why MPH instead of knots?

[Plummit]

It has to do with the type of primer used...

-Marc

[Blw2]

yeah, no....I feel like it's not yet into the folly territory at all.

MPH indication in vintage aircraft...sure. I've got many hours flying those. That used to be common of course....but those aircraft were firmly already vintage when I learned to fly back in the 1990's!!!
I always HATED flying those aircraft only for that reason. Otherwise they were great!

Other than situation where the operating limitations are all published in MPH (such as those vintage aircraft)...but even this seems like a weak reason to me...

or when the instrumentation is calibrated that way so your hand is forced

I can't imagine why anyone in modern aviation would choose to fly in statute miles
winds and pretty much all navigation are based on nautical. ATC works in nautical

oh, looking again I now see that they publish mph for all their aircraft. I was thinking before it was just the 12, for some reason and thought it might have something to do with the LSA regulations. Now I'm even more perplexed!

Why Vans? just why?

[JonJay]

Someone should ask Van.

Here's my WAG -

WWII Army aircraft used MPH. Navy used Knots.(there is some debate even within those circles, but this is thought)

Ray Stits was an Army Mechanic during the War. It is likely he used MPH in the Playboy. Van was an Airforce Signal man, post war. Although Van could have used whatever he wanted in the Playboy conversion, he chose MPH in the RV1 and that is what it had when I flew it.

So, my guess is, it is what Van was used to and that stuck from the RV1 on forward. ( although I am sure Van was equally proficient in pilotage either way)

[gasman]

Originally Posted by Desert Rat

The irony in this statement is that 200 mph is about 170 kts, not 160

The irony of THIS statement is it is actually (rounded off) 174 kts. not 170...

[RV8JD]

Van's started producing kits in the mid 1970's. At that time MPH was pretty much the standard for GA airplanes. And apparently they just stuck with it. But use what you want. And the conversion between the two is not difficult.

Van's aircraft timeline:

[David Paule]

Flying VFR and generally not in the ATC system, I can use whatever. Since my flying experience dates back to the '60s and my other airplane uses mph, my RV-3B will too.

My sailboat uses knots. You would be surprised how many it takes to hold that thing together.

Dave

[JonJay]

Originally Posted by Blw2

yeah, no....I feel like it's not yet into the folly territory at all.

MPH indication in vintage aircraft...sure. I've got many hours flying those. That used to be common of course....but those aircraft were firmly already vintage when I learned to fly back in the 1990's!!!
I always HATED flying those aircraft only for that reason. Otherwise they were great!

Other than situation where the operating limitations are all published in MPH (such as those vintage aircraft)...but even this seems like a weak reason to me...

or when the instrumentation is calibrated that way so your hand is forced

I can't imagine why anyone in modern aviation would choose to fly in statute miles
winds and pretty much all navigation are based on nautical. ATC works in nautical

oh, looking again I now see that they publish mph for all their aircraft. I was thinking before it was just the 12, for some reason and thought it might have something to do with the LSA regulations. Now I'm even more perplexed!

Why Vans? just why?

My Bucker is in "Klicks" (KPH). Try that on for size.
I have a conversion table glued near the instrument panel. I can do most of it in my head, (close enough) but it comes in handy at times.
KPH, KTS, MPH chart with about 10 different airspeeds.

[Pat Falley]

A nautical mile is used for navigation because it is 1/60 degree of latitude. For anyone else still using sectionals, any vertical line of longitude will have mile tick marks that are to scale. It makes it easy to find distance quickly when flying, (but in nautical miles).

[Mel]

I fly from the left side and have everything set up in knots. My Wife flies from the right seat and has her side set up in MPH.

She goes faster than I do but has farther to go, so we both get there about the same time!

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by rolivi

200 MPH sounds faster...

This is the real answer. But also, given the majority of the market is in the US, and most of those people understand what mph are because they drive their cars around in it.