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Power settings in pattern


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Just to get the an answer to the OP question, as I think we come from the same school, that aircraft are flown by power settings. Oh and I also took a 10 year hiatus from flying.  15 inches(14 if its cold)  will get me  to gear speed in the pattern on my 67F. Plan your descent into the pattern as it can take 60 sec to slow down after leveling off, I use the 1 inch per 1000 foot for MP reduction from altitude 

14-15 inches with gear down puts me at the top of white, flaps down, then reduce power, don’t speed on final!!! 70KTS over the fence 65KTS if short works well for me 

 

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I’m glad I sold my Mooney, they seem to be very hard to fly.

Clarence

They are, takes a superior pilot, lesser inferior pilots buy piper comanche 400s.

 

Seriously I think some of you dwell on the details too much : 15, 16, 17? All I know is I try to keep it out of the yellow arc on the RPMs, and don’t pull so much that I get the gear warning..after that it depends on the wind, I do what it takes to slow down whatever that is.

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On 4/13/2018 at 12:07 PM, Stnelson903 said:

How about the settings and speeds for a 231? Anybody?


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I have the gear down before I get to the airport unless, of course, I am flying a closed pattern. At 1000 AGL on downwind I use 24.something. It varies a little from day to day. 24.5 will usually give me 120 kts with the gear up and 90 with the gear down.  I aim for a speed rather than a particular MP setting, it does vary a litte depending on the day. I have the mixture well leaned out, either because I was running LOP when I approached the airport, or becauser I leaned the mixture on downwind in the closed pattern.

At the numbers I reduce to 15”, nose over and trim for 90, one notch of flaps to control airspeed. On base I like 85 kts and I usually put in a little power to keep that speed. I generally use only one notch of flaps, full flaps are for short field landings only.  I like to be at 75 for landing.

On leaning, you have two choices with the 231.  You can either make the landing well leaned out, if you don’t the engine will burble from running too rich. Or you can let the plane fall behind the power curve and then put in power, which permits you to enrich the mixture so you are set for a go around.  I usually stay leaned out, if a go around is needed I push in the mixture and MP at the same time. If you land leaned out you may need to enrich the mixture on the ground or the engine may quit once the airspeed is not helping the engine.

Gusty, high wind, crosswind landings are different, that requires more speed for rudder authority.

Takeoff is 36-37”.  Unless I am doing a short field takeoff, I put in about 40% of the throttle stem, let the turbo kick in, and then put in the rest.  Its takeoff, its more important to mind airspeed etc than fiddle with the MP to get it to a decimal point.  Somewhere around 36 is good enough, 37 should be max (assuming you have an intercooler). Rotation is high 60’s, I would tell you its 67 except you are accelerating quickly at that point so no point in trying to hit it to 1 or 2 kts.  Gear up with positive rate of climb. I climb to 1000 feet at 85 kts and then moderate the climb. Unless your are in a hurry to get higher for some reason, a climb at 120 KIAS works well.  I use full power, full rich, full RPM to cruise altitude.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 4/12/2018 at 10:09 PM, TimM20F said:

I have a 1968 M20F Exec which I bought a few months ago after a 10 year hiatus from flying.  What initial power setting do you recommend for abeam touchdown to start the landing sequence? 

I just pull it back not-quite-to-idle, which would make about 1500 rpms. I don't know what MP it is at, because it's prop-forward at that point. I tried to land with full idle, too. I have an E. Basically all the jet-like flying by the "power settings" ends when I enter the downwind.

Edited by zaitcev
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I have been doing this for 40yrs in an F and J model. I like to fly Pattern entry at100 kts, lower gear abeam touchdown point,slow to 80kts on base,add approach flaps, slow to 70 kts on final with full flaps. Keep power on to maintain 70kts til over the numbers and then idle for touchdown. Works every time...

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