M

mycole

Member
Looking for real world take off and landing numbers for the RV-8. I know what the Vans web site says, depending on engine hp, anywhere from a min of 250 feet at solo weight at the highest hp to 650 feet at gross w/ the lowest hp on take off. Landing goes from 300 to 500 feet. I'm assuming that these are from a paved runway. Anyone have any numbers off of a grass strip?

thx,

md
 
Grass

mycole said:
Looking for real world take off and landing numbers for the RV-8. I know what the Vans web site says, depending on engine hp, anywhere from a min of 250 feet at solo weight at the highest hp to 650 feet at gross w/ the lowest hp on take off. Landing goes from 300 to 500 feet. I'm assuming that these are from a paved runway. Anyone have any numbers off of a grass strip?

thx,

md
Click to expand...

There are a lot of variables when dealing with numbers for a grass runway. For instance, if the runway is dry and hard with little or no green grass the takeoff is going to be very close to pavement number. On the other hand if it is fairly deep, green, wet grass it is going to add some distance. The landing numbers, in general, are going to be a little longer due to lack of braking action. But again, is it wet deep grass or hard and dry? The numbers in Van's literature are doable, but a 500 foot landing takes some rather precise flying.

John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA
 
Landing is the limiting factor. You can takeoff out of any strip you can land on unless you're in a serious, serious density altitude situation.

Van's landing numbers are achievable on a calm day and on pavement. Grass strips reduce braking action, so you need to add maybe 20% to Van's numbers on a dry day and more for damp conditions. Beyond that, Van's landing distances are/were achieved under ideal circumstances. A good pilot who knew his airplane and didn't mind standing on the brakes.

In excellent conditions, I wouldn't attempt to land on less than a 1,000' strip. For routine operations, I'd consider the minimum to be a 1,500' strip in good condition. That would allow for slight airspeed excursions or turbulence which might impact the touchdown point or speed.
 
Thanks for the replies, gentlemen.

My strip is flat and hard with very short grass. Its length is 1100 feet with no obstacles at either end.

md
 
Hi MD

I'm no expert, but here's what was demo-ed to me. I bought my 150HP RV 8 a year ago from a Air Force F-15, F-4 driver with about 500 hours in the RV 8. He probably runs about 210-220 Lbs, and I was 183Lbs. With both of us in the airplane, he got it off in about 500 Ft. and 3 point landed in about 600Ft. At the time I thought "so what", but now that I've been flying it for a year and seen some of these fields, I'm thinking, " Boy, wish I could do it"!!

We've got an 1500 Ft. strip nearby and I won't touch it. I won't touch anything less than 3000 Ft., but that's my personal abilities. My airplane, even with only 150 Hp, in the right hands will do it.

It was sunny, and the grass was short and dry. I don't know how much fuel we had, but if full at 42 Gal., that would have put us at 1721 Lbs. Half tanks at 20 Gal. would have put us at 1589 Lbs.

I've been practicing short field takeoffs and landings, but what I'm going to do is measure 600 Ft. beside the runway I use ( cement), and then put some sort of marker there, so I can see from the cockpit how I'm doing.
 
With nearly 100hrs in an RV-8 - the sole limiting factor is the idiot sitting in the front, and how much distance it takes them to get from "first acceptable touchdown point" to actually being 3 wheels on the ground :eek:

We started as 500m min acceptable for landing, and might now drop that to a bit less on the assumption there are no "undershoot" obstructions...

Andy & Ellie Hill
http://www.g-hilz.co.uk
 
this is an old thread but it has had several related threads started over the years. One think to note (and something I missed the first dozen times I read Vans performance numbers) - "performance measured with Hartzell 2 Blade C/S prop". There are significant take-off and landing differences between a C/S and a FP.
 
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