REFLECTOR: Max takeoff weight - 173FG

Mark Magee edjonesbrady at gmail.com
Fri Mar 16 22:16:21 CDT 2012


Alex,
Your exactly correct. At one time Rutan set a time to climb to an altitude, for HP, hauling near a half ton OCT lead shot bags in the back seat of a Long EZ. As I recall his concern was only about the landing at nearly double max gross weight and a gear collapse.

Mark B. Magee
Sent from IPhone 4

On Mar 16, 2012, at 1:10 PM, "Alex Balic" <velocity_pilot at verizon.net> wrote:

> From what I can tell, the strength of the landing gear is the real issue, it
> has to be able to take the weight at a few (or in the case of a really bad
> landing many) Gs, so the multiplication factor of the max weight is what
> keeps it relatively low- there is a lot of lifting area on a Velocity.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
> Behalf Of Scott Baker
> Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 11:28 AM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Max takeoff weight - 173FG
> 
> Sharing a short story regarding the take off/climb performance on the
> factory 173FG (200hp/Mt prop) ...
> While demonstrating the aircraft performance to a customer with special
> weight carrying requirements - loaded the aircraft to 3000 pounds and then
> proceeded to climb (20-minutes later) to 10,000'msl.
> Take off run was like a C150 on a hot day.  No handling difficulties.  
> I'm sure the aircraft can handle more weight, given adequate runway.
> Not suggesting overloading the aircraft is an okay practice by any means.
> This was simply a demonstration flight on a smooth day, using smooth flight
> handling procedures.
> Scott B.
> 
> On 3/14/2012 9:59 AM, Stockman, Bill wrote:
>> I've taken off in my 173FGE with an IO360 C1C and a CATO fixed pitch 
>> prop --with only me in less than 1000 ft --probably 200+ lbs 
>> overweight in less than 3000 ft.
>> --takeoff is far more sensitive to the forward CG in  my plane than the
> gross weight.
>> --for the fixed pitch 200 hp folks, there is a huge difference in take off
> performance between single pilot, low gas takeoffs and climb and full gross
> with your friends.  By myself on a nice day I'm climbing out in the 1500+
> ft/min, but with full gross its closer to 100-200 ft initial climb
> rate--which feels like you are not climbing.     Even at 500 ft/min (which
> is good for most Warriors and C-172s), you still feel like you are not
> climbing.   Just spoiled.
>> 
>> I did my first flights and first ten years at Moraine airport south of
> Dayton Ohio (850 asl) with two 30 ft river levees abutting the ends of both
> runways, so this was always an issue on take-off to consider.  You just had
> to learn that clearing the levee by 5 ft was okay on some days and watch
> your airspeed.   One of the biggest issues I see with our new pilots is they
> don't fly their best airspeed on take-off and landing.  Part of your test
> program is to determine your safe range of airspeed on landings, take-offs
> and pattern maneuvers and then use them.  While my first 50 hrs were
> probably exciting, I have found the Velocity to be simply outstanding in all
> phases of operation once you learn to fly your plane.
>> 
>> One of our first international builders use to load up his 173FGE with
> full gas, four real adults and stuff (probably 300+ lbs overgross) and take
> over 4000 ft to lift off the runway at Manassas in VA.   Landings were quite
> long and he eventually caused the meltdown of a gear leg.
>> 
>> Bill Stockman
>> 
> 
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