Video: A view of an RV-7A landing gear when touching down

SmittysRV · #1 10-23-2015, 12:25 PM

A unique video view of the landing gear on a Van's RV-7A during some practice landings. Video submitted to TheHDPilot by Gene Lee.

http://www.thehdpilot.com/aviation-video.aspx?id=71

BillFear · #2 10-23-2015, 12:58 PM

Thanks for taking the time to post this. Very interesting and great quality.

ppilotmike · #3 10-23-2015, 01:59 PM

Seems like you could be a little more flared and/or hold the nose off longer, but nice controlled touchdowns, and great film quality. Thanks.

rv4dude17 · #4 10-23-2015, 02:21 PM

Nice Video. Just curious, where did you get that mount for the gopro to mount to the tiedown threads?

rhill · #5 10-23-2015, 02:39 PM

Is this a stock nose wheel bearing set up as supplied by Vans?

Fred.Stucklen · #6 10-23-2015, 06:09 PM

So what was your touch down speed? I'd guess it was somewhere around 75 - 80 knots.

Try holding the nose wheel off until the elevator runs out of authority.... slow your landing speed down to 65-75 knots and the nose wheel will be off longer... On take offs, or go arounds, raise the nose such that the top of the cowl is parallel with the runway (which results in plenty of tree line in the windshield).

Do you have the stock front wheel axel?

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmittysRV

A unique video view of the landing gear on a Van's RV-7A during some practice landings.

http://www.thehdpilot.com/aviation-video.aspx?id=71

Captain Avgas · #7 10-23-2015, 07:08 PM

I used to land like that (and I thought I was doing a pretty good job ha ha ha) until I went and did some transition training with Mike Seagar in Oregon. And then I discovered that my previous landings (and take-offs) were cr@p and that I was jeopardising that fragile nose wheel.

In the take-off Mike teaches you to get the nose wheel off the ground as soon as you have authority to do so. Basically that's within a few seconds.

And then on landing he teaches you to keep the nose wheel off the ground until there is no further elevator authority left i.e. stick fully back.

I went up as a passenger in an RV9A some time back and before we took off I asked the pilot if he kept the nose wheel off the ground on take-off and landing. And he said: "Yep, of course". And then he proceeded to roll down the runway dead flat and yanked the nose wheel off the ground at the rotation. On landing the nose wheel plopped down to the ground within 1 second of the mains. And this was on a dead calm day. Without transition training he just didn't have any comprehension about the flaws in his technique.

Just about everyone I see with a nose wheel RV takes off and lands way too flat.

And, as others have pointed out on this thread, the OP is no exception. However the value of the video is that it shows what poor technique really is....and in that respect it is very valuable.

Jamie · #8 10-23-2015, 07:38 PM

I liked to do touch-n-go's without the nose gear touching down. That's the best way to learn to fly the -A models, IMHO.

In my -7A I was able to hold the nose off until around 30kts very consistently. Practice every landing like it's a soft-field landing.

Captain Avgas · #9 10-23-2015, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamie

I liked to do touch-n-go's without the nose gear touching down. That's the best way to learn to fly the -A models, IMHO.

Excellent advice. I do the same.

rhill · #10 10-23-2015, 07:55 PM

Landing Flat is a common issue for a lot of certified nose wheel pilots also. Its the bearing binding and the small nose wheel that makes this dangerous in a RV#A.Soft field technique is only part of the equation.Bearing modification as well as other bracing improves your odds but does not reach the standard of production planes or even other designs from Vans for that matter.
RHill