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1. 11:23 PM - Dive test (teamgrumman@aol.com)
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Friday we managed to get all the ducks (i.e., FAA and paperwork) lined up an
d we flew the dive tests.
Well, as it turns out, a Piper Malibu CAN be used to pace a Tiger, but it is
n't easy. =C2-I had to stand the TIger on it's nose to get it to 220 mph.
=C2-A Malibu at the same angle of decent screams right by the Tiger, even
with the power at cutoff. =C2-We tried it twice. =C2-
Then, we tried a much shallower dive and ran out of altitude before I got it
to 190 mph (redline is 200 mph, target speed was 230 mph).
SOOOOOO, as it turns out, the gear on a Malibu can be extended at 170 knots
and can be flown to 201 knots with the gear down. =C2-We needed 195 knots
(224 mph, due to the position error on the Malibu.) to make the dive count.
=C2-So far so good.
The 4th test proved that the Malibu,=C2-with the gear hanging down, has ab
out the same drag as a Tiger. =C2-We were close. =C2-
On the fifth test, with the Malibu alongside the Tiger, we went to 200 knots
. =C2-Next step, we wait to see if the FAA will accept the video and fligh
t data.
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Now, for the rest of the story.
On the first dive test,=C2-we saw 240 mph on the Tiger. =C2-It wasn't ea
sy.
On the second dive test, the air got a little rough just above the beginning
of the yellow arc so we knocked off the test. =C2-The Malibu still blew b
y like I was parked.
On the third=2
0test,=C2-we got to 190 mph before I knocked of the test due to my own min
imum altitude limit (5000 AGL)
On the 4th test (Malibu with its gear down and 100 feet off my left wing), w
e easily got to 220 MPH indicated. =C2-Unfortunately, the indicated in the
Malibu showed we were too slow by about 6 mph. =C2-
On the 5th test, again with the Malibu about 100 feet off my left wing, gear
down, we got to 235 mph on the Tiger; =C2-200 knots on the Malibu.
Word of note: =C2-You will never even get close the the redline on a Tiger
. =C2-Pointing the plane nearly straight down, at 190 mph, it stops accele
rating with the engine at 2650 rpm. =C2-I had to nudge the throttle to cut
the drag from the prop in order to get past 220 mph. =C2-It's very diffic
ult to get to the plane's redline with a fixed pitch prop. =C2-Clearly, wi
th a constant speed prop, this test would have been a whole lot easier. =C2
-
At 240 mph, the plane is as smooth as glass. =C2-It takes a tremendous amo
unt of forward stick to get it to dive at those speeds. =C2-Recovery is no
thing more than relaxing the pressure on the yoke. =C2-We never experience
d more than a little over 1g pulling out of a dive. =C2-About a 5000 foot
loss in altitude. =C2-Very stable plane. =C2-The FAA inspector was impre
ssed. =C2- Nuff said. =C2-
Oh, yea, the cowling didn't bulge out or do anything it wasn't supposed to d
o. =C2-
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