I have been thinking about this post a bit today, and (because the internet and what's put out there lasts forever) I would like to post an alternative viewpoint to this kind of flight testing.
Generally, I'm against shutting down an engine for "test" reasons if not needed, especially if it's the only one installed on the aircraft. For whatever reason, if you do so and it fails to restart, you've just turned your "simulated" emergency into the real deal...and you did it to yourself, to boot.
An old flying buddy tells me when ideas like this occur to me to think "How will what I did sound, from the FAA investigation backwards."
While it might appear that the risks might be low due to proximity to the airport, runway length, etc., it's the unplanned, can't happen "stuff" that somehow occurs that can suddenly take you someplace you never thought you'd end up. If the engine doesn't restart, stress levels will go up (a lot) and the calm, logical computing device your brain was up till this point will likely go into abacus mode and probably be somewhere in airspace 5 disbelieving minutes behind your current location.
And for what? A datapoint, that, all things being equal was probably already possessed (either from this website or flight test at idle) and was close enough to being "real life" useful to negate any gain vs the risk taken.
If really wanting to fly and learn what it's like to land without a motor is what's desired, my suggestion is that the safest avenue would be to reach out to a glider club with an older, early generation glider like a SGS 2-33 or something similar.
Schedule several flights with their biggest, fattest instructor and put as much ballast weight in as the gross weight allows. Go out on a hot day, take a 3000' (or more) tow over the airport, release, and fully deploy the spoilers and leave them out till landing (or until the IP says otherwise.) Spiral down, set up your high and low key and see how well you do spotting the landing. Safe, great fun, and you help the local glider club stay solvent.
While I'm not sure the 2-33 will quite have matching glide performance as an engine-out RV, I'm betting it will be a reasonable enough simulation (the 2-33 is a pretty doggy glider) to be close. The head game you'll play trading off altitude, pattern location and landing spot will keep your Mark I/Mod 0 CPU plenty busy enough not to notice the difference is what I'll bet. Do it 2 or 3 times in a day, and you'll be done and ready for a beer.
It will boost your confidence in your being able to plan and execute a successful off-field landing if it became necessary, and at much less risk to yourself, the aircraft you've worked so hard to complete and the family that wants you to come home after playing with your pride and joy.
Off my soapbox.
Many years ago in a similar scenario this kind of thinking very likely saved the life of myself and my passenger. Without going into details i was midfield on a 3200'runway about 10 feet off the ground at Vne. There was a sudden violent vibration. My immediate thought was broken prop. I closed the throttle and pulled up near vertical. The vibration stopped immediately. At about 500' I recovered to level flight and very slowly added a bit of power. No vibration. I then tested the controls and found that one aileron did not move. AILERON FLUTTER. I believe to this day that had I not reacted almost instantaneously the airplane would have come apart. The only damage was a broken aileron bellcrank.If I might address an important step in this whole process:
If you ever experience severe vibration....KILL the engine first, before doing anything else. Had this happen to me In a Baby Ace 2 yrs ago ( prop delamination )......at 1500' after takeoff. Didn't kill the engine. Landed, but lucky to be alive....engine mount barely stayed together....broken in multiple places. Only a bit of skill, a lot of luck, and most importantly, the good Lord kept me alive that day. Marvin
I drained 6 qts of oil from the engine. Took out the oil screen. It was plugged with metal shavings which stopped the oil flow to the engine. Not sure there was anything I could have done to prevent this. I do engine compression checks each annual condition inspection. I send in an oil sample to a company to do an analysis of the oil with each oil change. Nothing has been out of the ordinary. Bill
First chance to do some trouble shooting for the cause of the engine out. I drrained 6 qts of oil from the engine. Took out the oil screen. It was plugged with metal shavings which stopped the oil flow to the engine. Not sure there was anything I could have done to prevent this. I do engine compression checks each annual condition inspection. I send in an oil sample to a company to do an analysis of the oil with each oil change. Nothing has been out of the ordinary. Bill
I own this plane now.
Absolutely Love it.
I'd post some pictures but have no idea how to do it, most forums just let you attach from pics on the computer, not this one.
Yes. It has to be in a shared or public folder. I found that out after I made the video. One of my Google Photos folders has always been shared with VAF, but when I tried to share from another photo I had the same problem - I could see the photos here, but no one else could. Doug helped me figure out the problem; now anything I share here has to be in that shared folder.I'd guess a permissions issue with google.
The guy I bought it from only had it for about a month, he told me that he mentioned to his wife that the plane scared him a bit.....
That is an interesting comment by the previous owner but glad he decided to sell if he wasn't ready or able to learn how to fly it. Perhaps an accident was prevented....
Congratulations on your purchase of a beautiful RV-8 and best wishes for many enjoyable years flying it!
OK, I tried using SmugMug as opposed to Google Photos, hope this works. My transition training was easier than this.
Thank you, I'm really enjoying it.
I don't believe the previous owner had any tailwheel time at all, or very little. He and his father flew it to Calif, he mentioned to his wife his landings were scary and that did it for her.
I was providing ATC flight following to this pilot when his emergency happened. He did a great job of communicating his situation and obviously of making an engine out landing safely. I was VERY VERY relieved when I heard he was safely on the ground. Good job!
May no one have loss or power in flight, but if you do.... may it be over a hard back flat dry dirt road next to a farm with no obstructions... Sweet! BTW when balloonist land in a farmers field it is tradition to give them a bottle of champagne.
What was the reason for engine loss of power?
PS Wife on board.... so when will it be for sale??????? Message me.
Thank you, my pleasure now that I know how.
I never tested this with the engine shut down, I only tested it with the engine at idle.
Has anyone done this test with an engine shut down? If so; what was your findings?
Can anyone confirm this: that the sinkrate will decrease with a prop to coarse?
Thanks.
I saw this tread just now, and WELL DONE to getting the plane safely on the ground!
Thanks also for the pics showing the beautiful -8 back in the air!
I didn't see anywhere in the tread the reason for the engine failure? Or maybe it's written there and I didn't see it?
Regarding shutting down the engine for practice forced landings, I never do that. Instead, I put down t/o flaps. Then an aircraft with idling engine has approx the same drag as an aircraft with a windmilling engine.
I learned about this here on VAF years ago and I've done it since then when I practice engine out landings.
Also; in my engine out forced landing checklist, I've another item: prop control (C/S-prop) full coarse. (pulled fully out)
During testing in phase 1, I found that VVI went from 900fpm (blue knob full fwd) to 600fpm (blue knob fully aft)
That should give me approx 30% (!) more time in the air during an actual engine failure.
I never tested this with the engine shut down, I only tested it with the engine at idle.
Has anyone done this test with an engine shut down? If so; what was your findings?
Can anyone confirm this: that the sinkrate will decrease with a prop to coarse?
Thanks.