I did a flight test in my KR2S a few weeks ago to check the facts on windmilling props and glide ratio. Two tests from 10,000' (one with engine on, one with it off) proved to me that there is no appreciable difference in glide rate between engine idling and engine off. Engine off in a VW or Corvair engine mean the prop is stopped, rather than windmilling, so that may be the difference in KR "real world" and "conventional wisdom". Short props and high compression ratios keep the prop from windmilling when the engine is off. I did these tests because I wanted to know what my real glide rate was (13.5:1 in present configuration) and because I wanted to know if my glide rate would improve with the engine off.
Mark Langford, Huntsville, Alabama see KR2S project N56ML at http://home.hiwaay.net/~langford email to N56ML "at" hiwaay.net
