RV-1 update

Jerry Fischer · #1 11-21-2014, 11:02 AM

I flew the Mockingbird this morning.
Just .5 hrs @ 5000feet to do a stall series.
lost 400 feet with no flaps, left wing drops first. Recovery just basic right rudder, lower the nose, add power. Weather is very clear & smooth so we may fly again tomorrow if it's as nice.
Y'all have a Happy thanksgiving & fly safe.

JonJay · #2 11-21-2014, 11:58 AM

When I flew the original RV1 and did stall testing, altitude loss was minimal. I am a bit surprised to see 400' loss before recovery.
It did not drop a wing and stalled dead on straight.
I found the RV1 to have similar stall characteristics of the rest of the fleet.
Good to see you flying yours.

Jerry Fischer · #3 11-21-2014, 02:00 PM

Hi Jon, thanks for the info. Was the stall you indicated with or without flaps?
I will reconfirm stall characteristics again tomorrow if I fly. 400 ft seemed a little more than I would expect. I set up at 5000 ft. power at 1500RPM. no flaps.
With power off with flaps it is 150 ft. altitude loss with slight left wing drop.
(5 gal. in left tank, 8 gal in right). 5 gal in header tank.
I will be doing power on stalls (simulating take-off) on next flights.
Please feel free to share your stall data in different config., so I can compare.
I do know the angle of incidence is different as well as the dihedral ( higher)on my plane compared to Dick's RV1. This is more likely to contribute to the wing drop.

JonJay · #4 11-26-2014, 09:31 AM

I did both and it was only on my initial flight. I did not document specifics, just wanted to know what she did before I made any landings. She dropped straight and moderately, soft break, just like the other RV's. They all where power at idle I only did a couple of each. Didn't need to learn anything more and they prohibited spins and aerobatics anyway. There are a few rules when you are flying a one of a kind museum piece.
I wouldn't be concerned necessarily as long as you know what it does in stall and more importantly eminent stall recognition and correction. The wing drop is a little more concerning but I am sure you can sort that out through your flight testing.
The original RV1 did not have wing tanks, only a main center mounted tank.

Ironflight · #5 11-26-2014, 10:33 AM

As the first guy to fly the original in a long time, and feeling obligated not to pass on a problem plane to the team that would fly it around the country, I recall doing a stall series as part of the Phase I after the re-inspection. And that's about all I recall Jerry - nothing unusual, nothing scary - very being and RV-like. Now the bent landing gear - that was another matter when it came to rolling out....

rvbuilder2002 · #6 11-26-2014, 10:49 AM

Not saying that it would necessarily have an influence on the stall characteristics, but the RV-1 that Jerry has is not built as an exact copy of Van's original.

One major difference is the aileron design. I think the original has ailerons that are very similar to contemporary RV's.
Jerry's example (if I remember right) has ailerons that are hinged along the top edge more like what is on a Cessna (no friese action).