the slip, it did not come out of the slip and I had to add full power and opposite rudder to recover. This only happened the once and I think I was caught in a downdraft or wind shear, recovery was a none event with the amount of power the RV-10 has.


Thanks

Ray Doerr
N519RV (40250) with 1142 hours.

Were you slipping with the long axis pointing upwind or downwind?
 
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It's hard to fathom the airplane staying in a slip despite removal of rudder. This is the first I've heard anyone say anything like this happening in ANY airplane. Are you sure the airplane truly did not recover, or did a momentary gust possibly cause a yaw reaction that somewhat masked the effect of your rudder release for a second or two?


Yes, I agree with you, but all I can say is that it happened. It's like flying through someone's wake turbulence and having full aileron deflection and the airplane doesn't respond in the direction you intend, then a few seconds later it does.


Thanks

Ray
 
Yes, I agree with you, but all I can say is that it happened. It's like flying through someone's wake turbulence and having full aileron deflection and the airplane doesn't respond in the direction you intend, then a few seconds later it does.

OK, I thought you were implying some quirk in the slipping characteristics of the airplane. It couldn't have been anything other than a pure and momentary gust/turbulence disruption, and nothing to do with the slipping characteristics of the airplane. I'm sure you wouldn't have really needed power and opposite rudder to "recover" the slip, and everything would have returned to normal a couple seconds after your wind shear/gust/turbulence/whatever encounter. Certainly nothing wrong with doing what you did.
 
I've slipped my RV-10 many times on short final and only once had a problem. I was in a full slip with full rudder deflection and a pretty good crosswind and when I released the rudder to stop the slip, it did not come out of the slip and I had to add full power and opposite rudder to recover. This only happened the once and I think I was caught in a downdraft or wind shear, recovery was a none event with the amount of power the RV-10 has.

What flap position when this occurred? This sounds a bit similar to the rudder overbalance described above with flaps retracted.
 
This was with Full Flaps, power off and dropping about 1500-2000 ft/min.
The sideslip characteristics may vary from aircraft to aircraft, and they may also vary with flap position, power setting and airspeed. They may also vary depending on whether it is a left rudder sideslip, or a right rudder sideslip.

Both cases reported in this thread sound like an aerodynamic overbalance of the rudder - i.e. at high sideslip angles the rudder losses its normal tendency to return towards neutral if you relax the pressure on the rudder pedal. With an aerodynamic rudder overbalance, when the sideslip angle gets high enough, the rudder will go to the stop all by itself, and it will take positive force on the opposite rudder to get it to come off the stop and go back towards neutral.

Another characteristic that some aircraft have at high sideslip is that one side of the HS loses effectiveness due to it being in the wake of the aft fuselage, and the loss of half of the downforce from the HS causes the aircraft to suddenly pitch nose down. A sudden nosedown pitch at low altitude definitely gets your attention.

In any case, I recommend that sideslips be investigated carefully at altitude before trying them at low altitude. Try different flap angles, different power settings, different airspeeds, and both left and right rudder. There may also be small variations between the behaviour at forward and aft CG.
 
I have done full deflection rudder slips many times when I need to lose altitude on final. No bizarre feeling. It's just an airplane.
 
Stalled fin?

Symptoms described sound similar to something that was well-understood in Janus sailplanes: was attributed to rudder being sufficiently powerful to achieve slip-angle at which the fin would stall : slip angle would increase, & rudder go to the stops.
 
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