I know there has been much debate over the issue of whether to return to the departure airport or to continue ahead when faced with an engine out during the initial climb out. We all have probably pulled the power at several thousand feet and measured how much altitude we lost in a 360 deg turn. I decided to do a more realistic test in our RV-12 and actually pull the power when departing the airport.
So in the early evening on October 3rd, with no traffic in the pattern, I departed the 6000 ft long runway 20 at KPWT, the Bremerton National Airport (440 MSL). Winds were 10 kts from the south. At various altitudes I pulled the power, then initiated a left 270? turn followed by a right 90? turn to attempt a landing (RWY 02). My bank angle visually seemed to be 45?, which I found to be surprisingly comfortable. I initiated this maneuver when climbing at 75 kts, first at 1200 ft MSL, then the next time at 1000 MSL, then 900 MSL, then 800 MSL, and finally 800 MSL with a 3 second delay before initiating the first turn.
All were successful ... in fact the only one that was marginal was the first one at 1200 ft because I was too high to land by the time I was back over the runway -- it would have been better in that case to have treated the approach as a downwind to RWY 20.
In each case (except the 1200 ft one) I would easily have been able to land before running out of runway with the 10 kt landing tailwind.
I concluded there would be no problem landing the RV-12 with the engine quitting when only 360 ft above the runway.
Amazing, huh. Well, I was surprised anyway. I am confident that in our RV-12 one could do a successful "return to the runway" any time after passing 300 ft AGL.
So in the early evening on October 3rd, with no traffic in the pattern, I departed the 6000 ft long runway 20 at KPWT, the Bremerton National Airport (440 MSL). Winds were 10 kts from the south. At various altitudes I pulled the power, then initiated a left 270? turn followed by a right 90? turn to attempt a landing (RWY 02). My bank angle visually seemed to be 45?, which I found to be surprisingly comfortable. I initiated this maneuver when climbing at 75 kts, first at 1200 ft MSL, then the next time at 1000 MSL, then 900 MSL, then 800 MSL, and finally 800 MSL with a 3 second delay before initiating the first turn.
All were successful ... in fact the only one that was marginal was the first one at 1200 ft because I was too high to land by the time I was back over the runway -- it would have been better in that case to have treated the approach as a downwind to RWY 20.
In each case (except the 1200 ft one) I would easily have been able to land before running out of runway with the 10 kt landing tailwind.
I concluded there would be no problem landing the RV-12 with the engine quitting when only 360 ft above the runway.
Amazing, huh. Well, I was surprised anyway. I am confident that in our RV-12 one could do a successful "return to the runway" any time after passing 300 ft AGL.