---------------------------------------------------------- TeamGrumman-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Sun 10/19/08: 1 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 11:23 PM - Dive test (teamgrumman@aol.com) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 11:23:18 PM PST US Subject: TeamGrumman-List: Dive test From: teamgrumman@aol.com 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. -------------------------------------------- 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- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message teamgrumman-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/TeamGrumman-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/teamgrumman-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/teamgrumman-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.