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RV-3: Quick ?Wow? Climb Data

Ironflight

Ironflight

VAF Moderator / Line Boy
Mentor
I won't claim this to be scientific (more of a "grab sample"), but I did an initial cut at a climb test this morning with Junior (RV-3B, 160 HP TMXIO-320, WW 151 Prop) and am truly amazed at the numbers!

1,000 ? 10,000 climb took 4:51 (just under 5 minutes), for an average ROC (averaging the 1 Hz data) of 1927 fpm (initial ROC was over 4,000 fpm).:eek::D

10,500 ? 14,500 took 3:20, for an average ROC of 1105 fpm. Yup ? better than 1,000 fpm ABOVE 10,000?. That was with about half fuel. And it is a "heavier" -3....:rolleyes:

(And we haven't even figured out the best ROC speeds yet - I just used 110 - 115 knots, like I do in the -8.)

Paul
 
Home sick Angel

That sounds like too much fun! I predict more 3 tail kits going out the door at Van's in 2012.
 
That's great climb performance! I suspect that once you do some more testing that the 4,000 ft initial climb rate you saw on this flight will prove to be an aberation, probably due to wind shears, or a bit of a zoom to get the IAS back to your target speed. I bet the true, stabilized initial rate of climb (i.e. at constant IAS and with no wind shears) will be less than 3,000 ft/min. But it'll still be a great performer.

Note: the standard way to remove the effects of wind shear from the climb test data is to do two runs at each speed, on headings 180 degrees apart, at 90 degrees to the predicted wind. Average the rates of climb from the two runs.

It would be interesting to eventually hook up some O2 and see what the absolute ceiling is.
 
Kevin Horton said:
That's great climb performance! I suspect that once you do some more testing that the 4,000 ft initial climb rate you saw on this flight will prove to be an aberation, probably due to wind shears, or a bit of a zoom to get the IAS back to your target speed. I bet the true, stabilized initial rate of climb (i.e. at constant IAS and with no wind shears) will be less than 3,000 ft/min. But it'll still be a great performer.

Note: the standard way to remove the effects of wind shear from the climb test data is to do two runs at each speed, on headings 180 degrees apart, at 90 degrees to the predicted wind. Average the rates of climb from the two runs.

It would be interesting to eventually hook up some O2 and see what the absolute ceiling is.
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Oh yes - I don't want to mislead anyone - the initial ROC was a zoom, most certainly. All I did to get the "average" in this case was to average the second-by-second data - I was curious how that would come out. It doesn't really mean anything, because the data is not weighted properly - but as I said, I don't know where I was relative to Best Rate anyway.

We'll be doing tests with O2 for certain - but clearly, the ceiling will be in the flight levels, and we can't do that under Phase 1 restrictions....
 
fatherson said:
And so are we, vicariously. Thanks, Junior!

--
Stephen
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Yeah, it's too bad Junior's too young to speak yet. I'd be interested in what he has to say about all this.

Hmmmm....what do you suppose his first words will be? Momma? Daddy?
Nope....my guess is....
Van! :D
 
Dear Van,

Please - please - please: Put out an 'updated' RV-3 and I would instantly become a repeat offender. :D

Bonus points if it can optionally have Xenos style wings.
 
Me too.....!

Well said Kevin. Yes if Van were to update the RV3 with a prepunched kit, I'm sure many, many existing RV owners would repeat offend and build one.

Maybe...just maybe given the RV1 refurbishment may put it on the to-do list for them...!:D

Greg (RV-7A 43hrs and loving it)
 
kevinh said:
Dear Van,

Please - please - please: Put out an 'updated' RV-3 and I would instantly become a repeat offender. :D

Bonus points if it can optionally have Xenos style wings.
Click to expand...

Uh, bonus for Onex style wings! I might even kick my sticky-stuff habit and build an aluminum plane if that happened!
 
initial climb rate you saw on this flight will prove to be an aberation,
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Jeez, nuthin like throwin a wet blanket on a proud moment - taken out of context OBVIOUSLY. Kevin - do work for the FAA?? He did say what the average climb rate was. And it was great. We all like seeing 4000 fpm, even if it is a zoom climb. I'll bet it 'zoomed' a little longer than most of the RV's on this site....
 
Hey TODR - 1700' by the end of the runway at KLBX the other day! And that was about best rate - not best angle....
 
Scott Hersha said:
Jeez, nuthin like throwin a wet blanket on a proud moment - taken out of context OBVIOUSLY. Kevin - do work for the FAA?? He did say what the average climb rate was. And it was great. We all like seeing 4000 fpm, even if it is a zoom climb. I'll bet it 'zoomed' a little longer than most of the RV's on this site....
Click to expand...

There was another post about Kevin that was deleted. It said something like he works for a major bizjet manufacturer. The last I knew, that was not true. Kevin has been a long time test pilot for Transport Canada, which is sort of like our FAA. This means he doesn't just test fly bizjets but all kinds off airplanes. I think I remember him talking about testing some of the Diamond small airplanes. I know he does test flying for airliners also. Very broad background indeed.

The thing is, Kevin Horton is the gold standard for information on airplane testing and I think Paul Dye is well aware of that and will not resent anything Kevin says. Kevin's web information on testing and his comments on this site are absolutely the gold standard. He knows what he is talking about and I always appreciate his observations.

rv8h.jpg

Kevin in his RV-8​
 
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Ironflight said:
Hey TODR - 1700' by the end of the runway at KLBX the other day! And that was about best rate - not best angle....
Click to expand...

In the interest of full disclosure:

1) Are Paul and Louise receiving a commission on all new -3 kits sales for 2012?

and more importantly:

2) Why the heck not?!?!?!? :)

--
Stephen
 
We recieve sufficient pleasure from watching all those potential repeat builders squirm...they know what they REALLY want.... ;)
 
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