Chris Prata wrote: >> I think it would be awesome to gather everybody's real world experiences regarding the basic specs. I agree that the original probably isnt 385lb empty,takes off in 300ft, does 200mph, climbs 2000fpm, costs $53 to build, all on a 1100cc bug engine!<<
At the moment, the closest we can come to that is the KR Info spreadsheet at http://www.krnet.org/kr-info.html. You will notice only one KR1 listed. There just aren't that many of them out there. There are a few flying, but the owners have not volunteered the information to more fully populate the chart. There's probably some performance data in the old Newsletters, so that's worth a look (http://www.krnet.org/newsletter/). I know there are a lot more flying KRs of all generations out there, but these are all the numbers I've been able to elicit over the years. More input would be welcome, of course! >>...what are real-world experiences: TOP SPEEDTAKEOFF/LANDING DISTANCESTALL SPEEDEMPTY WEIGHTCEILINGRANGEBEST PROP*<< Landing and takeoff distances are a little more difficult to get than stall, speed, and ceiling, as it's helpful to have an outside observer to identify touchdown points and takeoff points. And like the other numbers we try to gather, all are subject to inaccuracies, errors, and outright inflation. >>One side note that I noticed from reading the newsletter pilot reports, one factor which makes a HUGE difference, is a propeller. I saw reports of huge changes in speed, climb, fuel burn etc with different props which interestingly seem to load up the engine equally. I saw no other factor that had as much impact on the flight experience as propeller.<< Props are important, and there's a lot more to them than diameter and pitch. Blade area and shape are big factors as well. Another factor is "cruise vs climb"...it depends on what the pilot's need or preference is. A 52x52 from one prop maker may bear no resemblance (in shape OR performance) to a 52x52 prop from another maker. And sometimes, a prop maker can't even produce the same performance from a prop even when he has an identical one to copy! I'll leave it at that, but props are a bit of a crap shoot, and when you get a good one, consider yourself lucky...and make a copy! Mark Langford ML at N56ML.com http://www.n56ml.com
