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Thread: Best Glide speed/ Max demonstrated crosswind

  1. #11
    Senior Member av8rps's Avatar
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    Oct 2009
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    Junction City, WI
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    Default Re: Best Glide speed/ Max demonstrated crosswind

    I don't think we are off topic at all, knowing how to fly your Kitfox engine off in a real glide is very pertinent to the "best glide" discussion.

    Your advice about flying at idle is good, as it for sure is a more safe option. But, I will say with these gear reduced rotax engines they glide significantly better than they do with engine at idle, because the prop stops. No windmilling braking effect like most other engines have.

    So, to all those that are practicing emergency engine outs with a gear reduced engine just remember in a real engine out you will most likely glide further than when in practice. You don't want to overshoot

    Of course, if you are all practiced up on slips, that won't be an issue in a Kitfox.

  2. #12
    Senior Member
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    Nov 2008
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    KDKB (Dekalb, Illinois)
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    Default Re: Best Glide speed/ Max demonstrated crosswind

    That's still not quite what I meant. I have flown sailplanes a few times, and typically
    they glide along in about a 2-300fpm descent, unless you find lift. Lacking
    wings and decent aerodynamics the Fox can't do that with the power off.
    BUT you can simulate
    a glider by flying at a power setting that simulates a glider. In
    my plane this is a notch of flaperons and about 1500-1700 rpm.
    That gives me a nice mellow 65-70'ish 200-300 fpm descent which is very
    much like for example a Blanik.

    So what is the point? Well lacking a sailplane to fly I do it as a personal
    challenge to see how well I can do at finding and flying in lift, and more
    or less it's a way to fly cheaply without shooting along from point A to B
    burning fuel for no reason. My fuel consumption is around 3gph with the
    IO-240B doing this. So I can literally fly twice as long on the same fuel
    I would burn by going places.

    I started doing it a couple years ago, and now it's my way of enjoying
    flying without doing a billion takeoff's and landings, or going no place
    with no purpose. Basically it's just a fun activity in the plane.

    Another thing I do, I fly almost always with the GPS turned off, and I just
    use a map. I think it makes you a better pilot when the moving map display
    is what you see out the window.

    Regards,
    Jeff

    Quote Originally Posted by av8rps View Post
    I don't think we are off topic at all, knowing how to fly your Kitfox engine off in a real glide is very pertinent to the "best glide" discussion.

    Your advice about flying at idle is good, as it for sure is a more safe option. But, I will say with these gear reduced rotax engines they glide significantly better than they do with engine at idle, because the prop stops. No windmilling braking effect like most other engines have.

    So, to all those that are practicing emergency engine outs with a gear reduced engine just remember in a real engine out you will most likely glide further than when in practice. You don't want to overshoot

    Of course, if you are all practiced up on slips, that won't be an issue in a Kitfox.

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