IFR Power Settings

As I get nearer to first flight, I'm fleshing out my flight test cards. One of the things I'd like to base line and verify is power settings (MP & RPM) for IAPs. So what are you guys using for:

Holding
Approach Level
Precison Approach (~450-500 fpm descent)
Non-precision Approach (~700-800 fpm descent)

Of course I'm going to figure ourt what works for me and my airplane, but I think it would be helpful to get a feel for what others are using to take some of the guess work out.

I have some PPT files at home that I think Mike Andresen did quite a while ago. I found them to be quite useful in prepping for flight planning. He documented airspeed, MP, etc for each phase of flight.

I'm in the middle of an ADP implementation, so if I don't remember to send them to you. Drop me an email over the weekend.

rleffler said:

I have some PPT files at home that I think Mike Andresen did quite a while ago. I found them to be quite useful in prepping for flight planning. He documented airspeed, MP, etc for each phase of flight.

I'm in the middle of an ADP implementation, so if I don't remember to send them to you. Drop me an email over the weekend.

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Will do -- thanks Bob!

Congratulations!!

Auburntsts said:

As I get nearer to first flight,

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Congrats on getting to the "light at the end of the tunnel" part

Mike S said:

Congrats on getting to the "light at the end of the tunnel" part

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Thanks Mike! These past few weeks have been absolute torture being so close yet so far as I work to police up gremlins. After working on this project for so many years and with it getting colder my movitivation to go out the the hangar is almost zero these days.

Here is what I use in the 7a

Auburntsts said:

As I get nearer to first flight, I'm fleshing out my flight test cards. One of the things I'd like to base line and verify is power settings (MP & RPM) for IAPs. So what are you guys using for:

Holding
Approach Level
Precison Approach (~450-500 fpm descent)
Non-precision Approach (~700-800 fpm descent)

Of course I'm going to figure ourt what works for me and my airplane, but I think it would be helpful to get a feel for what others are using to take some of the guess work out.

Click to expand...

All at 2500 on the prop:
Holding, IAF 15-17"
Std decent. 13"
Expedited decent. 11-12"

Of course the answer to your question depends on the speed you choose to fly. While it's certainly good to have a "standard" speed, the reality is that some day you'll be going into Dulles with the jets and they'll ask for best possible forward speed (which is okay if you expect to break out into good visibility in time to slow down to land). Another time it will be night and 200 and 1/2; for that I personally favor 80 KIAS and 20 deg flaps.
So very different power settings for those two cases.
But the rule of thumb for descents works pretty well: once the desired speed is attained level, 5" MP reduction gets you about 500 ft/min descent at the same speed.

BobTurner said:

But the rule of thumb for descents works pretty well: once the desired speed is attained level, 5" MP reduction gets you about 500 ft/min descent at the same speed.

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Good info to know-----------I need to plug that into the old info bank.

speeds

I am not flying the -10 yet but personally, I favor 90 its and it makes the mental math easier...oh, wait, the EFIS does that...

I usually cruise at 20"/2400rpm. As I descend I maintain that power setting. I fly that same setting for holding as the plane is very stable at this setting. As I approach the final descent or Glideslope I pull back to 17"/2400. In the descent I usually pull back to 13"/prop full/mixture full (ready for a missed approach). I try to keep it about 100-110 Kts on final. Much below that and the auto pilot will start to wallow (waller in the south). If non-precision, when I break out, I will chop power as necessary and start dropping flaps. If precision, the runway is usually long enough that I will stay no-flap unless I break out high enough to use them to slow down. You'll find out what works. But that's what I use.