Pete, I cannot give you an answer to 1 & 2 but I dare say Ivan Shaw
would be prepared to give you chapter and verse if you asked him, or
Andy Draper at the LAA. As to 3. My 914 mono XS with speed kit did 156
TAS at 2000 ft level and 164 kt TAS at 6,500ft and exceeds VNE at any
height over that. Note these are True air speeds. My smart Blue Mountain
EFIS had a TAS read out. They were also done scrupulously with an
observer at near max AUW, as poart of a comparison of a low twist
Woodcomp SR2000 and a high twist Woodcomp SR3000W CS props, the latter
giving the speed above and the low twist prop consistently 4 kts less.
Certainly it is not at all difficult to exceed VNE if you are travelling
at high cruise speed and dive to avoid something. We are required by the
LAA to take the plane to VNE each year for our Permit renewal and 165
kts always feels as smooth as 120 assuming still air.
Regards, David Joyce, GXSDJ
On 2017-08-05 18:04, Pete wrote:
> I am attempting to determine the maximum usable HP that the Europa while
> remaining
below the factory published VNE and have a few questions for the factory
(if anyone with the history is listening) and existing Europa fliers:
>
> 1- The factory published VNE is: "VNE (IAS) 165kn 191mph 30 [1]7kmh". Is this
VNE based on a structural limit, or a flutter limit?
>
> 2- If the factory's VNE is determined by a flutter limit, I would have to
> assume
that the 191mph is at sea-level density altitude - does anyone know if this
assumption is valid? This would mean that at 13k ft, it would be reduced to
~160mph IAS and even less up heigher (I have attached a very informative article
regarding VNE and TAS). Does anyone know if the factory ever executed proper
flutter testing?
>
> 3- What is the max level speed obtained by Europa fliers (likely with a 914)?
I am asking because I hear of 914 fliers cruising at 140ish Knots IAS at 75%
(86hp?) down low, but am wondering where on the Europa's drag curve this is. Is
it near the flattening section of the exponential speed/hp curve (or conversely
the escalating drag curve), or is there still some room before that "drag-wall"
is reached? What I am attempting to determine is what the speed would be
for a Europa mono (with fairings etc.) with a constant speed prop, and
continuous
110-120 cruise hp? I do realize that these numbers would be very prop dependent
etc.
>
> Many thanks for any and all insight/experience,
> Cheers and blue skies,
> Pete
Links:
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[1] tel:165%20191%20307
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