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TomParsons Certificates/Ratings/Crew Stations: "Flying Figures with Fixed-Pitch Type" 05-05-03, 12:15z  Yipes, this is more complicated than I thought! Up to now, almost all the acro I've been flying has been in types with constant-speed props. You pretty much can set the prop and MP levers and forget about them (leaving only the ailerons, elevator, and rudder to worry about!). But yesterday I went out in my fixed-pitch S-1S and did some loops, spins, and competition turns. I found myself thrashing around hopelessly on the throttle. So my question is this: what do you do with the throttle during the basic (Sportsman) figures? Any advice from current or former S-1S pilots (and you know who you are ) would be appreciated. Tom P. Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

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Subject      Author      Message Date     ID      RE: Flying Figures with Fixed-Pitch... djpacro 05-06-03 1   RE: Flying Figures with Fixed-Pitch... KendalSimpson 05-06-03 2   RE: Flying Figures with Fixed-Pitch... TomParsons 05-07-03 3   RE: Flying Figures with Fixed-Pitch... Patty_Wagstaff 05-16-03 4   RE: Flying Figures with Fixed-Pitch... TomParsons 05-19-03 5

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djpacro Certificates/Ratings/Crew Stations: 1. "RE: Flying Figures with Fixed-Pitch Type" 05-06-03, 10:47z  Two answers to that question: 1. I hire my Decathlon out and I expect the pilots to adhere strictly to the rpm limit of 2700 - I suggest they keep the rpm around 2500 to give a bit of margin and they soon learn to judge rpm by the sound. 2. I flew Guido Zuccoli's Pitts once and he told me not to throttle back at all - I had to force myself to disregard the tacho. If you've ever heard a Pitts wind up at an airshow it could easily be doing 3500 rpm or so. I never liked to abuse my own engine that much and the extra thrust wasn't really noticeable. I'd take our own Pitts/Laser to 3000. Until you can judge the rpm by sound, determine what airspeed results in your max rpm at full throttle - so that anytime below that airspeed you can use full throttle. Regards, Dave Pilkington Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

KendalSimpson Certificates/Ratings/Crew Stations: 2. "RE: Flying Figures with Fixed-Pitch Type" 05-06-03, 12:42z  Hey Tom as you know I'm not flyin a Pitts but I'll tell you what I know/been told/experienced anyway. Just about everyone I talk to has no problem turning their Lycoming up to 3300 RPM. I have also been told that anything above 3000 RPM really isn't giving you much extra in the HP department and your just making more noise and wear on the engine so that's what I try to use for my limits. With my current engine/prop combination the only time I really get over 3000RPM at full throttle is in the vertical downlines. OK maybe when I dive into the box too. Basically the only time I'm not at full throttle is when I'm entering a spin (idle) or on a down line from a hammer/humpty/ etc... As soon as I'm headed straight down I reduce the throttle about half way and this keeps the revs in check. Be sure to do this smooth and I wouldn't go all the way back on it. I tend to think that harsh power application and reduction is just as bad as over reving. The moment I start the pull from vertical in comes the power firm but smooth. Now you have to remember that I'm hauling around 1100lbs empty wt airplane on 160hp. Needless to say I need all I can get to even fly in the same box as you guys. So for the Sportsman sequence in your light weight over powered (is there such a thing???) Pitts I'm betting you could set your power about 2500RPM in cruise, forget about it, and still fly a good sequence. Except for the spin of course and probably the hammer with 1/4 down. If your pulling out of loops and such the G loading should keep the RPM in check even at full throttle. Well Tom as you know you get what you pay for in the advice department so if you think this is worth anything send me a check. Have a blast and keep the dirty side up. Kendal Simpson www.littletootaerobatics.com Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

TomParsons Certificates/Ratings/Crew Stations: 3. "RE: Flying Figures with Fixed-Pitch Type" 05-07-03, 02:44z  Thanks for the tips, guys! I think I need to go practice some more, and get myself "dialed in" to my airplane. The previous owner of my airplane told me that it's very tough to get a nice round loop if you throttle back on the back side. The alternative of leaving it wide-open sounds like a prescription for over-reving, unless my loops are tight enough to get some good G-loaded drag coming down. Tom P. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Patty_Wagstaff Certificates/Ratings/Crew Stations: 4. "RE: Flying Figures with Fixed-Pitch Type" 05-16-03, 13:36z  Tom Go for it. Patty Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

TomParsons Certificates/Ratings/Crew Stations: 5. "RE: Flying Figures with Fixed-Pitch Type- Update" 05-19-03, 14:41z  After a couple more flights over the weekend, I think I'm getting better at working the throttle. I'm not letting the engine rev over 3000 RPM, partly because of engine concerns, but mainly because I don't want to tick off the neighbors for no reason! I find I don't need to throttle back at all in the loops, and this is with only a 4-4.5 G pull. In fact, if I do throttle back, I come out 10 or 20 mph slower than I want. It seems like I do need to throttle back on downlines (not surprisingly), but also a bit on the 45 downline (of a 1/2 Cuban for example) if I want a long enough line. I also find that at full throttle I don't need much of a dive at all (and can't do much without over-revving) to get to my looping speed of 160 mph. Now that is pretty cool! I also got some ground critiquing yesterday. It seems I'm pinching my loops. To me, it seems like the float needs to be a lot longer than I'm used to in the S-2B I practiced in before. Also, I'm coming out low much of the time. Maybe I'm just late- late to start the float, then late to gather it back in? Tom P. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

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