Get this baby off the ground

gmcjetpilot · #1 02-24-2008, 10:56 PM

Very unimpressive and scary takeoff of Ilyushin IL76 freighter, fully laden for an 11 hour flight, warm day, no wind....... oh and look, no runway left either! (2:20 work safe)

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=aWtdtuspnoM

I don't think this was intentional. It needed all the runway. Transport jets are suppose to accelerate up to near rotation speed and still have some runway remaining. I suppose he could have held it down to get better initial climb performance, but the climb was not spectacular either, obviously from the video. If he would have lost an engine 3/4th down the runway or later, they would have been in deep kimchi. Lesson: For us RV'ers pick a takeoff point and if not off by than or accelerating too slow reject. Not to put down Russian aircraft, but I don't think they have the excessive performance like more modern western jets. If there where obstacles or fast rising terrain......ugly.

wingtime · #2 02-24-2008, 11:00 PM

I'd say that takeoff scored a 9.8 on the pucker factor for the flight crew!

Bill Wightman · #3 02-24-2008, 11:36 PM

Hey George - Check out the video of this Tu-134. Note the left engine failing - I assume right at or just fractionally past V1. The thing about this video is that the airplane wouldn't even lift off on the remaining engine. Explain that one! Crew error? Were they over weight or under speed, or both??

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fV3ivuxSHls

Edit: The point of showing this video here on VAF is basically to emphasize the need to PLAN your flights, from takeoff to landing, to ensure a safe outcome at the end. IMHO a fat logbook should be filled line by line with well planned and well executed flights. This Tu-134 crash gives me the idea that the mishap crew maybe didn't look at all relevant data for their takeoff (just a guess). But the point is that lack of planning can get you hurt. I believe this is the relevant point in George's post.

Do you know your RV's takeoff/obstacle/climb performance? If its a WAG in your mind, maybe it would be good to fly some test hops to collect some hard data.

My .02 - Y'all fly safe!!

gmcjetpilot · #4 02-26-2008, 10:51 AM

My two lessons related to long t/o runs:

I took off on a summer day, with passenger in my old RV4 on grass. It was not accelerating like I know it should. It would not take off, I did get it into the air and accelerated and all seemed fine, but I used most of the grass strip, with a ground run that was twice as long as usual. It turned out the brakes where dragging due to sticking caliper pistons. As the brake pads wear the piston comes out more and more and can get cocked, dragging the brakes. As the brakes cool the piston kind of frees up again. Now I change the brake pads more often.

Another time, I removed my carb and reinstalled it. I was very careful and checked it out completely. The fist flight the plane was a DOG. Now I was solo off a long hard surface runway, low DA, so no problem. My takeoff run was long, climb low and top speed was off as well? Well I landed and took the cowl off. After much head scratching I figured out I put the throttle cable in the wrong HOLE on the crabs throttle arm (that had several holes in it). The throttle was not opening the carb wide open.

If I would have had dragging brakes, partial closed throttle, off a short soft field, at gross, hot day, I would probably crash, if I did not reject the takeoff.

"Take offs are optional, landings are mandatory"