I now own a purchased RV6A, but I did build and RV7A. I went through 4 different engine configurations in the 7A all variations of what once started out as an Egg STI package. This post is not to get into all of that stuff but...
On my last flight with my last Subie, it hit 55 inches of manifold pressure on early climbout after takeoff from KSEZ, Sedona, my home airport, (Lost boost control on the turbo). I knew something way bad was happening via the nasty vibration I felt in the airframe. I prefer not to get into the cause of the engine failure... maybe some day.
I was maybe 100' up and had instinctively pulled the throttle back to save the engine. It did not take long to prioritize on saving myself as getting back on the runway did not look like a good choice and the terrain around the airport is very bad. So, I throttled back up again to try to gain altitude, putting up with the vibrations knowing all the while I was destroying my custom built Sube engine. It worked.
I pulled the throttle back again but still felt I needed more altitude so in it went again, and then I made the the big, more than a U turn. First I banked to the right, and then went close to knife edge to the left to bring the machine around and find the runway.
The point of this post is to tell you all how nice it was in this situation to have my AOA in the glareshield to see out of the corner of my eye and to know that if I got close to a stall Betty was right there to remind me "Angle Angle Push Push". She did not have to say it but knowing she was there and having the little light bar sure helped me to make that turn and get safely back on the runway. If you don't have one think about it... I landed very full of adrenalin on the last 1/3 of the runway with nothing hurt but my pride and my engine.
My wife witnessed the event and reminded me of my promise to quite messing with the Sube package if I ever had another serious problems with it. The reminder was not needed, I knew that was the end of it when I touched down on the runway.
In normal operations it really helps if you want to land with a short roll out and it is fun to see how it reacts in slow flight and stalls.
This is one of the items I really miss from my 7A and I will be installing one soon in my 6A, along with the Show Planes flap positioning system.
And one more thing... It sure is nice to have an RV to fly again!
Randall in Carlsbad NM
On my last flight with my last Subie, it hit 55 inches of manifold pressure on early climbout after takeoff from KSEZ, Sedona, my home airport, (Lost boost control on the turbo). I knew something way bad was happening via the nasty vibration I felt in the airframe. I prefer not to get into the cause of the engine failure... maybe some day.
I was maybe 100' up and had instinctively pulled the throttle back to save the engine. It did not take long to prioritize on saving myself as getting back on the runway did not look like a good choice and the terrain around the airport is very bad. So, I throttled back up again to try to gain altitude, putting up with the vibrations knowing all the while I was destroying my custom built Sube engine. It worked.
I pulled the throttle back again but still felt I needed more altitude so in it went again, and then I made the the big, more than a U turn. First I banked to the right, and then went close to knife edge to the left to bring the machine around and find the runway.
The point of this post is to tell you all how nice it was in this situation to have my AOA in the glareshield to see out of the corner of my eye and to know that if I got close to a stall Betty was right there to remind me "Angle Angle Push Push". She did not have to say it but knowing she was there and having the little light bar sure helped me to make that turn and get safely back on the runway. If you don't have one think about it... I landed very full of adrenalin on the last 1/3 of the runway with nothing hurt but my pride and my engine.
My wife witnessed the event and reminded me of my promise to quite messing with the Sube package if I ever had another serious problems with it. The reminder was not needed, I knew that was the end of it when I touched down on the runway.
In normal operations it really helps if you want to land with a short roll out and it is fun to see how it reacts in slow flight and stalls.
This is one of the items I really miss from my 7A and I will be installing one soon in my 6A, along with the Show Planes flap positioning system.
And one more thing... It sure is nice to have an RV to fly again!
Randall in Carlsbad NM
