Van's STOL plane

With a number of people suggesting Van's needs to build a two place STOL airplane, I thought it might be interesting to look at what they already have.

Keep in mind, that it is a fairly easy mod to add larger wheels (mains and tailwheel) to the existing designs.

I looked up the Maule M-7 260 hp version today and found that they have a ground roll of 250 feet at GW.

The 180 hp version has a ground roll of 300 feet.

These are for planes that can cruise at 162 mph and 138 mph, respectively. Far slower than an RV.

Van's lists the RV-9 with a 160 hp engine as having a takeoff and landing roll of 475 feet. (300 feet at light weights and 500 feet for a 200 hp -7 at GW.)

Not bad for a plane that can cruise at 189 mph!

I wonder what the -9 would do with one foot extensions on each wingtip. (Proper structural design and flight limitations taken into account.)

TOTAL PERFORMANCE!

I'm guessing that 189mph cruise might be *slightly* affected by installing 29" alaskan bush wheels. Or you'll need pressure recovery pants that could double as floats with a waterproof door...

Bearhawk

https://bearhawkaircraft.com/bearhawk-specifications/

More drag

Also would need a way of increasing drag, i.e. some form of speed brake, to allow steeper approaches into short strips that have obstructions at either end. Slipping doesn't seem to have a massive effect in a -9.

Bring the nose up on approach, slowing down below 50 knots. The approach will steepen significantly. Just before touchdown, push forward on the stick to regain lift and reduce the descent. I call it a reverse flare.

Not for the faint of heart, but with practice it works well. The throttle is your friend.

emsvitil said:

Bearhawk

https://bearhawkaircraft.com/bearhawk-specifications/

Click to expand...

That makes the -9 look even better.

Snowflake said:

I'm guessing that 189mph cruise might be *slightly* affected by installing 29" alaskan bush wheels. Or you'll need pressure recovery pants that could double as floats with a waterproof door...

Click to expand...

I'm thinking 6.00-6 wheels, which will fii in a wheel pants will be a significant improvement without giving up much, if any speed.

landing gear

And a leaf spring landing gear. not the RV7 type that chatters and such.

Very few pilots need their airframe to perform with a 100m capability. Every airframe has some sort of trade off. Cost, mission capability, FF and speed, the 4 things that drive every purchase, just not all at once

STOL has really taken off (pun intended ) in the last decade. STOL has always been around. The movie "Air America" featured a turbine Pilatus Porter. I have seen STOL demos for decades. I've flown in Alaska and C180's, Super Cubs are like Toyota Camry's there. However slow flying STOL planes has really taken on a resurgence in the last decade. It use to be people wanted to go fast. Now pilots and builders are happy doing 95 kts cruise as long as they can land on a sandbar or mountain top. Kit Fox, Highland, Zenith, and Carbon Cub. All these planes are typical high wing, tundra tires, super light.The Super Cub and Maule has always been around, but these STOL kit planes have taken STOL to a level which is fairly easy to obtain in a kit plane.

There are several Youtube channels with people like Mike Patey (Drago), Trent Palmer and the group called "flying cowboys" that has popularized STOL in my opinion, brought out the fun and utility of landing off airport anywhere. I have done a little of that and it is addicting. However I don't like to go slow, and as others said how often do you need to land T/O in 300 feet. I consider a RV to be STOL(ish) with TO about 600FT ground roll and landing shorter that than that. I have taken my RV in and out of mountain strips. The STOL competition and STOL drag races are of course fun to watch. Amazing with a strong headwind they takeoff in a few plane length, then land and roll out in a plane length. .

Bottom line steel welded tube frame, fabric, high wing seems to be the formula for STOL. If Van were to build a STOL kit it would be a major departure from the semi-monocoque all aluminum low wing designs Van specializes in. The niche market is already crowded. I suppose you could put Tundra tires on an RV, modify wing leading edge with slats or slotted cuffs, vortex generators and make a STOL out of it?

This is real STOL flying
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLV1Xjy_O1s

180 RV-9

Bill,

I think the 180 hp -9 is an excellent choice for this type of mission when you live hours away from your destination. I'm at least 3 hours flying from anything approaching bush flying. The -9 would be a great machine to get me there and still allow some short and unimproved flying capability. Add some bush flying and STOL features - rock protection, elevator limb guards, CS prop, VGs, big tires, etc. - and I think you'd have a pretty nice "off-road" machine.