REFLECTOR: Re: Glide Ratio

[Gary Stull]

I'm glad it worked out for you. Thankfully no injuries. My only question is the airspeed. I have a fixed gear and 70 kts at touchdown would prevent allot of kinetic energy. Doubling your airspeed at touchdown quadruples the energy you need to dissipate. My aircraft will fly at 60 kts indicated depending on the weight in the front seats. The lower the airspeed at touchdown, the lower energy there is to dissipate. The reality is only a few knots difference at touchdown in an off field landing can save your life. The lower the airspeed the better!
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dave Bertram 
  To: reflector at tvbf.org ; reflector at tvbf.org 
  Cc: p51 at hotmail.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 3:27 PM
  Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Re: Glide Ratio


        I too have had the opportunity to land a Velocity without power.  Here is my advice based on 45 years of flying:

        1.  Establish airspeed at 95kts
        2.  Declare an emergency 
        3.  Choose the most suitable landing area available.
        4.  Try for restart except for engine fire
        5.  When field is made lower landing gear.
        6.  I would add that "fly the airplane" be added after each step

        I personally held the 95kts through touchdown due to landing in a plowed field.

        Congrats on your safe landing.  
        Dave Bertram


        -------Original Message-------

        From: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
        Date: 12/18/05 03:19:46
        To: reflector at tvbf.org
        Cc: p51 at hotmail.com
        Subject: REFLECTOR: Re: Glide Ratio

        Having survived a no engine emergency landing, I do remember that the plane
        glides very well with the gear up, but sinks like a rock when you open those
        gear doors (probably 6:1). The other thing that is surprising is how long it
        takes to lower the main gear (the nose comes down and locks quickly). If you
        really want to practice this, time how long it takes to get the mains to
        lock, then go out and try to estimate when you need to start them down. It's
        way more time than you think. Probably better to put them down at a higher
        altitude and circle to land to get the feel of the sink rate before you have
        to land.

        The engine quit when I turned crosswind shortly after takeoff, and I just
        made it back to the field, but too little time to lock the mains, so I
        skidded in on the backside of the plane. Fortunately, no fire and damage was
        not too much due to an iVO composite prop. I was very lucky.


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