If you ain't got no chute, its moot
This is a new thread, started from this thread:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=34116
Is there anyone aware of a single instance of anyone successfully getting out of a stricken RV in flight and parachuting to safety. This covers a lot of topics, like parachutes, tip up RVs, etc. Feel free to weigh in on whatever, but my basic question remains. In 10+ years of being involved in RVs, I cannot think of a single instance, but I'm hoping somebody else can.
Well its a moot point if you don't wear a chute or can't get the canopy open. So you have a chute the question is can you get out of a RV. Yes (qualified):
Egress of different RV models:
A pilot in a
RV-8 with a catastrophic engine failure over Oregon bailed out. Sadly he had no chute. After opening the canopy, the oil/fuel engine fire and smoke was getting into the cockpit. Apparently the pilot felt getting out was better than riding it down. The autopsy I recall showed the pilot only had minor singe of the face but no major fire related injuries. If he had a chute he most likely would have survived. May be if you have a fire keep the canopy closed? I suspect the RV-3 should be like the RV-8 and possible to get out of in-flight.
In another case a
RV-4 flip over canopy departed the plane in flight accidentally. They landed with out incident. The RV-4 flip over canopy is made to rip off if opened in flight. In another case a RV-4 canopy flew off on the ground while taxing on grass; he gave it lots of power get going. The canopy was in a partial open position, with a taxi position latch. The latch popped open. The air just from the prop wash was enough to make the canopy fly off. With great surprise little damage was done and it was reused.
The
RV-6/7 tip-ups with the ejection handle should make that canopy come off with little effort. The
RV-6/7 slider canopy is thought (conjecture) to be too hard to open in flight. There have been no intentional or accidental in-flight openings I know of. The common wisdom is have front roller pins that can be pulled. The C-152 Aerobat has door pins to pull for bailout with a cable lanyard to that goes into the cockpit.
The RV-10 and RV-9 are not aerobatic and not really made to bail out, but I assume the RV-9 and 6/7 are close enough. The RV-10?
Opinion: Just because no one has bailed out does not mean a Chute in a sport acro plane like a RV is not a groovy thing. There is no doubt it can save your life. Frankly wearing chutes is the law if you do dual aerobatics. Personally I feel naked with out a chute doing aerobatics. I make full control deflections and put higher G's on the airframe. I could have a control jam or something could fail (more likely doing acro the straight and level). The case of the massive engine failure (connecting rod hanging out engine) causing fuel and oil to ignite is a night mare of every pilot, as is any in-flight fire. May be an active fire suppression system in the cowl might be money well spent, but its rare. The Sport Chute expert that I recommend to guys all the time is Allen Silvers (his site has lots of articles and info)
http://www.silverparachutes.com/ask_allen.html
I have gone to his seminars and he specializes in parachutes for pilots, gliders and aerobatics. He has some stories of guys that had a chute and wore their chute mostly. Well one day they flew and had either an airframe, control jam or fire, but their chute was in the hanger.
Folks want to put those ballistic chutes on their airframe but there is a simple solution. It is like insurance. You don't like paying for it and hope it is money wasted (ie never have to make a claim), you'll be glad to have it. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MANY SUCCESSFUL BAIL OUTS, JUST NOT IN RV's.
