MountainU2
Member
Okay, so as the title suggests, I know I am opening a can of worms here. But single engine piston—and especially constant speed propeller stuff—is new to me, and if I’m being brutally honest with myself it’s a little bit mystifying.
I have flown jet aircraft for years, and between the Airbus I currently fly, and the U-2 which I flew in the Air Force, I feel pretty stoopid when I have to actually think about what my engine’s doing. Heck, in the U-2 (yes, they’re still flying), you push the throttle to “mil” on takeoff and usually leave it there until descent. Now I have not one, but TWO more levers to think about.
I bought my first plane, an RV-6 with the above eng/prop setup a few months ago. I understand the basics, and have flown my plane a lot using a formulaic approach to settings, but I need more info. I shoot for <= 380 CHT, and my usual flying is at 6500 or 7500ft in the SF Bay area. I find my MP at cruise and full throttle is 22-2300, and I set the prop at 2300. Then I lean until peak, keep going until slightly rough, then back in a couple turns. I end up with about a 1250 EGT. Seems like about 130-140 kts IAS is where she’s happy.
Am I in the right ballpark? I’m not worried about how fast I can go; I want to keep my engine happy and dependable for as long as possible. I looked for threads here, and surprisingly didn’t see much. Also googled the **** out of this, and found some great advice for fuel injected 540s. Again, not much for our setup.
Fire away.
I have flown jet aircraft for years, and between the Airbus I currently fly, and the U-2 which I flew in the Air Force, I feel pretty stoopid when I have to actually think about what my engine’s doing. Heck, in the U-2 (yes, they’re still flying), you push the throttle to “mil” on takeoff and usually leave it there until descent. Now I have not one, but TWO more levers to think about.
I bought my first plane, an RV-6 with the above eng/prop setup a few months ago. I understand the basics, and have flown my plane a lot using a formulaic approach to settings, but I need more info. I shoot for <= 380 CHT, and my usual flying is at 6500 or 7500ft in the SF Bay area. I find my MP at cruise and full throttle is 22-2300, and I set the prop at 2300. Then I lean until peak, keep going until slightly rough, then back in a couple turns. I end up with about a 1250 EGT. Seems like about 130-140 kts IAS is where she’s happy.
Am I in the right ballpark? I’m not worried about how fast I can go; I want to keep my engine happy and dependable for as long as possible. I looked for threads here, and surprisingly didn’t see much. Also googled the **** out of this, and found some great advice for fuel injected 540s. Again, not much for our setup.
Fire away.
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