---------------------------------------------------------- Rocket-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Sat 08/14/10: 2 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 08:01 AM - Rocket grass ops (Frazier, Vincent A) 2. 12:27 PM - Re: Rocket grass ops (Rob Ray) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 08:01:38 AM PST US From: "Frazier, Vincent A" Subject: Rocket-List: Rocket grass ops SNIP I have my HR for sale.... and I have a serious buyer who wants to operate on grass. My operations are always on pavement. I've ventured onto grass recently.. . tried removing pants 1st just to see what the performance issues were. Rocket is a lot slower and uglier in that config. I searched back into rocketlist archive regarding grass field operations. Rob Ray's comments (Desser tires) are good... Andrew in New Zealand, gra ss operator. Anyone else ? What are issues ? If you are caretaker of your grass strip, how close do you crop the grass. .. roll the surface... keep it smooth ?? Thanks in advance for your comments. John Meyers N5800 Sequim WA SNIP *************************************************************************************** Rockets love grass. What's the problem? I'd rather land on a grass strip than paved under normal conditions. We roll our strip once a year, mow to normal height, and keep an eye out for mole or other damage. No different than keeping an eye out for chuckholes in pavement. Vince in SW Indiana ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 12:27:04 PM PST US From: Rob Ray Subject: Re: Rocket-List: Rocket grass ops John, --I have operated my Rocket off of my very soft 1800' strip for nearly five years with no issues. I operated my RV4 from the same strip and many l ess improved before that, no worries. The airplanes were designed for off f ield operations until more speed became the ultimate goal from the "group" and fairings and wheel-pants became closer faired and nearer to terra firma .-- I modified my HR2 by removing the Sam James pants and fairings and purchasing a set of Team Rocket leg fairings and Vans Pressure Recovery pan ts. Using Steve Sampson's RV4 blog as a guide, I installed a set of Aero Cl assic 380X150X5 main tires and one of Vince's lightweight tall tailwheels o n my API tailwheel assembly. My friend Ronnie helped me trim the pants at a height to be 4" above ground at the rear of=0A the tire in level flight at titude. We cut the hole so the pant blends down around the center of the wh eel but is higher at the front and back. The first test flight was on a mud dy day and I immediately noticed the difference in ground handling and the first landing on soft ground was noticeably less "digging in". The side ben efit was pavement handling improved as well. Other that that I have gotten very adept at 69 knot approach speeds and landing on the first blade of gra ss on short strips. I recommend nothing shorter than 1000' feet unless you have a mission requirement for such. :) -I have also experimented with pa rtial flap takeoffs. Ten degrees does help get off quicker into ground effe ct. That's all I have to say about that! Good Luck!SmokeyHR2 http://gikonfinsh.blogspot.com/ Steve Sampson's excellent Blog --- On Sat, 8/14/10, Frazier, Vincent A wrote: From: Frazier, Vincent A Subject: Rocket-List: Rocket grass ops SNIP I have my HR for sale.... and I have a serious buyer who wants to oper ate on grass. My operations are always on pavement.- I've ventured onto grass recently. .. . tried removing pants 1st just to see what the performance issues were. Rocket is a lot slower and uglier in that config. I searched back into rocketlist archive regarding grass field operations. - Rob Ray's comments (Desser tires) are good... Andrew in New Zealand, gr a ss operator. Anyone else=0A ?- What are issues ? If you are caretaker of your grass strip, how close do you crop the grass. .. roll the surface... keep it smooth ?? Thanks in advance for your comments. John Meyers N5800- Sequim WA SNIP *************************************************************************** ************ Rockets love grass.- What's the problem?- I'd rather land on a grass st rip than paved under normal conditions. We roll our strip once a year, mow to normal height, and keep an eye out fo r mole or other damage.- No different than keeping an eye out for chuckho les in pavement. 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