All -
After witnessing the fatal crash of a turbocharged Cessna Stationair immediately after departure from my home field (CDW) a couple weeks ago, I decided to stop being spooked and explore how my -8 does with simulated engine failures at different altitudes following simulated departure. The crash I saw has no official NTSB analysis available yet, but it was clear to me and others that there was a significant engine problem on the climb out, followed by the crash 1/2 mile from the field while the pilot tried to turn back.
So, I took it out over a fielded area with good linear landmarks and set up at 3500' (simulated hard deck) atop a straight road. I found two roads that intersected the main road that seemed to be about 4-6000' apart, so I used the intervening segment of main road as the simulated 'runway'. I flew in an upwind direction, then idled the power while maintaining 3500' and at 60kts (rotation speed) gave it full throttle to simulate takeoff. I allowed it to climb as I would on departure to various altitudes before idling it again to simulate engine failure. I immediately pitched for best glide (in mine its 77kts, although I have an AOA indicator in my dynon and that was more reliable if kept in the yellow). Then tried to make the 180 degree turn, usually at about 30-40 degrees of bank.
I found that in my plane (and I suspect most RV's), the MINIMUM altitude that a 180 degree turn could conceivable be performed to return to the airport is around 700'. That allows for the turn, trees, and some lateral movement to re-align with the runway.
Have others found this to be the case?
Some other observations;
First, idling the power in a climb attitude necessitates a very aggressive nose-down push to get it to best glide. It was more than I would have thought.
Second, with turns greater than 40 degrees of bank, it really wants to stall and drop a wing. It was pretty pronounced actually. And once that wing goes down, the VSI is pegged down and it takes a good 2-300 feet of nose down to get good aileron control to level it out.
Is this consistent with what others have observed?
Jon Weiswasser
N898JW RV-8
After witnessing the fatal crash of a turbocharged Cessna Stationair immediately after departure from my home field (CDW) a couple weeks ago, I decided to stop being spooked and explore how my -8 does with simulated engine failures at different altitudes following simulated departure. The crash I saw has no official NTSB analysis available yet, but it was clear to me and others that there was a significant engine problem on the climb out, followed by the crash 1/2 mile from the field while the pilot tried to turn back.
So, I took it out over a fielded area with good linear landmarks and set up at 3500' (simulated hard deck) atop a straight road. I found two roads that intersected the main road that seemed to be about 4-6000' apart, so I used the intervening segment of main road as the simulated 'runway'. I flew in an upwind direction, then idled the power while maintaining 3500' and at 60kts (rotation speed) gave it full throttle to simulate takeoff. I allowed it to climb as I would on departure to various altitudes before idling it again to simulate engine failure. I immediately pitched for best glide (in mine its 77kts, although I have an AOA indicator in my dynon and that was more reliable if kept in the yellow). Then tried to make the 180 degree turn, usually at about 30-40 degrees of bank.
I found that in my plane (and I suspect most RV's), the MINIMUM altitude that a 180 degree turn could conceivable be performed to return to the airport is around 700'. That allows for the turn, trees, and some lateral movement to re-align with the runway.
Have others found this to be the case?
Some other observations;
First, idling the power in a climb attitude necessitates a very aggressive nose-down push to get it to best glide. It was more than I would have thought.
Second, with turns greater than 40 degrees of bank, it really wants to stall and drop a wing. It was pretty pronounced actually. And once that wing goes down, the VSI is pegged down and it takes a good 2-300 feet of nose down to get good aileron control to level it out.
Is this consistent with what others have observed?
Jon Weiswasser
N898JW RV-8