> >> So you were 4300' AGL and were able to glide 6.5 miles and make a safe >landing, is this correct? >> At what height and distance out did you deploy the flaps. > >That's what they told me, but that was to HSV, not to HUA where I actually >landed. Bill Clapp told me his glide ratio was 2.5:1, so maybe that's the >number you're fishing for. I didn't drop the flaps until I knew I could >make the runway, maybe a quarter mile out and a few hundred feet up. >Mark Langford ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mark, Glad you kept your head straight and handled the situation like you did. As to the glide rato, some quick math would indicate you did much better than 2.5:1 as Bill indicated and I suspect his glide is much better than that also. Assuming you only had a 4 mile distance, 4300 feet AGL, and no wind I compute the following: - approx 2 1/2 minutes in the air at 90mph would give you approx a 1650 fpm decent rate which sounds about right to me. That's assuming a straight line decent with no altitude left at the landing site so I think you did better than that. I'm going to say you had a bit better than 5:1 glide which also sounds about right to me. Anything better than 4 miles, turns, altitude left (you used flaps), etc., would only improve the rato. The other biggest variable would be the wind and either a head wind or tailwind could change the numbers considerable. [ 90mph=1.5 miles per minute so 4 miles = 2min36sec] [ 4 miles = 21120 feet / 4300 = 4.9:1 rato ] [4300 / 2.6 minutes = 1650 fpm ] - At a 2.5:1 rato you would have gotten 2 miles distance using the same assumptions and one hell of a decent angle. - I've never performed glide test with the prop stopped but at idle power I see decent rates in the 500 to 700 fpm range at approx 75 to 80 mph. I doubt if a stopped propeller is going to tripple that number and my wingspan is actually 4 inches shorter than a plans built KR2 wing. - Whatever rato you got, we're all happy you had the altitude you needed !!!!!!! As always, your results may vary. Larry Flesner
