hotrod180 wrote:Flaps have a limit speed-- on my early 180, it's 100 mph,
and I generally don't deploy more than 10 degrees above 80 mph.
Per the TCDS, the 180J has a flap limit speed of 138 mph for 10 degrees, and 104 for 20-40 degrees.
The whole point of speedbrakes is that (as I understand it) you can deploy them at full cruise speed.
And that they don't provide any lift-- just drag.

soyAnarchisto wrote:Load the wing and use all your drag devices while maintaining a slip (NOT a skid) and you will come down like a lawn dart. Speed brakes are for gliders - a 185 is a VERY draggy airframe if you need it to be. Install them and you will lower the value of that 185.

Roll into a steep bank (60 is good, but 90 is better) to the left - look down to clear what is below you. Maintain indicated air speed and put in all the right rudder like you do for a side slip. Leave power in if you wish, but you will come STRAIGHT down and have excellent visibility while doing it.

In the US this is a required maneuver for a commercial pilot certificate. It's done EXACTLY for this reason: an emergency descent over a point. It is a safe and necessary skill to have in the backcountry. Practice at altitude until proficient, then practice more.

We do this all the time in the tow planes: low wing pawnees. Visibility is limited below us, so we roll into 90 degrees of bank so we can see, full right rudder for a steep spiraling descent where we drop out of the sky from the release altitude. We usually do it in very busy environments - a defined glider box with many aircraft, both gliders and powered airplanes where we need to descent rapidly and safely within a confined horizontal area. We also do it as the aircraft carrier landing from downwind to final because we operate inside of the normal traffic pattern for the other aircraft flying normal downwind/base/final legs so we can get down and out of the way of the normal traffic at a very busy non-towered GA airport in a metro area.

soyAnarchisto wrote:Load the wing and use all your drag devices while maintaining a slip (NOT a skid) and you will come down like a lawn dart. Speed brakes are for gliders - a 185 is a VERY draggy airframe if you need it to be. Install them and you will lower the value of that 185.

Roll into a steep bank (60 is good, but 90 is better) to the left - look down to clear what is below you. Maintain indicated air speed and put in all the right rudder like you do for a side slip. Leave power in if you wish, but you will come STRAIGHT down and have excellent visibility while doing it.

In the US this is a required maneuver for a commercial pilot certificate. It's done EXACTLY for this reason: an emergency descent over a point. It is a safe and necessary skill to have in the backcountry. Practice at altitude until proficient, then practice more.

We do this all the time in the tow planes: low wing pawnees. Visibility is limited below us, so we roll into 90 degrees of bank so we can see, full right rudder for a steep spiraling descent where we drop out of the sky from the release altitude. We usually do it in very busy environments - a defined glider box with many aircraft, both gliders and powered airplanes where we need to descent rapidly and safely within a confined horizontal area. We also do it as the aircraft carrier landing from downwind to final because we operate inside of the normal traffic pattern for the other aircraft flying normal downwind/base/final legs so we can get down and out of the way of the normal traffic at a very busy non-towered GA airport in a metro area.