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[Video] - Short field landings in the -9A

KRviator

Well Known Member
When I built the -9A, I enabled the datalogging feature on the SkyView as well as installing a Navman MiVue 530 Dash-camera on the roll bar behind the Coey's seat. As most of my flights are solo, the view of the back of a head is fairly infrequent and it provides a video and data log of all my flights and actions in the event I spear in.

I downloaded the card the other day to grab some footage of my recent landings to measure the numbers and you can see the results for yourself. The -9A, admittedly one of the lighter ones out there, can consistently pull off ground rolls under 600' with moderate braking on a slightly uphill runway and is likely capable of sub-400' ground rolls for a maximum performance landing if need be. You can also have fun showing off to Diamond pilots at the holding point by crossing the threshold on a 3000' runway at 250' AGL and still make the turnoff at the far end.

The runway at Somersby is only 600m / 2000' long, 850'AMSL and on top of a plateau, slopes down 2* to the north and is surrounded by trees, so most FW landings tend to use Runway 17 and takeoff on 35, irrespective of the wind.

For those considering a -9A, enjoy!

https://youtu.be/VBPCMDG-YqI
 
Loved It!

Man that is great! I could only land that short with a hefty headwind. What is your engine/prop setup? Approach speed? Full flaps? Do you use AOA?

Sorry for all of the questions! Well done!
 
Man that is great! I could only land that short with a hefty headwind. What is your engine/prop setup? Approach speed? Full flaps? Do you use AOA?

Sorry for all of the questions! Well done!
No problems with the questions! :)

I have a de-rated (7.5:1 CR/165HP) OX-340S turning a Sensenich GA prop. Into Somersby I usually fly 55-60KIAS though typically fly AoA rather than a set speed, eyes out and listening to the SkyView beeps I usually only glance at the ASI every 10 seconds or so if I had to guesstimate. All approaches are made with full flap, yep.

My -9A has a 600Kg / 1320Lb regulatory MTOW limit at the moment, so I do benefit somewhat there vs a heavier RV.
 
Nice!

Thanks for the info. Light is good!

I Just measured the first turnoff of Runway 09 at KANE where I am based, and it looks to be about 700 ft. I can make it pretty consistently, but only with a nice breeze down the center line. I'm 1750 max with a CS Hartzell.

I like your camera setup, and I too use the beeping Dynon AOA when landing short.

Once again well done, you have a great plane there!
 
Still upright

I hate to be ?that guy? by criticizing another pilot. The landings you are doing in this video show you lowering the nose wheel to the ground immediately after touchdown. This is a very dangerous technique and the cause of many inverted RV A models. Being on an unpaved surface with this technique is even more dangerous. Sorry, but I just don?t want to see you have a problem.

-Andy
 
That to me is the most appealing thing about the -9. Slow landings. Thanks for sharing!
 
I hate to be ?that guy? by criticizing another pilot. The landings you are doing in this video show you lowering the nose wheel to the ground immediately after touchdown. This is a very dangerous technique and the cause of many inverted RV A models. Being on an unpaved surface with this technique is even more dangerous. Sorry, but I just don?t want to see you have a problem.

-Andy

I agree the nose wheel should be kept off the ground as long as possible but a short field landing requires at least moderate braking which will bring the nose down prematurely even with the stick held back. I believe the nose wheel/strut can take this with a good margin of safety if the surface is not soft. An aft c of g and immediately raising the flaps when the mains touch helps.

Fin. 9A
 
I hate to be “that guy” by criticizing another pilot. The landings you are doing in this video show you lowering the nose wheel to the ground immediately after touchdown. This is a very dangerous technique and the cause of many inverted RV A models. Being on an unpaved surface with this technique is even more dangerous. Sorry, but I just don’t want to see you have a problem.

-Andy
I do appreciate the concern Andy, and you are correct, I do tend to derotate early in these videos, but that is predominately to get the nose down relatively under control, versus having it slammed down during braking. On normal landings or during T&G's I hold the nose off as long as I can.

You can kinda see it very late in the ground roll of the first landing, there is an area of runway abeam the hangars where it drops away slightly and if you hit that at any decent speed you can either A) get bounced into the air well below flying speed, or B) come down very hard on the nose gear, and as a result I tend to want to get all three wheels down and be under brakes as early as I can to stop before it. We had an unfortunate fatal accident in an RV-6A at Somersby last year where the pilot landed the other way and went off the end, and I would rather risk a nose gear failure than try to soften the landing.
 
I?m glad somebody else pointed it out first. I was scared for your nose gear. Your landings make me feel better about mine. Apparently it isn?t the ?glass jaw? I operate it like.
 
I?m glad somebody else pointed it out first. I was scared for your nose gear. Your landings make me feel better about mine. Apparently it isn?t the ?glass jaw? I operate it like.

Please continue to treat it like a "glass jaw". When I learned to fly back in the dark ages, even with a Cessna 150, I was taught that the nose wheel is for taxiing only, NOT FOR LANDING!
 
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