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Thread: Glide Ratio Model IV

  1. #21
    Senior Member av8rps's Avatar
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    Default Re: Glide Ratio Model IV

    You did very good with your power failures on takeoff Steve. We're both part of a very small club . Engine failures on takeoff typically have less than happy endings.

    In consideration of all this gliding and engine out discussion, I'm curious... what is the glide like of an RV-7? I would think it would be pretty poor with that short and fat wing. Best glide speed must also be quite high?

    A friend with a Glasair told me glide on those are poor at best. But I think that might be mostly because of the big draggy prop windmilling in front of an otherwise very slick airframe. And while the wing is much thinner than an RV wing, there's not much of it.

  2. #22
    Senior Member Slyfox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Glide Ratio Model IV

    not much. I always treat an engine off with. best spot NOW. don't fool with crap, fly the airplane. I generally fly short approaches and take offs. the local fdso years ago dinged me for just that. won't get into that but I still do them and the tower here at felts expects me to do it now. but with my rv7 even with power to idle is real short. I practice that ha, every time I land. so when it happened it was kind of natural. I never looked into it but I didn't let the plane get under 70kts. kept an eye on airspeed. but just flew the plan. after I got down then I started looking into what was wrong. no I won't practice engine out(that's with the engine off) with either airplane, I save that for when I have to.
    steve
    slyfox
    model IV 1200-flying
    912uls
    IVO medium in-flight
    RV7A-flying
    IO-360
    constant speed prop

  3. #23
    Senior Member av8rps's Avatar
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    Default Re: Glide Ratio Model IV

    Steve,

    It sounds like you have a great attitude about being prepared for engine failures (a lot of guys think it won't happen to them) and you respond like I do... "fly the airplane" first and foremost.

    I appreciate the info about the RV glide. I was really curious.

    Paul

  4. #24
    gregsgt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Glide Ratio Model IV

    This may or may not be relevant to the subject as I don't have a lot of time in one of these. I did have a partial power loss on mine that resulted in a hard landing which damaged the longeron tubes. I am in the process right now of repairing the damage.

    I wanted to know thoughts on flying the plane by feel. Most of my experience is in a 172 and you could really fly that by feel when slowing down. You knew how much elevator you had left and if you were running out you knew you had to drop the nose. You could really fly your best glide speed just by knowing your elevator position without even looking at airspeed.

    With my model IV it is tougher because I still had full elevator response even when in a stall. The nose would not drop but the plane would just sink and that's what happened to us as we were trying to get back to the field after the power loss. There is a lot of stuff going on in the cockpit when that happens in a short amount of time and you don't have the luxury of staring at the airspeed indicator. Luckily we were close to the ground when it got slow and the damage wasn't that bad and is repairable.

    In a positive way the stall characteristics are very gentle but the downside is that you don't get much warning. I'm thinking an AOA indicator would be a good addition and also maybe a good way of determining best glide slope?

  5. #25
    Guy Buchanan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Glide Ratio Model IV

    Unfortunately flying by feel requires lots of flying, as every aircraft, including every Kitfox, is different, flies different, feels different. I spend a lot of time (2-3 hours per month) in my plane "practicing". By that I mean flying at the edge of and outside the envelope. Lots of very slow flight turning, climbing and descending. Lots of stalls in all flight configurations, including aggressive accelerated stalls. Occasional spins when I really screw it up. Lots of steep turns, wingovers; really just any attitude I think I might find myself in. The goal is to maintain that "feel" you're talking about, and to develop muscle memory responses when things go wrong. The goal is to not have to think about it.
    Guy Buchanan
    San Diego, CA
    Deceased K-IV 1200 / 912uls / 70" Warp 3cs

    gebuchanan@cox.net

  6. #26
    Senior Member Dusty's Avatar
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    Default Re: Glide Ratio Model IV

    Just to throw my hat in the ring
    I work on a 45 degree cone extending from my plane(yes there are variables) and use the airspeed indicator for best glide.Once established on a high final the airspeed isn't used again,as outside is what matters and a kitfox will always give plenty of clues as to what is going on.A side slip is used to wash off any excess height (which there should always be)
    I practice glide approaches from all heights and directions to wind on a regular basis and touchdown within a few metres of my nominated "spot"every time.this works for me,and my instructors are also adopting this for our students with great success.I hope I haven't strayed too far off topic of glide ratio,but glide ratio is only part of the equation.
    Cheers
    Dusty

  7. #27
    Senior Member av8rps's Avatar
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    Default Re: Glide Ratio Model IV

    I don't think anyone has strayed off topic here. And the information shared here is good stuff. Especially if you have never had an engine failure in your Kitfox (or for that matter, any aircraft). Knowledge is power...

    I believe getting a feel for flying the Kitfox is as stated by others in this thread, it just takes a lot of flying in it and a willingness to explore the flight performance envelope. I'm convinced I could fly mine within a few mph of the asi without even looking at it. Of course I've been flying these things for 31 years.

    And compared to a 172 Cessna, the Kitfox should be much quicker to learn as it is so much more nimble. I always say the Kitfox is pretty close to feeling as though you sprouted wings. So get as many hours in that Kitfox as you have in that 172 and I'm sure you'll have at least as good of a feel for it.

  8. #28
    gregsgt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Glide Ratio Model IV

    Quote Originally Posted by av8rps View Post
    I don't think anyone has strayed off topic here. And the information shared here is good stuff. Especially if you have never had an engine failure in your Kitfox (or for that matter, any aircraft). Knowledge is power...

    I believe getting a feel for flying the Kitfox is as stated by others in this thread, it just takes a lot of flying in it and a willingness to explore the flight performance envelope. I'm convinced I could fly mine within a few mph of the asi without even looking at it. Of course I've been flying these things for 31 years.

    And compared to a 172 Cessna, the Kitfox should be much quicker to learn as it is so much more nimble. I always say the Kitfox is pretty close to feeling as though you sprouted wings. So get as many hours in that Kitfox as you have in that 172 and I'm sure you'll have at least as good of a feel for it.
    I think that hits the nail on the head. I was flying with a 172 instructor and neither of us had the "feel" but he had no problem flying the plane. Overall the 172 felt like something you got in to fly while the kitfox felt like it was a part of you. I definitely enjoy flying the kitfox more and if we had the same situation happen in the 172 that happened in the kitfox I'm not sure the outcome would have been as good.

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