Av8torTom

Av8torTom

Well Known Member
I read in another post here that RV-9s do not slip very well. Can someone expand on this point for me? What are people's experiences with side and forward slips in the 9?

Thanks,

Tom
 
They Slip Great!

I suppose it is a matter of opinion, but I think they slip really well. I rarely land using flaps, and much prefer a slip to scrub speed and altitude. If you really want to come down quickly, full rudder slips with full flaps are like the express elevator down!

Slips are really fun, too. Nothing quite like looking down final out the side of the canopy!
 
Do it all of the time. I takes a lot of pedal force, but it's very effective. Sometimes it's the only way to slow down and get down.

If you are having trouble, try pulling back a bit on the stick, but be careful not to stall. Pulling back adds additional air braking and reduces the rudder force somewhat. Once you get below 60 knots, it will really come down fast.

Try this at altitude first.

Vern
 
Yeah, but be careful...

...during prolonged slips that you're not on the tank that's low...could starve the engine as someone on here found out recently. Be sure you're on the "high" tank so that the fuel will be forced toward the wing root.

Best,
 
Compared to other aircraft (Cessnas and Pipers) they don't slip very well. It takes considerable rudder force and doesn't produce a significant increased rate of descent. For example, power at idle, full flaps and 70KIAS my rate of descent is about 5-600 FPM. In a full slip I see it increase to 8 or 900 FPM. In a 172 it's pretty easy to get it over 1500 FPM. I don't believe there is enough surface area in the slip to produce high amounts of drag. Still, I slip often and have not noticed any airspeed or altitude errors. In order to really get the plane to increase the rate of descent you have to slow it to about 60KIAS. I have not done any "cross-control" or "slip" stalls, so I am not comfortable slipping below 60. I have done an "approach to a stall" at altitude in a slip configuration and the stall buffet seemed to be pronounced. I have yet to do a full stall in the slip and am curious how the plane will react. I suspect it will self-recover, but I don't know for sure. I also would like to test the extended slip effect on fuel pickup as Pierre comment on. For now I use my high wing fuel tank in the traffic pattern.
 
vlittle said:
Do it all of the time. I takes a lot of pedal force, but it's very effective. Sometimes it's the only way to slow down and get down.
Click to expand...

A C/S prop allows even a longer winged "9" to get down quick... too. :)

L.Adamson --- RV6A HartzellC/S
 
apkp777 said:
Compared to other aircraft (Cessnas and Pipers) they don't slip very well. It takes considerable rudder force and doesn't produce a significant increased rate of descent. For example, power at idle, full flaps and 70KIAS my rate of descent is about 5-600 FPM. In a full slip I see it increase to 8 or 900 FPM. In a 172 it's pretty easy to get it over 1500 FPM. I don't believe there is enough surface area in the slip to produce high amounts of drag. Still, I slip often and have not noticed any airspeed or altitude errors. In order to really get the plane to increase the rate of descent you have to slow it to about 60KIAS. I have not done any "cross-control" or "slip" stalls, so I am not comfortable slipping below 60. I have done an "approach to a stall" at altitude in a slip configuration and the stall buffet seemed to be pronounced. I have yet to do a full stall in the slip and am curious how the plane will react. I suspect it will self-recover, but I don't know for sure. I also would like to test the extended slip effect on fuel pickup as Pierre comment on. For now I use my high wing fuel tank in the traffic pattern.
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Agree RV's don't slip very well. I've never flown a -9, but my RV-3 would not stall in a full slip with full aft stick. This also means it won't spin. Many conventional airplanes...Cubs, Citabrias, even my Pitts behave this way. I'd imagine the -9 is the same. Give it a try. Just be careful that you simultaneously release aileron and rudder coming out of a full slip at slow airspeed. If you get hamfisted and leave in too much rudder and aft stick without any (or enough) opposite aileron, you will end up in a skid, which is very dangerous and could possibly lead to a stall/spin.
 
Huh?

I don't know where you heard that one. You can fly these things sideways if you get your airspeed low enough to deflect the rudder enough.
 
Steve said:
I don't know where you heard that one. You can fly these things sideways if you get your airspeed low enough to deflect the rudder enough.
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"Sideways" does not necessarily equal dramatically increased glide angle/descent rate. Maybe unlike all the other RV's, the -9 is a wicked slipping wonderbus. I was talking about RV's in general since I've only flown all the other lower-than-9 models. They are rudder-limited in my opinion. These airplanes also don't have a lot of drag or side area to exploit. RV's slip better than a C-150 (not saying much), but compared to Cubs, Champs, Stearmans, Pitts, etc. they are aileron/rudder unbalanced and slips just aren't nearly as effective as other airplanes (in my opinion). But then maybe the RV-9 comes down like a Pitts, I don't know. I would think the -9 would slip less effectively than the others due to its longer wing and more aerodynamically efficient nature.
 
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Yeah, I can fly mine sideways no problem. It just doesn't help the rate of descent much. The -9 does have a large, effective rudder. At speeds below 65 Kts it is much easier to make a full deflection.
 
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allbee said:
slips, yup they are hard to do in an RV.
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How are they "hard"??

allbee said:
pull power off, the prop goes flat automatically.
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What kind of prop do you have??

allbee said:
but what works the best is S turns, now sometimes I slip with right rudder, which is hard if speed is around 80kts, and left aileron and put it into a side slip, than I'll pull hard right aileron with no rudder and repeat all the way down, this is on a final into the left runway, helps with traffic on the right runway, my airport has two runways. Now if I can do a base to final and my speed is to much I run 80kts with the c/s no problem, what I do is make a nice hard base to final, like 60degrees and it will lower my speed to 70kts right now, way cool, and don't forget, full flaps on decent from the downwind. this works great for me, I can't speak for those with a set prop. I can't imagine that one.
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You sure have a unique style...
 
allbee said:
Just to let you know, I put in about 350hrs a year so I'm a little more experienced than most.
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Hours are no indicator of skill, judgment, and experience - they just happen to be the only data point the insurance companies have. But your posts leave little doubt about your skills. ;)
 
luddite42 said:
Hours are no indicator of skill, judgment, and experience - they just happen to be the only data point the insurance companies have. But your posts leave little doubt about your skills. ;)
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This post should be censored. Seems really unnecessary and benefits no one.
 
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allbee said:
what?

Now let me put this out about slips I love them, in the kitfox they are a non event, they work very well. In an RV, I don't care which one you have, they are not that affective. That's comparing to the kitfox anyway. I generally don't use them, I find the s turn more effective, or a steep turn on base to final. I'm done.
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I agree with you, slips in a -9 are not particularly effective. I too use "S" turns to aid in descents. A C/S prop is a luxury I don't have.

The quote "Hours are no indicator of skill, judgment, and experience - they just happen to be the only data point the insurance companies have. But your posts leave little doubt about your skills." Seems to be to be an insult. Maybe I am misreading it. Your input on slips is valid and shouldn't turn this discussion into another endless debate about technique.
 
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Why censor it? It was that persons opinion. I read it to say it left little doubt of allbee's technique. It did not say he had no technique or skills. You have your opinion, everyone else is entitled to theirs. That doesn't mean people should be censored just because you don't like what they have to say.
 
mustang68w said:
Why censor it? It was that persons opinion. I read it to say it left little doubt of allbee's technique. It did not say he had no technique or skills. You have your opinion, everyone else is entitled to theirs. That doesn't mean people should be censored just because you don't like what they have to say.
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As I said, maybe I am mis-reading it. The quote "Hours are no indicator of skill, judgment, and experience" Seems to me to be out-of-place, and obviously completely absurd.
 
I will try to get this thread back on track. Sorry for my own thread drift on it.

Av8torTom said:
I read in another post here that RV-9s do not slip very well. Can someone expand on this point for me? What are people's experiences with side and forward slips in the 9?

Thanks,

Tom
Click to expand...
 
??

Re an earlier post, full flaps, 70 knots and 600 fpm, yields a glide ratio of almost 12:1. This does not seem possible with full flaps. The CAFE testing yielded best glide ratio without flaps of 12:1 (at 95 mph).

And, a slip, full flaps, 70 knots and 900 fpm yields a glide ratio of 8:1, which seems about right for full flaps with no slip.

I don't fly the 9, but am I alone in being curious about these numbers?

My 6A drops like a rock with full right rudder, left aileron. I've never looked at the vsi, but will on the next flight.
 
AlexPeterson said:
Re an earlier post, full flaps, 70 knots and 600 fpm, yields a glide ratio of almost 12:1. This does not seem possible with full flaps. ....
Click to expand...

Yep, makes me question it too, when you put it that way. Gives me a reason to go fly tomorrow and gather some data. My numbers are solo weight and the CAFE numbers are near gross. Also, they are using a C/S prop with coarse pitch. I am not sure exactly how that translate to my configuration.
 
I, like others, use a side slip in my RV9A and find it safe and useful in getting down for landing if I come in too high or too hot. I also use a forward slip instead of crabbing into a cross wind and have had no trouble with x-winds up to 15-18 knots.
I do find, as mentioned above, that I must hold the nose up more than I did in my old Cherokee 140 or I will gain speed even while in a slip.
I am not sure what the upper speed limit is for slipping the RV9 or even if there is one. Anyone got any ideas?
 
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