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Re: Europa-List: Re: Wing lift and drag pins

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Re: Wing lift and drag pins
From: David Joyce <davidjoyce@doctors.org.uk>
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 14:08:49

Frans, As I understand it VNe (which for me is 165 kts) is 
90% of Vdf or demonstrated flight diving speed so that I 
guess Europa  flew the prototypes at 183 kts to give the 
rest of us a bit of a margin for error. They probably 
thought that with the designed engines it wasn't likely 
that folk would want to  or be able to go much faster and 
design theory suggested that 183kts would be OK, always 
assuming of course that the plane was constructed 
properly. Regards, David Joyce, G-XSDJ

  Frans Veldman <frans@privatepilots.nl> wrote:
><frans@privatepilots.nl>
> 
> On 08/20/2013 02:08 AM, Martin Tuck wrote:
> 
>> So the purpose of diving to VNe as part of the annual 
>>inspection is to
>> determine what?
> 
> To see whether the aircraft can handle it. The test 
>obviously fulfilled
> its purpose.
> 
> On the other hand I would not feel comfortable cruising 
>in an aircraft
> at 140+ knots without knowing whether it can not even 
>handle 163 knots
> without breaking apart.
> I have to admit I flew mine one time inadvertently 
>shortly past Vne
> (attempting to get down to an assigned altitude before 
>entering the busy
> Brussels TMA while being distracted by the radio and 
>navigation at the
> same time) but apart from the ASI needle position there 
>was nothing
> different than flying at lower speeds.
> 
> How was the Vne speed actually established? Why was it 
>163 and not 160,
> or 170? I don't have the impression that the speed where 
>flutter or
> other bad things occur has been determined by actual 
>flight- or wind
> tunnel tests. I have seen other aircraft with exactly 
>the same Vne
> number. Is this value of 163 knots some sort of default 
>value when no
> factual data is available?
> 
> (No, I'm not voluntary going to explore this area. I'm 
>just wondering,
> especially because the cruise speed is so close to the 
>Vne and the
> Europa can build up speed very quickly when the pilot is 
>distracted. I
> also wonder what likely is to happen when the real, 
>likely still
> unknown, Vne is reached).
> 
>Frans
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>Un/Subscription,
>Forums!
>Admin.
> 
> 
> 



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