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9A flap operating speeds

MikeinPhoenix

Well Known Member
Apologies in advance if this is a dumb question, but I recently bought a 9A and the max flap operating speed is 90mph per the POH. However, I have seen elsewhere on the web where other 9A owners show max flap operating speed at 100mph. Not sure why there would be any difference in the speeds assuming everyone builds according to the plans. Appreciate any thoughts. Mike
 
My Vans info said Vfe is 100mph, or 87 kts. There was no indication that applied only to the first 10 degrees. I put out all the flaps at 87kias; no problems in the first 110 hrs.:)
 
My discussion with Van's tech support early in Phase I testing was that 10 degrees @ 100MPH is fine. Any more than that the plane needs to be below 90MPH.
 
Had the same question in Prescott a few weeks back when I got my 9a.
It is hard to slow down, at least for me. Slips don't help much either. You might read the thread about flap pushrods inspection habits also. Cheers.
 
If I start putting the flaps in at 100 mph, by the time they're fully extended, I'm typically down to below 80 mph. Usually I wait until ~95 mph to extend just to be safe. No issues in 650 hours.

Greg
 
My 9A takes a bit of time to slow from a fast descent down to flap speed, but it is not difficult. Reduce power, trim the nose up a bit and the speed bleeds off. I start dropping a bit of flaps at 85 knots, and don't go with full flaps till below 80 knots. Once the full flaps are out, the rest of the speed drops off quickly.
 
Had the same question in Prescott a few weeks back when I got my 9a.
It is hard to slow down, at least for me. Slips don't help much either. You might read the thread about flap pushrods inspection habits also. Cheers.

When you are abeam the numbers, pull throttle to idle, attempt to hold altitude until speed bleeds off, lower flaps at 83 knots (top of white arc) then lower nose and increase throttle to 1200 rpm for approach. That is the procedure I was taught by Mike Seeger during transition training. Speed will bleed off pretty quickly.
 
Had the same question in Prescott a few weeks back when I got my 9a.
It is hard to slow down, at least for me. Slips don't help much either. You might read the thread about flap pushrods inspection habits also. Cheers.

The other thing I would add is that you need to manage airspeed in RV's BEFORE you get into the pattern. I try to make sure I'm straight and level at 2000 rpm upon entering the pattern. Then, once in the pattern I never get above 1800-2000 rpm. At that point, it's relatively easy to bleed off the speed by pulling all the power abeam the numbers.
 
Flap speeds

It's too bad every RV pilot can't fly an RV with manual flaps so they could feel the flap loads. I've had both and it's eye opening to experience the change in exertion required to extend the flaps at different speeds. Most of us press the little switch and that tiny motor seems to do the work so effortlessly it's hard to imagine a "little" extra speed could hurt anything. In this case, a little is a lot. Mind your flap speeds as Van intended.
 
Not to hijack the thread but how are IFR approaches done with such a low flap speed? If I come down the hill at 90K or so at the bottom of the approach is not a safe place to be doing gymnastics trying to get the flaps out and slowed down especially if the runway is fairly short.

How are you IFR guys flying the approaches down to minimums? 1000 ft ceilings are no problem but 200 to 300 ft is a different story altogether.
 
good topic

I'm trying to sort this out myself. I'm VFR but can cert for IFR but haven't yet.

This is where I am now; 100 kt approach at 9.5 mp and begin slowing at 500 ft mp reduced, at 87 kt 10 deg flap, at 78 kt full flap.

I'm also interested in hearing others?
 
you need to manage airspeed in RV's BEFORE you get into the pattern ... once in the pattern I never get above 1800-2000 rpm.

Agreed! With a 3 blade Catto, I find I need to start scrubbing off airspeed 4mi or more out. It's just w-a-y hard to get rid of airspeed and altitude at the same time... RVs are slippery critters. Once in the pattern I'm usually somewhere 1600 - 1700 until I pull back the power ATDP.
 
Thanks for the speed bleed tips guys! Had so many years behind big continentals, where I almost never really pulled the throttle clear back...
I have round pushrods in mine that have some slight scratches. Another thread discusses the hex rods. I plan on changing them for peace of mind.
The manual flap comment is spot on. The 185's on floats in Alaska all had the big bar to pull. 10 extra knots and you could pull a muscle in your back. Always something to learn. I love it!
 
How are you IFR guys flying the approaches down to minimums? 1000 ft ceilings are no problem but 200 to 300 ft is a different story altogether.

I was going to address this, but then noticed the thread was -9 specific, so my procedure won't apply with the lower limits. Straight from Vans' manual:

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It's too bad every RV pilot can't fly an RV with manual flaps so they could feel the flap loads. I've had both and it's eye opening to experience the change in exertion required to extend the flaps at different speeds. Most of us press the little switch and that tiny motor seems to do the work so effortlessly it's hard to imagine a "little" extra speed could hurt anything. In this case, a little is a lot. Mind your flap speeds as Van intended.

Thank you for the spot on post Steve.
I too have flown both. My current 6A has manual flaps. The flap loads do increase dramatically with speed (can't change the laws of physics).;)
The landing approach profile I fly allows me to not have to go to half flaps before slowing to about 80 kts I have my indexer set up so that I have 10 deg, 25 deg, and 40 deg. I use the 10 degree on down wind (once below 100 Kts) to make the pitch attitude lower for better over the nose vis. as I slow down.
BTW 10 deg of flaps is also very useful flying extended periods at slower speeds (like the arrival to OSH). It helps reduce the nose high wallowing feeling and greatly improves over the nose vis.
 
I fly a fixed pitch RV9A. First I set my idle mixture to get a 650 rpm idle speed. Any higher makes airplane float longer.

Abeam number I pull power idle and make sure the throttle is all the way out. I hold the nose up to maintain altitude and quickly bleed the speed off to 90 kts. I put down the first notch of flap (with flap controller set to 10 degree). Turn base, reduce to 80 kts and anther 10 degrees (sometimes I will put all down). Final is 70 kts. Over the threshold down to 65 kts. Keep nose high until there is no more elevator. If I still have a long way from the turn off, rise the flap to help keeping the nose wheel up. Adding some power helps too. I use the 90-80-70 numbers since it is easy to remember and also help me to get to the ground faster (compare using 65 all the way).

Of course it also depends on the size of the pattern. If flying too close, I will slip while keep above 70 kts. When practiced enough, one can slip it all the way to the runway. It helps bleeding off the speed and altitude your pick.

Since I moved to Florida I practiced formation a lot with a mixed group of airplanes. My speed is determined by the slowest airplane in the flight. Often it is a Cessna 140 at 90-100 mph. At that speed I am running 1600-1800 rpm. I usually put down a little flap for the entire flight. Flying with other RVs or faster airplanes is much easier then with the slow ones.

For entering pattern I have no issue to approach 45 at 130 kts. I can reduce power to slow down to 110 kts for the downwind. On IFR approaches I usually fly 120-130 kts until FAF. RV9A is more stable at higher speed (than, say 90 kts). Slow down to 90 kts 2 or 3 miles out and continue to slow down in order to have a gentle touch down.

I am sure many people do it differently. However, so far my numbers have worked for me. Use what suggested here as a base and find what you feel comfortable with. Of course the hard limits should not be passed.
 
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