What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

RV-10 Stall Warning vs. AOA

H

HighFlying

Member
I have read several threads on the forum and talked to several other builders regarding using AOA in place of the factory stall warning system. I am leaning toward relying on the AOA (Garmin) function and not installing the factory stall warning system on my 10. Does anyone have any insights as to why that would be a bad idea? I am using the Garmin regulated Pitot/AOA tube.
 
One reason

If you get a pilot static issue you also lose your stall warning. If it happens when you are distracted or busy after takeoff it could be a bad day.

That said I didn't install the stall warner.

Derek
 
AOA display

I had set up the AOA configuration indication on the GDU465 PFD in my RV-14A soon after I started flying it. And have since disabled the AOA on the PFD.

I found that the display on the PFD is so small and so far out of my field of vision during the final phase of landing, that I relied more on the wing leading edge stall tab warning and my vision of the runway and my sight picture. I did not find that it was comfortable to try to monitor the small and out of my sight picture PFD AOA display during the final stage of a landing.

I am looking now at installing a GI260 AOA indicator that can be mounted on the glare shield in my field of vision of the landing approach, and it's display is considerably larger than what is presented on the PFD.

If you do not initially opt for a GI260, I suggest that you wire your system harness for a later install of one - if that is possible, because the GI260 has to be somewhere in the loop of the CANBUS, not at an end of the CANBUS.
 
I have both, the AOA from Garmin on Display+Audio (I like it) and the standard Vans leading edge switch which activates a buzzer in the cockpit. The buzzer is software and Pitot independent so I kept both just in case..
 
Just another source for drag and damage

Most builders I know eliminated the stall tab on the wing. Many are correct that the indicators on the display is too small to see or to look down in the pattern. You don’t have to. You want to learn the tones, that describes each phase of a stall and approach. You can better understand the tones when you calibrate and at a safe altitude. Since calibrating I’ve never looked down to try and find the indicator. It’s not designed to look down at in the pattern. I probably can’t even tell you now where it is located. The wing tab is just something that is easily damaged. My opinion only.
 
jeffw@sc47 said:
I had set up the AOA configuration indication on the GDU465 PFD in my RV-14A soon after I started flying it. And have since disabled the AOA on the PFD.

I found that the display on the PFD is so small and so far out of my field of vision during the final phase of landing, that I relied more on the wing leading edge stall tab warning and my vision of the runway and my sight picture. I did not find that it was comfortable to try to monitor the small and out of my sight picture PFD AOA display during the final stage of a landing.

I am looking now at installing a GI260 AOA indicator that can be mounted on the glare shield in my field of vision of the landing approach, and it's display is considerably larger than what is presented on the PFD.

If you do not initially opt for a GI260, I suggest that you wire your system harness for a later install of one - if that is possible, because the GI260 has to be somewhere in the loop of the CANBUS, not at an end of the CANBUS.
Click to expand...

Enable the AoA audio, and you’ll never bother to look at the display again….. and yes, a glareshield mount is far better than a screen display - but try the audio first.
 
I like the stall warning built in to the G3X AOA system with the progressive beep warning. I did fly my RV-9A for something approaching 100 hours before that was installed, however, and didn't miss the stall warning. (The RV-9A is only the second of the six airplanes I've owned that had a stall warning.)

No need for anything else, and I don't use the visual display on the PFD operationally, only for research.

In the other RVs I've had (-4, -8, -8A) it was relatively easy to land without an airspeed indicator. When I gave instruction to an experienced RV-9A pilot in his, he had trouble doing that. Suggestion: go practice landing with the airspeed covered, and that probably means blue painter's tape on the IAS part of the PFD and a CFI in the other seat.

To be prepared if the pitot system gets clogged, I always display GPS altitude on the parameter bar. I double check it with the altimeter frequently. If the pitot does get clogged for real, my experience suggests flying the GPS altitude 500' high.

Always more to learn....
 
Last edited:
Garmin

Garmin AOA only. If you decide to not use the stock one, don’t waste time installing it, removing it at a later time is a pita.
 
+1 on several previous comments:
Audio tones only, I rarely look at the chevrons (Dynon D6)
The radio shack stall buzzer in the -10 is hard to hear in flight, with headphones. I’d wouldn’t bother with installing it, although, on first flight, or until you can calibrate the aoa, that means flying with no stall warning.
 
+1 for AOA only. IMHO the value is in the audio from the AOA not the display. (The chevron display is cool though).
 
My plan is the audio as well with the pilot tube. I have the landing height system on my 8, gives audio call outs like airliners do. Looking forward to the aoa as well on the 10 (doing landing height as well).
 
BobTurner said:
The radio shack stall buzzer in the -10 is hard to hear in flight, with headphones. I’d wouldn’t bother with installing it, although, on first flight, or until you can calibrate the aoa, that means flying with no stall warning.
Click to expand...

I have no comment on the stock vane vs AOA selection, but I would like to state that I do have the stock stall vane system and I've never had any issues hearing the buzzer, as chinsy as it is, through my headset. YMMV....
 
The value is all in the audio.

I especially love it when I'm looking at something interesting on the ground and pulling around in a good tight circle, and I get that slow "beep beep beep" in my headset telling me that I need to ease up, without the need to look at the airspeed.
 
airguy said:
The value is all in the audio.

I especially love it when I'm looking at something interesting on the ground and pulling around in a good tight circle, and I get that slow "beep beep beep" in my headset telling me that I need to ease up, without the need to look at the airspeed.
Click to expand...

Priceless, literally.
 
airguy said:
The value is all in the audio.

I especially love it when I'm looking at something interesting on the ground and pulling around in a good tight circle, and I get that slow "beep beep beep" in my headset telling me that I need to ease up, without the need to look at the airspeed.
Click to expand...

BINGO ! That's why audio AOA is so important to have.
 
Electronic dependency

When I hear folks say that you could be distracted and have the -10 stall out I wonder if they have ever stalled one. The plane shakes like a wet dog and still has no wing drop or sharp stall break.

While I have, and like the AOA system, only someone who never learned to listen to the airframe would stall a -10 without some electronic heads up. This is a very docile airframe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top