Howdy Ed
I sent Marvin the raw data from the video flight so he can compare it with raw data from some of his flights. We will see what we will see!
And it's worth remembering that winds were **reported** at 9G14. There is a wind readout under the airspeed indicator, and it is set to display headwind and crosswind components. It seems to be pretty heavily damped as it doesn't get nervous about all the gusts.
Hello Ed,
I believe we have a miscommunication. I doubt I could find a comparable flight to compare data across our aircraft. I was simply interested in the G data from your video, the pitch oscillations seem more inline with higher wind gusts. From my perspective, your video shows the AOA matches the up and down oscillations of pitch attitude shown on the PFD. Stabilize the pitch and the AOA will subside and vice versa. The fact that the airspeed was stable does not mean the flight was stable if the airspeed data was damped within the EFIS system.
The image above are three intentional stalls in the cruise configuration. The G3X AOA did a very consistent job of indicating the flight condition.
I surmise that you find airspeed more suitable for your flight parameters and that is your choice. I prefer stabilized pitch/AOA. We will simply need to agree to disagree hopefully without being disagreeable. This board is only of interest to me when it’s respectful.
I’m an AOA man through and through. My takeoffs and landings are shorter and more consistent using AOA. My aerobatics are more consistent because AOA is simply energy management without concern for weight, altitude, temperature, or G loading. AOA is AOA that cannot be said for airspeed thus we train normal stalls and accelerated stalls when referencing airspeed. What is your stall speed variation at 1G and 2G? I can pull 2Gs then stop the pull when my AOA indicates 1.3Vso I cross reference airspeed but I already know to unload the wings.
Now does that mean AOA is the bees knees of aviation? Of course not! It is a tool, nothing more nothing less. Surely you do not fly airspeed to the exclusion of all your other instruments to include outside references. Would you use airspeed independent of vertical velocity? Neither would I use AOA independent of other indications. There are flight regimes where I prefer airspeed and others where I prefer AOA, for instance I find no value in AOA during normal cruise flight; but for a loop I pull 3Gs then transition immediately to AOA, 1.3Vso is the same upright or inverted.
As for fixation on a gauge, I doubt AOA is the only available resource for fixation. Pilots are susceptible to fixation on many things thats why I strain to look at my wife’s eyes when she is talking.
At work I’m required to calculate a Vref for every landing. Oddly, that Vref seems to be at 1.3Vso on my AOA despite a fuel load weight variance of more than 40,000 lbs. that is a typical cross check I run for every flight. We do increase that speed for gusty days, but we are only allowed 1/2 the gust factor not to exceed 5kts. In other words very very very close to 1.3Vso.
Respectfully,
Marvin
P.S. - Vac is doing some very interesting work at
www.flyonspeed.org. I will be adding his Gen3 to my aircraft at some point.