REFLECTOR: Speed Brake

Wed Jul 14 11:50:38 CDT 2004

This is a case of forgetting the go-around procedure.  If he had had flaps 
he might of forget them and crashed anyway.  That's the reason there is a 
"Complex"  endorsement on your ticket.   In other words, or in the usually 
wording for the NTSB, it was "Pilot Error".

Now there are many things you can do to alleviate the problem.  First is 
practice, practice, practice.  Do go arounds  or missed approaches and use 
the speed brake so it becomes a habit to check it when you do those for 
real.  Second, place the handle in a visible and ergonomic location, an 
indicator light would help here too. Mine is in an awful location and I 
plan on moving it soon, yeah right!  You could put an annunciator switch 
triggered by full throttle, as you suggested, if full throttle applied and 
speed brake deployed, scream!  Of course the first suggestion will help you 
more than any other.

I have taken off with my speed brake deployed, gone around and done missed 
approaches with it deployed.  No problem.  Kinduv like making a missed in a 
Bonanza with full flaps.  Yeah it reduces your climb rate by 50% but your 
still climbing.   Actually taking off with it deployed was the worst thing 
I've done, yes its on my check list,  used a hell of a lot of runway.

I don't know but sounds like this guy blew it and blamed the speed 
brake.  Having it deployed may have broken the camel, but you can bet it 
was already loaded down with other pilot induced items.

Every screw up I've done, lets not count!,  has been the result of multiple 
mistakes that added up to a big one.

Scott

At 10:20 AM 7/14/2004, you wrote:
>I have watched this conversation with real interest and having flown my XL 
>RG almost 500 hours without one, I find myself very interested in the 
>potential for rapid decent to the airport without shock cooling the big 
>IO-540. The description posted of staying up at altitude and making a 
>rapid decent with the speed brake is a real advantage. Normally that sort 
>of procedure requires such a reduction in manifold pressure that you would 
>shock cool the engine badly. Probably in the area of 80 degrees F per 
>minute. Far beyond the normal factory limit of 50 and the preferred user 
>applied limit of 35. So, I find myself very interested in retrofitting the 
>speed brake into the plane. There is however, one little caveat that I 
>have not heard anyone mention and that is the control system necessary to 
>avoid "go arounds" or "touch and gos" with the speed brake deployed.
>
>I remember coming into Santa Monica airport on a July afternoon three 
>years ago and finding aircraft parts scattered all over and three parked 
>planes banged up. A fellow velocity pilot had crashed and, fortunately, he 
>and his wife walked away unscathed. His plane and three other planes were 
>the only causalities. His problem had been the deployed speed brake. He 
>was coming into a normal landing with a crosswind approach with speed 
>brake deployed. Just as he touched down he encountered wind shear and so, 
>attempted to do a go around. He powered up and tried to take off but with 
>his speed brake deployed and the shifting wind he was unable to gain 
>altitude. He took out three parked airplanes in the process. His later 
>remark was ,"if only I had remembered to retract the speed brake". So, in 
>my desire to now retrofit a speed brake into my ship. I need to also 
>install an alarm that enunciates if the speed brake is deployed and the 
>throttle is increased. Not to difficult to do but a necessary addition in MHO.
>
>Chris
>
>Christopher Martin
><mailto:christophercmartin at earthlink.net>christophercmartin at earthlink.net
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <mailto:gpoole at zeta.org.au>Greg Poole
>To: <mailto:reflector at tvbf.org>Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
>Sent: 7/15/2004 1:48:25 AM
>Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Speed Brake
>
>Thanks for your sentiments Randy,
>
>Strange thing.....I find many aviators tend to express opinions to back 
>their own MO of having or not having a speed brake on their airplanes and 
>one is left in the middle quite confused.
>
>I don't particularly want to influence you one way or the other and have a 
>speed brake just for it's insurance value - both to protect whatever 
>constant speed prop I end up putting on, and to get down in a hurry if 
>ever I need to. I also like the idea of having such a gizmo to activate on 
>my aeroplane.
>
>...if ever you and Bec make it down this way - look us up!
>
>Kind regards,
>
>Greg. (DownUnder)
>Greg Poole
>[]
>
>Principal POOLED RESOURCES PTY LTD
>3 Cheltenham Close
>Castle Hill NSW 2154
><mailto:gregpoole at pacific.net.au>gregpoole at pacific.net.au
>tel:
>fax:
>mobile: (612) 9899 2737
>(612) 9899 2726
>0414 273199
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>----- Original Message -----
>From: <mailto:rwharton at buckeye-express.com>Randy Wharton
>To: <mailto:reflector at awpi.com>reflector at awpi.com
>Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2004 3:05 AM
>Subject: REFLECTOR: Speed Brake
>
>I'm new to the Reflector, so I hope this works!
>
>
>
>I have an XL-RG and I'm curious about the speed brake. It's marked on the 
>fuselage as "optional", and there is nothing in my manual about it. I 
>checked out the online manuals and found that the speed brake is only 
>addressed in the fixed gear models. I know that with retractable gear, the 
>gear down will act as a brake to some extent, but does anyone know of a 
>compelling reason why I should or should not install the speed brake?
>
>
>
>Randy and Becky Wharton
>
>N248RB - Velocity XL-RG
>
>http://clik.to/velocity
>
>
>
>
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