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Approach & Landing Speeds

BobB

Member
I did a search of VAF but didn't find anything about recommended pattern and "over the fence" speeds for the RV7a. I have been using 85 kt dirty on downwind/80 on base and 75 OTF, but may be a little fast. Anyone else think differently?
 
Hi Bob,

Generally 1.3 Vso, which in my case is 65 knots. I use 90 downwind, 80 base, 70 final. Over the numbers I have generally bled to 65; usually the AoA is squawking right prior to touchdown. This is for average winds down the runway. Slight adjustment for cross/gusty wind conditions.
 
Hi Bob,

Generally 1.3 Vso, which in my case is 65 knots. I use 90 downwind, 80 base, 70 final. Over the numbers I have generally bled to 65; usually the AoA is squawking right prior to touchdown. This is for average winds down the runway. Slight adjustment for cross/gusty wind conditions.

Ditto here. 70kts is a nice stable approach, pull back to 67kts and full flap and the approach steepens considerably. Anything over 70 is to fast. But that's just me.
 
Approach speed

I normally target 80-85K on downwind, drop some flaps, and hold 80 knots to short final where I begin slowing to 75K. My indicated airspeed shows approx. 60+K as the wheels touch the ground.

Jim Diehl 7A
Lock Haven, Pa
 
Keep in mind that different aircraft have different airspeed errors. Each ASI has its own instrument error. Each aircraft has its own static system position error, and some aircraft have static or pitot system leaks. You could easily take two different aircraft, fly them side by side in formation, and have the ASIs read 10 kt different.

So, don't take as gospel any approach or landing speed recommendation from someone else. If they recommend a slower speed than you have been using, work your way down to that speed in small increments on multiple approaches. And then do a few more tests to work your way down to a speed 5 kt lower than your target speed. The 5 kt slow too slow landing confirms you can get an acceptable flare and touchdown if you ever hit a gust on final, or get distracted and get 5 kt too slow.
 
What I like to do is on my first flight of any aircraft, just fly it down to when you feel the start of a stall and then use that speed multiplied by 1.3. That way you won't have to worry about instrument errors and you will know what it is going to feel like before you get close to the ground. On a steady wind day I can bring in my RV4 at 55kts, but 60 is a safer speed.
 
I tend to enter the down wind leg just as I am pulling power (fixed pitch prop, also tail dragger) by the time I am abeam the numbers I have generally slowed to 85 knots and deploy two stages of flap, start the base turn at 75 knots drop another stage of flap, turn final at 70 knots, drop last stage of flap and try an maintain 70 knots, over the numbers I am generally at 65 knots.

Cheers
Eddie
 
I second Dan and Yen's comments.

The only thing I do different is to deploy all the flaps abeam the touchdown point and trim for my finale approach speed and fly the pattern at that number.

This allows you to stabilize the approach because you aren't making pitch changes when you drop the flaps on final.

Remember, Pitch for speed and Power for distance.
 
I second Dan and Yen's comments.

The only thing I do different is to deploy all the flaps abeam the touchdown point and trim for my finale approach speed and fly the pattern at that number.

This allows you to stabilize the approach because you aren't making pitch changes when you drop the flaps on final.

Remember, Pitch for speed and Power for distance.

In the -6, abeam the numbers is the pre-landing checklist--everything forward (mixture/prop), boost pump on, power (1700-1800),then as speed drops past 75, half flaps and trim for 70 as you start the descent. It works out great, since the airplane is configured from pattern altitude down. I might delay if the pattern's busy and I'm extending downwind, but it is still all done just before starting down. On the rare occasion we use full flaps, they get added on base or before starting down.
 
Well.....since I commonly fly in a class C with airline commuters and lots of GA jets, it is frequently straight in at 140 knots, slow to 70 kts at around 200 feet AGL, get the flaps in and keep slowing down 'till full stall touchdown.

Just sayin', the path to the end state can take many forms.
 
Well.....since I commonly fly in a class C with airline commuters and lots of GA jets, it is frequently straight in at 140 knots, slow to 70 kts at around 200 feet AGL, get the flaps in and keep slowing down 'till full stall touchdown.

Just sayin', the path to the end state can take many forms.
Same here. Quite a few transient military at my field. Fun to occasionally get the call, "slow for the F-18, 16, etc." ;) The planes are easy to operate either slow and stable, or come in a little more hot and bleed the speed. Just have to be comfortable with it. This flexibility gets me priority landing and taking off very often.

To address the original question, as already mentioned, don't fixate too much on numbers. They vary by plane/system error, and your loading. Learn the feel, too.
 
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speeds RV7a

Pattern until flaps 85k, no slower than 75 until short final. it will fly a lot slower than this but this is the sweet spot I have found. My plane below 65k with full flaps will really develop a fast sink rate without power.

It will also fly a nice practice ILS to a larger runway at 120k (no flaps) until short final and still slow down for a safe landing.
 
Approach speeds

Well you have got excellent advice here thus far. A stepdown in speed throughout the approach is good. I just finished my 7A and have six hours on it now. I set my speeds to mph to match vans numbers. I like 85, 80, 75mph on final and over the numbers at 70. Note: 1.3 x stall speed on mine is 75.4mph. It feels real good there for me. Have fun with the learning, I know I am.
Mike
 
Lot's of good points here, but to be honest folks' "numbers" mean very little to your airplane, your strip, your pitot static system, your configuration, etc... While in general they may give you some generalitis to work from, it can drastically change depending on configuration of your plane. For example, with a C/S prop you can be sloppy by 10+ kts and still easily nail a nice landing on a short strip....do that with a high idling FP prop and you'll fly over the whole runway. Also, a high/steep slipping power off approach vs. a long/shallow power on approach will have widely varying results - again depending on equipment, conditions, etc...

Just my 2 cents as usual!

Cheers,
Stein
 
How do indicated numbers vary with DA?
IAS at the stall does not vary with DA for light aircraft, so there should be no reason to vary approach speed with DA. Of course the TAS for a given IAS does vary with DA, so the runway distance required for landing varies significantly with DA.
 
IAS at the stall does not vary with DA for light aircraft, so there should be no reason to vary approach speed with DA. Of course the TAS for a given IAS does vary with DA, so the runway distance required for landing varies significantly with DA.
Thanks. I stand corrected - again. :)
 
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