Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

[VictorBravo]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

RE: Results: 103, 103, 103, 103, ad nauseum.

You got repeatable results in a Taylorcraft? Now THAT's spooky!

[taylorcraftbc65]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

Hey guys,
I don't know about "on step", but I know that twice Jim and I wanted to see how fast we could fly "Manu Sina", and we got her to 107 indicated. The problem was, that even with the BOTH of us shoving forward on the yokes for all we were worth, (quite a bit of effort), the airplane kept climbing. I didn't put a stopwatch on it, but you could watch the altimiter wind up at a noticeable rate.
I guess this is the reverse of a step, but it was very interesting. We didn't have the problem till we went through about 100.
By the way, she has an 85 horse engine, and a square tip metal prop. I now keep her below 100 when I fly her unless I want to gain altitude, AND still "go fast" (for a Taylorcraft). Brie

[1938BF50]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

Here is a quote from the 1939-1941 AIR FACTS READER as describing the test flight of the 1939 “Taylorcraft 65”. The full flight description is 9 pages long and very interesting. I have been meaning to scan it and post it for the group a long time now.

"....In level flight the nose rides fairly well down, providing excellent forward visibility. At 2150, which is rather high cruising RPM for a motor developing its rated power at 2300, the motor is smooth, and the airspeed showed between 90 and 95. It had been suggested that the Craft is rather susceptible to this thing of trimming to level flight, nosing down slightly for a loss of 100 feet, then letting the nose come up and easing back enough on the throttle to let the nose down or keep it in a level position. That shows good effect on many heavier ships on some days, and in this case, it did seem possible to coax it into cruising between 95 and 100, at a final 2150, tail slightly high, without losing altitude. At full throttle the motor turned 2500, the airspeed reading 115."

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

RE: Original Subj. I went out trying to get the mag that went sour on me the other day to give up again.

While warming things up at 2500 over the field I tried everything I could do to get more speed at cruise power setting on the 85. Up from slower speed, down from higher altitude, reduce power from full tilt. Results: 103, 103, 103, 103, ad nauseum. Really quiet morning, unusual for here. Today at 2300 RPM it was going to go 103 and nothing else.

At least the mag did do it's thing when it got warmed up. Runs good on cool days, doesn't like the heat though. I think I hear the sound of money getting ready to leave my account--
Darryl

Bad coil

Mike

[VictorBravo]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

The problem was, that even with the BOTH of us shoving forward on the yokes for all we were worth, (quite a bit of effort), the airplane kept climbing. I didn't put a stopwatch on it, but you could watch the altimiter wind up at a noticeable rate.

That's glider pilot humor, for any of you who are still scratching your head

Brie, stay away from the bottoms of them dark clouds when you're doing airspeed testing !

[Falcon10]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

TWADc95:
When I return home lets try to get my bc85 on step !! ( mabee you can help me learn to land too !!!) ps. see the new thred
Falcon10

[tawadc95]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

geez falcon,
you embarrass me with your kind comments.
thanks.........you going to Colusa fly in this Sat.?

[flyguy]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

Bill, it was really glassy out in the morning then, REALLY unusual for the West Side of the valley. It kept coming back to not 105 and not 100; looked like 103 to me,

Mike, I think your correct on the coil, slightly less likely, the condenser.

Those Eismann's are so long that I have to dismount the engine to get them off, yuk. Maybe time for a change, but man those things really put out a spark (most of the time.) I hate to part with them/it.

Darryl

[taylorcraftbc65]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

That's glider pilot humor, for any of you who are still scratching your head

Brie, stay away from the bottoms of them dark clouds when you're doing airspeed testing !

OH MAAANN you spoiled it. It WAS cloudy that day, but it was, if I remember correctly, stratus clouds. I think the the biggest reason for the rate of climb was that big efficient wing that I love sooo much. When we pushed the nose forward, we didn't change AOA much, but I believe that we dropped the trim drag by lowering the wings AOA, and in so doing, enabled it to generate it's max lift. Brie

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

As Merton Meade once put it " there are a lot of true believers out there flying Taylorcrafts!! I am a Physics & Math major with two College degrees , Flight test DER, about 5000 hrs in Taylorcrafts and in my own mind truly understand the "downwind turn" , "on the step" , I love the discussion, lets continue at OSH during the forumn??

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

Then we need to look at angle of incidence on the A vs. B vs. D Models . Just fly along in level cruise and look out at the wing position on the horizon. The "wash out" is way different too!! '

WELL we got the Old #1 , Model A ser# 25 of to Dayton today, she is not coming to OSH instead Doug Taylor is taking her to the Dayton Airshow for a big award. I will be leaving in the wee hours for OSH on Monday morning. Bringing lots of news and a few parts....

[taylorcraftbc65]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

I'd love to be there Forrest, but I will have to bring a Heath Parasol down from Albequerque at the same time. It was taken down to the bones, and restored up to cover, now I have to cover her, complete all the little doo-daad work, and go play with her. Didn't Chet also write a book on the Heaths? Brie

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

Yep he did.... see u somewhere !

[Len Petterson]

Re: Can a Taylorcraft fly faster "On Step"

Yes it can!
Reading article by Chuck Jersch in the RAA Canada magazine the Rec Flyer I read this:
I am sure we all agree that a 5 deg angel of attack, a wedge of air is, shall we saytrapped under the wingand this will increase the air pressrure to some degree, and according to Bernulie's formula the speed of the air must decrease.
I know contrary to the pilot manuals that talk about molecules splitting at the leading edge and meeting up at the trailing edge, the upper ones having geater distance to travel ovr the camber of the wing .
This explanation will not be found in any creadiable physics manual becuase it is contary to Bernuloulli's theorem.
The high pressure area under the wing or boat creates a bow wave, visable in front of the boat and is also present in front of the wing.
Alex Stronjik ( Glider desinger and aero dynamist , My comment) in his book : Low Power Laminar Technologies, speaks off the air comming to meet the wing and bends down behind the wing.
He recomends that the fuselage be bent 4 to 6 deg. downward on gliders and perhaps half of thaton fast aircrafts to accomondate the oncomming air.
Looking at mordern fighter planes and Burt Rutan's desging's it seams that they have adopted this school of thought."

This only a part of the article but I know mine will under the right contition spped up to 100 Mph +- with the right trinmming and takeking a nose down attitude. There is a fine line from what condition to starting desending and it is very difficult to find and keep it the sweet spot!
( One more washer under thefront of the tail?)

My friends Thorp T18 also flyes with a nose down/tail high attitude
Food for thought : the T 18 with a GPU aprox 110 hp my Taylorcraft with a tired A 65 has the same fuel consumption per mile.

Len