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BlakeB

Well Known Member
You guys have any advice on making short field landings and short field take off?

Thanks!!!
RV8
 
Smokey....

.....Ray had a good writeup recently.

Go to 2000-3000 feet and slowly creep up to stall speed with full flaps. When you start feeling a little buffet right near the stall, add enough power to go around 5 MPH above stall, maintaining altitude. Do a few turns to 25-30 degree banks to get a feel for the airplane in this configuration and airspeed. If you'll duplicate this on your approach, you'll be dragging it in with power all the way 'til just before touchdown. You won't have much flare so be ready to not flare high. Apply hard braking as you raise the flaps, holding full aft stick.

Short field takeoffs are what RV's excel at anyway, so holding the brakes, revving to full power is about it. Your signature shows an RV8, so don't nose it over doing this. I'm not sure if an -8 will take full power and not go over. Anyone with an -8 care to enlighten?

Regards,
 
I am not a TD dragger pilot nor do I have an 8, but this is what I see by a neighbor who flies a Pitts and a Thorpe out of our 2200' strip with trees in the area, tall ones to the west, less tall to the east. Its a slam dunk approach from the west, less so from the east but that's down hill.

He never makes a full stall landing because as he says, I can't see anything. He spikes it on with a wheel landing, raises the tail and hits the brakes.

Don't know what is meant by a short field - 1000' (?) but that technique has worked will for him at this place.
(an 8 is on my agenda :)
 
BlakeB said:
You guys have any advice on making short field landings and short field take off?

Thanks!!!
RV8
Click to expand...

Yes,
A search of short field landings will lead you to hundreds of opinions that have already been bantered about.
 
My tips.

I operate a Super Cub, and in the past an RV9A out of 1020'. When I finish my -4, after getting used to it, that will also operate from the strip.

It is a slightly difficult strip in that at best it is across the prevailing wind, and I often also have to accept a tail wind, because of tall trees at one end.

The two tips I would suggest are:
1) If you are feeling in anyway challanged for a particular landing gently stall it before the approach, so you recalibrate what is going to happen and the speed at which it will happen today. That varies with CofG weight etc. I often take it to the stall on downwind, which I guess is a bit low. I advise you do it earlier, at height. Remember to advise the PAX. You could also take it down to 5mph above stall and do plenty of turns. Abuse it a little so you know what is going to happen. Again at height please.

2) I compare the ASI and the GPS groundspeed just before the threshold. If the tailwind component is more than I am expecting I can chuck it away and make a new plan.

The strip is here. http://gikonwhy4.blogspot.com/
 
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