This just popped up in my inbox...

http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing ... _16-01.pdf

That was actually pretty informative (surprise, from the FAA) and very appropriate to this discussion.
Thanks for posting it.

By the way I converted 180Drivers Flight Research Sportsman Test Report to PDF and included the 185 Glide ratio chart. Appendix F&G are missing. If someone would like it I can email it to you.

gunny

Try level flight trim hands off. See how close that is.

55wagon wrote:Try level flight trim hands off. See how close that is.

Haven't tried that but from the way the nose goes down with the power pulled back, I'd guess that it would be quite a bit too fast.

Man, 14:1 sounds too good to be true. I want to believe it, and I know the 180 is a slick airplane, but that's the same as the best case for an A36 clean with prop coarse. https://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewto ... f=2&t=2227. I'm a little skeptical of hand-drawn performance charts, made by people who are selling mods, though I can vouch for the excellent STOL properties of the Sportsman cuff. I've spent some time googling for context, and typical numbers are 8 to 1 for 152/172 with prop windmilling, (20% better w prop stopped) 10:1 for 182, coarse. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all ... ient-pilot. Taylorcraft is capable of 20:1 with prop stopped, 35:1 for a Schweizer SGS 2-32. Any 180 pilots ever tested their glide performance?

mtv wrote:Hot rod,

If you are ever faced with that discouraging feeling caused by an engine failure, don't forget to pull that prop controll to full coarse pitch ASAP.

MTV

Hmm. I hate the sound of a quiet engine

Tim

qmdv wrote:

mtv wrote:Hot rod,

If you are ever faced with that discouraging feeling caused by an engine failure, don't forget to pull that prop controll to full coarse pitch ASAP.

MTV

Hmm. I hate the sound of a quiet engine

Tim

Wouldn't the prop go to the fine stops once it stops turning. Only time I have seen a feathered engine that's stopped is during twin training.

Good question.
Oil pressure is what drives the conventional c/s prop.
I'm not sure if mine would go to full coarse or full fine with zero oil pressure.
Since I believe they take different governors,
I'm thinking maybe my McCauley would behave differently from a Hartzell.

hotrod180 wrote:Minimum sink rate is great if you've got a landing site within range, but want some time to try a re-start, call a mayday, or say your prayers. But if my engine quits out over the Strait of Juan de Fuca, I want max range glide to try to get to dry land, or at least minimize how far I have to swim or someone else has to boat out to rescue me.

I don't know if I agree with slowing down to minimum sink with a tailwind, to get all the free distance I can. I think it'd have to be one helluva tailwind to compensate for the shorter range. Probably better to try for best glide speed since the tailwind will still help you.

Over water, if you cant make land, minimum sink rate would still be the better option in my opinion. It's what I would do, staying OUT of the water for as long as possible, giving rescuers more time to get to you.... though if I couldn't make land I'd look for a boat to ditch near.

I agree, if you're looking for range, best glide wins regardless of tailwind.

elgoatropo wrote: Man, 14:1 sounds too good to be true. I want to believe it, and I know the 180 is a slick airplane, but ...

Don't know where you came up with that 14:1 figure, but I agree-- too good to be true.
That's damn near double the 8:1 that the Cessna POH says.