REFLECTOR:accidents/incidents

Dave Nelson reflector@tvbf.org
Thu, 13 Nov 2003 20:09:21 -0600


Hi, Herb!  Good to hear from you!

You are correct, I should have  been more careful.

Dick did fly airshow routines including some aerobatics, back shortly after
the Long was introduced.  Burt never liked it, and eventually it was
squashed (that's my recollection anyway).  I remember Burt telling us how he
didn't design the Long or the Varieze for ANY areobatics.  While I no longer
have the owners manual from my Varieze, I think I remember it explictly
saying aerobatics were not allowed.  Also, I don't ever remember Dick doing
anything like a hammerhead - more rolls & such.

And, I never remember Mike ever doing aerobatics in his long, ever.
Certainly not in an airshow.

Bottom line is Burt never intended either the Vari or the Long for
aerobatics.  In fact, Burt would never tell people what G loading he
designed the Vari for, specifically because he didn't want someone out
testing the airplane to the limits.  I'm pretty sure of my facts here...
Herb, do you remember anything different?

Dave

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Herb Sanders" <hsanders@BELLSOUTH.NET>
To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 12:00 PM
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:accidents/incidents


> Be careful, Dave.  I have seen Dick Rutan fly at Oshkosh and Sun & Fun in
> the airshow several times.  Tom Staggs and Jim Roberts have also been
> airshow performers in their Longs in recent years.
> Herb Sanders
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dave Nelson" <davenali@charter.net>
> To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 8:43 PM
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:accidents/incidents
>
>
> > Wrong.  Wrong, wrong, wrong.  Not only would Dick and Mike never do
> airshow
> > performances in their longs, they also never have and would strongly
> > encourage you to not as well.  I know them both.  Do you?
> >
> > Dave
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Milton Merskey" <miltonm@airmail.net>
> > To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
> > Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 10:19 AM
> > Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:accidents/incidents
> >
> >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: "Scott" <scott@tnstaafl.net>
> > > To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
> > > Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 8:48 AM
> > > Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:accidents/incidents
> > >
> > >
> > > > There is an air show performer that does Aerobatics in a LongEZ.,
I've
> > > seen
> > > > him perform a couple times.
> > >
> > > And those performers are called: Mike Melville and Dick Rutan
> > >
> > > milt
> > > >
> > > > Does hammerheads, loops etc..
> > > >
> > > > Geeee, I wonder how he survives doing that all year long, over and
> over
> > > again?
> > > >
> > > > Scott
> > > >
> > > > At 01:45 AM 11/11/2003, you wrote:
> > > > >Jim,
> > > > >
> > > > >Your post concerns me even more than Scott's!
> > > > >  See Velocity Views volume 7 Safety Corner by Duane on
> > > > >deep stall avoidance and recovery; see more of the
> > > > >same in volume 8 Safety Corner under "Deep Stall";
> > > > >also see volume 12 Safety Corner under "Aerobatic
> > > > >Warning."
> > > > >  Pls note that 1) it is possible to stall the the main
> > > > >wing by flying outside of the normal flight envelope
> > > > >(i.e. aerobatics), and 2) this can lead to a deep
> > > > >stall - from which you might be able to recover - but
> > > > >it probably WON'T "go right on through flat and deep
> > > > >stalled on its way to straight down."
> > > > >  Glad to hear this was a non-event for you and your
> > > > >buddies in other canards, but it doesn't seem
> > > > >reasonable to imply the same will be true for the
> > > > >Velocity given the factory's testing and warnings to
> > > > >the contrary.
> > > > >  Anyway, my main point was how the main wing can be
> > > > >stalled - not to open the deep stall recovery can.
> > > > >
> > > > >Pat
> > > > >
> > > > >--- Jim Sower <canarder@frontiernet.net> wrote:
> > > > > > Now here I had always thought that if your CG was
> > > > > > within limits and you did that, the
> > > > > > plane would go right on through flat and deep
> > > > > > stalled on its way to straight down.
> > > > > > I'm pretty sure I've done that in my EZ with no ill
> > > > > > effects.  I'm pretty sure about
> > > > > > half the canard community has too.
> > > > > > I think if that were true there'd be dead canards
> > > > > > splattered all over the country ...
> > > > > > Jim S.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Pat Shea wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > Pssst!
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >  If you point the nose straight up, the airspeed
> > > > > > will
> > > > > > > eventually bleed down to zero & the main wing will
> > > > > > > stall. From there, the plane may even enter a deep
> > > > > > > stall from which you can't recover. This is why
> > > > > > > certain aerobatics (i.e. loops) are riskier in
> > > > > > canards
> > > > > > > than in tractor planes. A properly rigged & loaded
> > > > > > > Velocity, like most canards, is only stall proof
> > > > > > > within the "normal" flight envelope.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Pat
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --- Scott <scott@tnstaafl.net> wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >Well, this is completely contrary to all I have
> > > > > > > >heard from people who fly these planes for a
> > > > > > living.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >Are you passing on rumor of have you actually
> > > > > > done
> > > > > > > >it?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >>But even the current design can be pushed into a
> > > > > > > >>wing stall if you work at it.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > __________________________________
> > > > > > > Do you Yahoo!?
> > > > > > > Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail
> > > > > > AddressGuard
> > > > > > > http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree
> > > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > > To change your email address, visit
> > > > > > http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
> > > > > > > user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
> > > > > > > Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
> > > > > > > Check old archives:
> > > > > > http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --
> > > > > > Jim Sower
> > > > > > Crossville, TN; Chapter 5
> > > > > > Long-EZ N83RT, Velocity N4095T
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > To change your email address, visit
> > > > > > http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
> > > > > > user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
> > > > > > Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
> > > > > > Check old archives:
> > > > >http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >__________________________________
> > > > >Do you Yahoo!?
> > > > >Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard
> > > > >http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree
> > > > >_______________________________________________
> > > > >To change your email address, visit
> > > > >http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
> > > > >
> > > > >Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
> > > > >user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
> > > > >Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
> > > > >Check old archives:
> http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > To change your email address, visit
> > > http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
> > > >
> > > > Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
> > > > user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
> > > > Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
> > > > Check old archives:
> http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > To change your email address, visit
> > http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
> > >
> > > Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
> > > user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
> > > Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
> > > Check old archives:
http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
> > >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > To change your email address, visit
> http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
> >
> > Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
> > user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
> > Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
> > Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
>
> _______________________________________________
> To change your email address, visit
http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
>
> Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
> user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
> Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
> Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html