speeds

[Steve]

Just a little academic discussion:

best glide speed? sink rate...level and banked at this speed?

stall speeds?

How low is too low to turn back to the airport when one is suddenly a glider pilot?

[dehavalandb]

I did a flight test in my 46 BC12D and this is what I came up with. There may be others out there who have different numbers. However, these seem about right for my T-Craft.

Best Glide -- 60 mph
Best Angle -- 55-60 mph
Best Rate -- 65-70 mph
Return to airport -- 100 ft.

I did most of these test between 4000-5000' MSL. I did them so high because I operate out of Missoula, Montana and in the summer the density altitude can get easily get to 7000'. At 5000' MSL I can make a 360 with less than 200' loss at 60 mph indicated. Therefore with a real engine stoppage and no windmilling prop, I believe IMHO that I could turn back around with a 100' of altitude. However, if what was ahead is fairly level it might be just as well to land straight. I hope these numbers help a little.
Jonathan Howells
N34236 46 BC12D

[Steve]

speeds

Thanks, that is about what I would guess, I'll give them a try and see what I get. Have you ever looped/rolled it? What entry speed did you use? (It will be a long time and only after some much more in-depth inspection before I would even give this a thought!)

[crispy critter]

Steve,
The last T-craft I owned would loop great with an entry speed of 115-120mph depending on fuel load or passenger.About 125 worked well for a barrel roll.Just make sure you are gentle when doing these in a stock T-craft,there is a lot of wing there with a lot of lift hanging together on some long,thin,wooden spars.

[lktiller]

You scare me folks! If the engine fails on takeoff are you really going to take the time to check altitude? Put that aircraft down straight ahead, Please!
I lost a good friend last spring. (not a t-craft). The engine quit with what looked like sufficient altitude to return to the airport. The turn back is MORE than 180 degrees, actually closer to 270. He lost a lot of altitude in the two turns and caught the last tree on the SIDE of the runway.

I agree with your assessment of speeds. On a hot day and loaded, I climb out at 50mph. Increase that to 60 for best climb rate after I'm over the trees.

For the loopy stuff. In fact, when I bought this plane the previous owner was going to loop it with me in it. In a very anxious way, I promised him I would buy it if he wouldn't!!!!
I did watch Forrest Barber loop, and spin, and roll. Seems he entered the loop from straight & level at whatever speed full power produced.

[alwaysoar]

The rule of thumb in gliders is to fly straight ahead if a tow rope breaks under 200', and airplanes, with greater drag and higher sink, should have more margin even if it is a wannabee glider like a T-Craft. Forcing a steep turn at a low altitude under emergency conditions is a classic accelerated stall/spin scenario. One of the nice features of Taylorcrafts is their slow landing speed, so a straight-ahead landing at a low altitude is the only option if the engine conks out.

[crispy critter]

Engine out turn around

I sure hope you guys brush up on your engine out 180's/270's(or what ever degree it happens to be)before you decide to visit east Kentucky.Most runways in east Ky end at the top of or bottom of a cliff or hill,either way turning back to the runway is almost always your only hope.If you have an alternate place to go straight ahead or less of a turn than a 180 then in most cases I would say use it,however if I know my airplane(like most of us do)then I would make that call depending on my altitude,distance out,wind,weight,and what kind of fields I have to choose from(if any).
IMHO it is best to practice all those circumstances from time to time just in case the straight ahead option is not availible,but best of all is prevention itself,proper up keep and a good preflight will almost always prevent engine failures...almost always.If it doesn't,then it is always good to make sure our piloting skills are sharper than our machanics.It is also good to try to study the layout of a strange airport as we enter the pattern.Look for good places to go in case of a problem when it's time to depart later.
I hope I didn't offend anyone,I sometimes tend to be a little too direct from time to time.

[Acroeric]

If my engine were to quit at 200ft. forget the 180 turn, I think I will just split s and land a little hot ;-)

On a serious note- In my 6 months with the FAA every accident that I have been to where the pilot tried to turn back has resulted in a stall/ spin. The one that the pilot just lowered the nose and took what was ahead of him did hurt the airplane but not pilot. I guess you have to know your airplane and be willing to make a decision and stick with it.

When I takeoff from my short grass strip I usually make a turn over the adjacent field as soon as I am airborne. In doing this I make the turn back to the field something less than 180 in the event of getting to log glider time.

As for the rolls in a stock Tcraft- I would caution that anyone that is not an accomplished aerobatic pilot not roll the stock Tcraft. It takes a long time for those long wings to come around!