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Spinning the 8

In my experience, the 8 easily recovers from intentional spins. Throttle idle, neutralize the ailerons, apply opposite rudder, then forward elevator. Easy!
As a heads up, If you let if go past 2 rotations, it will really wrap up!
 
Probably not applicable to the eight but I have found the F1 Rocket will recover itself as soon as you neutralize the controls after spin entry. I can?t even get to the point of applying opposite rudder. This is solo with the CG near the forward limit. I am interested if anyone has spun the F1 with the CG closer to the aft limit.
G
 
Probably not applicable to the eight but I have found the F1 Rocket will recover itself as soon as you neutralize the controls after spin entry. I can?t even get to the point of applying opposite rudder. This is solo with the CG near the forward limit. I am interested if anyone has spun the F1 with the CG closer to the aft limit.
G

The Harmon Rocket, with the RV-4 tail needs positive recovery techniques... full opposite rudder and down elevator. Inverted spins need more chutzpah, which is in short supply. I wouldn't spin with rear CG because that implies a passenger.

V
 
I've done a few spins in my 8. Standard recovery procedures, nothing out of the ordinary for spins. It does exactly what its supposed to.
 
I find my 8 very docile in a spin entry/recovery with one up and a fwd CG. I can just neutralise the controls and it stops itself fairly quickly, quicker with Std spin recovering though. Pretty benign planes the Vans if flown within their capabilities.:)
 
It spins like a good airplane should! Very typical spin behavior with no bad characteristics I was able to trigger ( and I tried .... ). Any of the couple of typical recovery techniques works for me. Neutral stick, forward stick, opposite rudder, neutral rudder take you hands of the controls. Some take longer to recover then others but with some patience they all get me out of it.

If you do lots of spins (50 turn is my max so far) the engine will eventually quit ( after 10 turns or so ) and the prop will stop unless you have inverted fuel due to centrifugal force on the fuel. No big deal will start right back up after recovery.

Be safe and have fun!

Oliver
 
It spins like a good airplane should! Very typical spin behavior with no bad characteristics I was able to trigger ( and I tried .... ). Any of the couple of typical recovery techniques works for me. Neutral stick, forward stick, opposite rudder, neutral rudder take you hands of the controls. Some take longer to recover then others but with some patience they all get me out of it.

If you do lots of spins (50 turn is my max so far) the engine will eventually quit ( after 10 turns or so ) and the prop will stop unless you have inverted fuel due to centrifugal force on the fuel. No big deal will start right back up after recovery.

Be safe and have fun!

Oliver
50 turns in an RV, or the Cub?! Tell us more, please...
 
50 turns in an RV, or the Cub?! Tell us more, please...

RV

Here a 47 turn one I got on video I shared before:

http://www.spatscheck.com/oliver/Spin.mp4

I kind of got lazy taking videos so I don't have anything current with the 50 but it's basically the same just a few hundred feet more altitude.

Started at 14500 spin was done by 6000 feet needed another 1900 ft to stop rotation and get fast enough to get prop spinning again and pull out (don't like using the starter while flying otherwise you can pull out much quicker). After the engine quits and prop stops everything goes quite. It's very peaceful. Spin flattens out a little bit.

Oliver
 
RV

Here a 47 turn one I got on video I shared before:

http://www.spatscheck.com/oliver/Spin.mp4

I kind of got lazy taking videos so I don't have anything current with the 50 but it's basically the same just a few hundred feet more altitude.

Started at 14500 spin was done by 6000 feet needed another 1900 ft to stop rotation and get fast enough to get prop spinning again and pull out (don't like using the starter while flying otherwise you can pull out much quicker). After the engine quits and prop stops everything goes quite. It's very peaceful. Spin flattens out a little bit.

Oliver

Great video! Curious as to why you don't use the starter for the restart? Is it possible to overspeed the starter?

Best,
Jim
 
fuel pickup

...If you do lots of spins (50 turn is my max so far) the engine will eventually quit ( after 10 turns or so ) and the prop will stop unless you have inverted fuel due to centrifugal force on the fuel. ...
Oliver, that is very impressive - thanks for sharing it. Just curious, even with a flop tube, unless the tank were totally full, wouldn't the fuel pickup run dry?
 
Great video! Curious as to why you don't use the starter for the restart? Is it possible to overspeed the starter?

Best,
Jim

Jim,

I don?t know if there would be a problem or not but as soon as the starter would only pul one cylinder through the rpm would surge very rapidly much more so then on the ground. I just don?t think the starter was designed for that and I want to stay on the safe side. Maybe I am wrong.

Oliver
 
Oliver, that is very impressive - thanks for sharing it. Just curious, even with a flop tube, unless the tank were totally full, wouldn't the fuel pickup run dry?

You are right the flop tube alone would work only with lots of fuel but the inverted fuel kit from Vans also puts a trap door in the tank which will keep some fuel in the area of the flop tube. I am told that works.

Oliver
 
trap door

You are right the flop tube alone would work only with lots of fuel but the inverted fuel kit from Vans also puts a trap door in the tank which will keep some fuel in the area of the flop tube. I am told that works.
Ah yes, totally forgot about that! Thanks.
 
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