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Landing Speed

In calm winds, at what speed(KIAS) do you normally land your RV-10?

  • <70

    Votes: 19 50.0%
  • 70

    Votes: 8 21.1%
  • 72

    Votes: 2 5.3%
  • 74

    Votes: 4 10.5%
  • 76

    Votes: 5 13.2%
  • 78

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 80

    Votes: 2 5.3%
  • >80

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Depends on how I feel that day

    Votes: 3 7.9%
  • None of the above

    Votes: 1 2.6%

  • Total voters
    38

Mike Meehan

Well Known Member
Friend
Only ten poll choices allowed so pick the closest one--you can select more than one. So, if you normally land at 75 you can choose 74, 76 or both 74 & 76.
 
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Assuming no short field etc, I like to come across the numbers with the speed decaying below 70, touchdown as it decays to about 60.
 
I don’t regularly fly RV-10’s, so no dog in the fight…. But are you talking approach speed, fence speed, final approach speed, or touchdown speed…or the stall speed when you actually touch down? Or something else?

Without knowing what you’re asking, your data won’t mean a thing.
 
Only ten poll choices allowed so pick the closest one--you can select more than one. So, if you normally land at 75 you can choose 74, 76 or both 74 & 76.

The simple definition of land is when the aircraft settles onto the ground. If that is the intent of your question, then your speed selection range is way too high.
 
65 to 66 Knots VFR final approach speed


Warning: subject related AoA rant/praise plus some data...

I recently started flying Angle of Attack and knocked 9 Knots off my final approach speed. I was flying it at 75 per Mike Seager, which is of course a good speed for max gross, and a good speed for instructing. But, with two 175 pounders in the front and 50 pounds ballast in the baggage compartment, half-ish fuel, full flaps, I set 1600 RPM and pitch for 66. That puts me at a couple knots over "on speed". My landings have never been so good and so short and on the numbers.

My flight instructor and I went up to altitude to calibrate and test the SkyView AOA system. Then, after calibration, we saw approach speeds as low as 61-63 at 5000 ASL and still the flight controls felt nice and responsive, not mushy. We did multiple power off stalls with full flaps, 51-53 Knots, again at 5000 ASL. Also power-off stalls at 0 degrees flaps, 61-63 Knots and no stall break, just a good way to lose a lot of altitude in a short forward distance.

Stalls and slow-flight used to give me sweaty palms. Now, having a visual reference plus audio tone when "on speed," I've been doing some slow-flight almost every flight since, for fun! Also, I love glancing down at the AoA indicator when on the base-to-final turn and seeing all of my reserve lift! Flying AoA, it seems, makes for a better performing, safer, more capable airplane.
 
You actually can't land the aircraft without stalling the wing. If the wing is not stalled, the wing is still flying and the brakes are not very effective until the wing is stalled.

The RV9 group eventually figures this out. And then they can enjoy their short landing capability.

So based on Van's chart, at 2200# you will be close to 57mph (49kts).
And at 2700# about 63mph (54kts). Land your aircraft based on YOUR stall speeds during phase 1.
...................................................................................................................................................


CORRECTION...... When I wrote the above statement, I was only thinking about how I land MY RV. I land every time as a short field landing. I do not fly it on. I do not drag it on. In a no wind condition, when my mains touch down, I continue to add elevator (to full aft.) and brake (50% thicker discs) at the same time.... the wing is done flying. And the flaps ARE still down.

Do not apply any information in this post, to your landings, without fully understanding your aircraft.
 
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Unless you have recording instruments, or an observer on board, the correct answer should be ‘I don’t know’. Just prior to touchdown, airspeed decaying, your eyes belong outside. And of course it depends on weight, which, for a -10, can vary considerably.
Edit: you may be able to make an educated guess if you can hear a calibrated AOA tone, know your weight, etc.
 
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You actually can't land the aircraft without stalling the wing. If the wing is not stalled, the wing is still flying and the brakes are not very effective until the wing is stalled.

The RV9 group eventually figures this out. And then they can enjoy their short landing capability.

So based on Van's chart, at 2200# you will be close to 57mph (49kts).
And at 2700# about 63mph (54kts). Land your aircraft based on YOUR stall speeds during phase 1.

Not true. The wing does NOT need to be in a stalled condition to land…and in cases where there is any type of gust, you do not want to be right at stall speed, especially on approach.

Typical approach speeds are around 1.3 Vs, at gross approximately 72 knots, slowing over the fence to something less than that. If it’s gusty, add a few knots to increase the margin. I prefer half flap landings in my -10 and use about 76 knots on approach, give or take.

I definitely agree that your speeds should be predicated on your specific airplane; each one is just a bit different.
 
You actually can't land the aircraft without stalling the wing. If the wing is not stalled, the wing is still flying and the brakes are not very effective until the wing is stalled.
1.

Sorry for the thread drift….
The above statement is simply not true. Not saying that landing at minimum possible speed is not desirable. But it’s not a necessary condition. Remember a stall - a disruption of smooth airflow attached to the wing - is a function of angle of attack, only. When all three wheels of a nose gear airplane are on the runway, the angle of attack is near zero, so little lift is generated. But the wing is not stalled. Same thing for a TW airplane doing a ‘wheel’ landing.
 
Not true. The wing does NOT need to be in a stalled condition to land…and in cases where there is any type of gust, you do not want to be right at stall speed, especially on approach.

Typical approach speeds are around 1.3 Vs, at gross approximately 72 knots, slowing over the fence to something less than that. If it’s gusty, add a few knots to increase the margin. I prefer half flap landings in my -10 and use about 76 knots on approach, give or take.

I definitely agree that your speeds should be predicated on your specific airplane; each one is just a bit different.

Sorry for the confusion..... I expected that everyone understood needing adjusting approach speed based on conditions.

You will notice, I was not talking about approach speeds.
 
Sorry for the confusion..... I expected that everyone understood needing adjusting approach speed based on conditions.

You will notice, I was not talking about approach speeds.

…and you need to understand that landing with a wing in a stalled condition is neither required or recommended in most cases.

Also, every landing is preceded by an approach; that approach is an important part of the landing.
 
Sorry for the thread drift….
The above statement is simply not true. Not saying that landing at minimum possible speed is not desirable. But it’s not a necessary condition. Remember a stall - a disruption of smooth airflow attached to the wing - is a function of angle of attack, only. When all three wheels of a nose gear airplane are on the runway, the angle of attack is near zero, so little lift is generated. But the wing is not stalled. Same thing for a TW airplane doing a ‘wheel’ landing.

You are correct! I should have said..... no longer creating lift.
 
…and you need to understand that landing with a wing in a stalled condition is neither required or recommended in most cases.

Also, every landing is preceded by an approach; that approach is an important part of the landing.

The OP was not talking about approach speed.
 
You are correct! I should have said..... no longer creating lift.

In order to "have landed" the wing must be producing less lift than the weight. It is not necessary that it create zero lift. Obviously braking is reduced when there is residual lift.

But the normal Van's mantra for landing tricycle airplanes is to hold the nose wheel off as long as possible. In doing so, the wing is making "some" lift. For a good touchdown, the wing is producing lift essentially equal to weight. Hold the nose there as you decelerate and the lift decays with reducing speed.
 
In order to "have landed" the wing must be producing less lift than the weight. It is not necessary that it create zero lift. Obviously braking is reduced when there is residual lift.

But the normal Van's mantra for landing tricycle airplanes is to hold the nose wheel off as long as possible. In doing so, the wing is making "some" lift. For a good touchdown, the wing is producing lift essentially equal to weight. Hold the nose there as you decelerate and the lift decays with reducing speed.

How about.... no longer creating enough lift to sustain flight.
 
Done here..........:rolleyes:

It's a new page. Let's get back to the OP's poll.
 
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Need to be specific

Have to agree with Paul in that your in a continuous decaying speed situation and need to be very specific about what phase of the landing. Per the poll you can only pick one number. I was taught that in a mythical perfect landing you stall the plane an 1/8” above the ground. The only exception being a wheel landing. Rarely happens for me :). Certainly could be exceptions for some types of planes. . I wince when I see nose wheel planes landing on all three wheels at once with almost zero angle of attack. Poor technique in my opinion.
 
50 feet and touchdown IAS

I pulled data on 150+ landings in my RV-10 over the last year on IAS at 50 feet and at touchdown to provide some empirical data. The graphs are attached below. Obviously, these can be swayed one way or the other by conditions of the day, loading, etc. Viewing it as a range and histogram to give directional guidance, not anything down to the knot.
 

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So far, this is the best answer! ;)

I pulled data on 150+ landings in my RV-10 over the last year on IAS at 50 feet and at touchdown to provide some empirical data. The graphs are attached below. Obviously, these can be swayed one way or the other by conditions of the day, loading, etc. Viewing it as a range and histogram to give directional guidance, not anything down to the knot.
 
There are numerous threads discussing AOA here on VAF. Learn how to do a search for them and you'll see. Also, many of the kits that Van's sells have a tab-type stall warning buzzer, and that's a single-point AOA.

Dave
 
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