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8A soft/short field procedure

Ghardin

I'm New Here
First post here because I haven’t found what I’m looking for yet. I’m the proud papa of an 8A 180hp CS prop. I’ve had it 1.5 years but always landed on long paved runways. I have a friend who lives on a grass strip that’s 1,400” long and would like to visit. Do any of you 8 guys see a problem doing this in an 8A? Also, could you detail your V speeds and procedures a bit for me? Thanks!! :):)
 
Slow flight

I have an 8 that stalls Vso at The Vans numbers of 51mph. 1.2 x 51=62 mph roughly. Practice slow flight at altitude at 1.2 Vso and see how much throttle you need to have a zero decent rate.

When I want to land short. I pitch for 65 mph and add throttle to arrest decent.
The 8 will be in a nose up attitude and sink like a stone. Adjust the throttle to control altitude. Add some throttle just before touch down. Make sure to add throttle before touch down or your going to land hard.

I don’t have experience with an 8a, but would think the nose high attitude would be similar and obviously what you would want.

Normal landings I wheel land on at 80 mph with minimal decent rate.
 
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You will 3 point short. Make sure to add throttle before touch down or your going to land hard.

That's sounds right for a RV8. Make sure you add a LOT of throttle close to landing because I wouldn't want to 3 point land an RV8A ! The front wheel is NOT for landing, it's for the end of the roll out and taxiing.
 
That's sounds right for a RV8. Make sure you add a LOT of throttle close to landing because I wouldn't want to 3 point land an RV8A ! The front wheel is NOT for landing, it's for the end of the roll out and taxiing.

Yea I edited that as I forgot he has an 8a and was speaking of the 3 point of the tail dragger.
 
I'd be cautious

I've got 300 hrs in my 8a and I'd be pretty cautious going into a shortish grass strip. How smooth is it? What is the approach like? What are your go around options? How comfortable are you on short, narrow paved runways? Go out and practice short landings and see how you do, what approach speeds work and such..... If you are comfortable after that with short landings, less than 1000 feet and keeping the nose wheel off the ground until you can't and the field is good then go for it.
 
I've got 300 hrs in my 8a and I'd be pretty cautious going into a shortish grass strip. How smooth is it? What is the approach like? What are your go around options? How comfortable are you on short, narrow paved runways? Go out and practice short landings and see how you do, what approach speeds work and such..... If you are comfortable after that with short landings, less than 1000 feet and keeping the nose wheel off the ground until you can't and the field is good then go for it.

The airport is 80TN if you want to look at it. It’s really smooth with clear approach from 23 which is 90% of approaches. I’m used to narrow fields but need to practice short field. My POH says at gross I’m 575’ TOD and 500’ landing. I practiced a bunch yesterday and can’t get close to that without hammering breaks which I was always taught not to do on a grass field. Granted, my approach is 70kts over the numbers. I’m just chicken to drag it in slower at this point. In flights I’ve seen 58kts stall clean and 51kts dirty. So, pitching for 60kts is foreign at this point. Do you think an AOA will help drastically? Sound right to you guys? Thanks for all the help!!
 
The airport is 80TN if you want to look at it. It’s really smooth with clear approach from 23 which is 90% of approaches. I’m used to narrow fields but need to practice short field. My POH says at gross I’m 575’ TOD and 500’ landing. I practiced a bunch yesterday and can’t get close to that without hammering breaks which I was always taught not to do on a grass field. Granted, my approach is 70kts over the numbers. I’m just chicken to drag it in slower at this point. In flights I’ve seen 58kts stall clean and 51kts dirty. So, pitching for 60kts is foreign at this point. Do you think an AOA will help drastically? Sound right to you guys? Thanks for all the help!!

Are you sure that’s not mph? Vans says 51 mph dirty. (Solo) That’s what mine stalls at.
By the way, slow flight at 1.2-1.3 VSo builds confidence. You need to know how much throttle (RPM)you need for level flight and no sink. Practice at altitude and you will be confident to put it to the test. You need to have this skill for an emergency off field landing.

Yes an AOA would help a lot. Especially if it has an audio function
 
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