REFLECTOR: Texas Fly-in SWRFI in Hondo

Sat Dec 17 09:04:17 CST 2005

MessageI don't recall if it was mentioned before, but Mike Melville is
scheduled to appear at this years event.  Just FYI.
All the best,

Chris

Christopher Barber

Attorney and Counselor at Law

"Serving the needs of Senior Texans"

Barber Law Firm
10827 Tower Bridge St.

Houston, Texas 77075-5032
281-464-LAWS (5297)

CBarber at TexasAttorney.net
www.TexasAttorney.net

  -----Original Message-----
  From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]On
Behalf Of Terry Miles
  Sent: Friday, December 16, 2005 7:57 PM
  To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
  Subject: REFLECTOR: Glide Ratio and systems knowledge

  Within the discussion of glide ratio to a landing point, it might be an
idea to make each glide excise conclude with a configuration change into a
flare target altitude.  It's good also to have a sense of the general window
of time/distance/altitude to drop the wheels in a power off glide.

  Since I get to enjoy a 40 hour fly-off I am going to accept the 90 knots
as my target best glide, and practice a lot of power off glides until I can
stick the nose right there every time and have VVI and pitch targets too.  I
hope to teach myself the pitch corrections of gear down vs gear up.   I
don't want to be "inside" a lot if I'm are looking for a landing point.
For me anyway, I plan to keep my auto pilot on the essential power bus, so
to ease work load and clear my thinking in times of high demand.    I forced
myself to do this as a first step, if I feel I have the flight conditions
and reserve battery power to spare.

  I plan also to do an manual gear extension often enough to know what it
sounds and feels like and how long it takes.  This practice will build
confidence in it's operation.   (I would not shut off any engines in the
name of training.)

  In my opinion one big benefit to knowing power-off glide dynamics is the
ability to make more accurate landing point judgements sooner.  That said,
all this is meaningless, if close to the ground, it all goes to hell.  We've
all heard it a hundred times, one's best hope of survival is to STAY FOCUSED
consciously fly the airplane on speed right down to the flare, with wings
level and pointed straight ahead.  .

  Related topic:  Electrical design is still a work in progress on my
airplane, but If I have a load shed routine that removes power from the gear
control when it should have the pump maybe, then I'll also make some notes
on that abnormal checklist so I won't be surprised when the gear won't go
down on the toggle switch.  If I forget to do the load shed, or become too
hesitant to change anything, then I may have to compensate when Tower asks
that I flash my landing lites and the amp surge blanks-out my PFD screen a
few hundred feet in the air.  For me it will take practice to know where to
look for that backup airspeed indicator and where to put a hand on that
pressure dump valve (and which way it turns!).

  The above were all equivalent mistakes that I made or watched happen many
times over the last 38 years...thank goodness I was in a fancy flight
simulator most of the time.  More hours doesn't mean smarter.  I commit to
myself every time I strap-in, that we pilots take certain risks.  I am no
better than average with a control stick in my hands, but when my time will
comes I hope to be practiced and familiar.  I am sorry, I know this is
private pilot lesson 101 and we all know it backwards and forwards.  It's
just when I hear of preliminary reports like the one this week:  glide
distance absolutes...bounced hard...early flares?...airspeed?...fear factors
to human performance...I have been taught never to discount any episode no
matter how common or bizarre as if there is nothing in it for me personally.
My heart goes out to those guys....grateful they got out OK.  It could have
been me.  I'm only a few months away from that point myself.

  Back to work.

  Terry

   -----Original Message-----
  From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Scott Baker
  Sent: Friday, December 16, 2005 1:39 PM
  To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
  Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Glide Ratio

    Another factor to consider is the pitch setting on aircraft with
constant speed propellers.
    With the gear "Up", reduce power to idle and establish a glide speed
somewhere near 90 knots (the estimated Best L/D reference speed) - observe
the VSI.  Following this pull the propeller control to "Low RPM".  The
aircraft literally accelerates as if it were in 'overdrive'.  Re-establish
V-best glide and make another note of the VSI.  You should see a 200fpm
improvement - or more - in the rate of descent.  Sloooooowly push the
propeller pitch control back to the normal position to avoid damaging the
engine.
    SB
      ----- Original Message -----
      From: Ron Brown
      To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
      Sent: Friday, December 16, 2005 9:20 AM
      Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Glide Ratio

      Good Morning Dick,

      I observed 15 and 16 to 1 in my 173 Elite RG at 90 kts.

      It is a fairly easy test to do yourself.

      Fly toward an airport.  At 5 miles from the airport, at say 6000'
above the airport elevation.  Get established on your glide speed before the
5 miles to the airport.  Pull the throttle to idle and maintain your glide
speed.  When you reach the airport, note your altitude (AGL).  Then
calculate the ratio between the distance (5 nautical miles or 6076 feet per
mile) divided by the total altitude lost. You can repeat going in the other
direction to compensate for the wind.

      If you want to get brave and pull the mixture to kill the engine, make
sure you have enough elevation upon reaching the airport to do a dead stick
landing in case you can't get the engine refired.  There is a difference
between dead engine and idling, but I didn't try that so I couldn't tell you
the difference.

      The Velocity's glide ratio is pretty good - very good compared to a RV
or spam can.

      Ronnie

      ----- Original Message -----
        From: Richard Affenit
        To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
        Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 11:39 AM
        Subject: REFLECTOR: Glide Ratio

        I remember some conversation about the glide ratio for the XLRG in
the past. I wonder if whoever did the testing would mind passing on their
findings.

        Thanks...............Dick Affenit N732RA XLRG

------------------------------------------------------------------------

        _______________________________________________
        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
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/private/reflector/attachments/20051217/2ec7dfac/attachment.htm