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Emergency training in turbos: Precautionary Forced Landings etc.


Marek7

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Howdy Team,

 

I'm running a 81 M20K Rocket Conversion. I'm just wondering if anyone else is regularly practicing precautionary landings (to touchdown or not) in their turbo Mooney?  What is your glide power setting?  I know the TSIO engines don't like low power settings for very long and are prone to cooling issues so I'm quite hesitant to  do this.

Anyone do any other regular basic emergency and maneuvering training regularly in their rockets? Ie. U/As, slow flight, stalls: clean, take-off, accelerated, etc.  What do you do to mitigate risk and wear and tear.

 

Fly safe,

Mark

 

 

 

 

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  • 6 months later...

Good question.  I'm  picking up my 86 Rocket from the paint shop a week from tomorrow  and I've been wondering the same thing.  Funny no replies to this!

But: I'm  going to fly with either Bob Cabe or David McGee for a couple of days of training.  I'll surely do some of this and there'll  be a conversation about wear and tear beforehand.  So I'll post the answer I get in case you're  still wondering and if I get a helpful answer!

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I've been flying a turbo for a few years now. Taking the APS course as well as my experience, tells me the cooling issues with turbos is bunk. I've done power off descents from the flight levels. And never sit idling my turbo watching for the TIT to reach a certain level. I'm also working on the Commercial maneuvers including steep spirals and power off 180's. 

My turbo is clean and will likely make TBO on all the original cylinders and turbo. So I fly it without any regard for "shock cooling", "coking" or any other of those mythical turbo maladies.

 

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I did the Canadian CPL rating with my M20K. PFLs are wicked easy in the Mooney, it glides forever!

I found a modest power setting that did all the manoeuvres at a good speed and kept it mostly full rich the whole time. I do touch and gos as well, nothing fancy but ensure that full rich is in for the go around.

 

Glide power setting for the PFL is idle power, full rich, prop full forward. You are likely in the circuit or on final so not likely to be at high power setting.

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1) Nobody better to train with than the duo of Bob Cabe and Dave McGee...

2) Focusing on OWTs for TC’d engines is a bit goofy... but you CAN put some attention to turbo failure and restart procedures.

3) there are some times where the turbo can fail... broken/worn turbo blades, MP controller failure, or hose falls off...

4) the restart procedure can be somewhat challenging.  It may require waiting to get to a lower altitude, then setting the mixture lean for the restart...

5) TN’d engines are more consumer friendly, as the altitude where a restart can occur is a bit higher than TC’d engines...

6) In all the things we can train with... operating a low compression ratio engine without an operating TC... isn’t one of them...

So... review that one closely... it will be a book only exercise.

And for Rocket TT training and failed TC experience... Ask Erik... @aviatoreb  Erik has an awesome clean record of landing dead stick on a nice runway... 1 for 1... :)

+1 for flying Mooneys at high altitudes... they do glide quite a bit...

NA thoughts only, not a CFI...

Best regards,

-a-

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8 hours ago, carusoam said:

And for Rocket TT training and failed TC experience... Ask Erik... @aviatoreb  Erik has an awesome clean record of landing dead stick on a nice runway... 1 for 1... :)

+1 for flying Mooneys at high altitudes... they do glide quite a bit...

Oh boy Anthony - don't say it like that.  I won't brag a clean record -I will assert that luck and training came together that day for a perfect outcome.  A dead stick landing on a runway after an engine out - at a well planned 16k flight -  which I often fly high just for this just in case scenario.  But I won't overlook that there is a dose of luck too by tempting the fates to claim a clean record.  But yes folks, practice those dead stick landings, and be willing to accept off field if you must.  But ALSO plan your flight plans for just in case... in a turbo that may mean flying very high since you have lots of options from altitude.  (report on that flight was from April of 18' if anyone is looking).

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On 8/17/2019 at 7:55 PM, PJClark said:

But: I'm  going to fly with either Bob Cabe or David McGee for a couple of days of training.  

Fly with both - the banter between those two is highly entertaining.  You'll need to do MAUW anyway :-)

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I’ve set an F down in a field before. It offroads quite nicely with the wheels down. The rocket would scare me as it doesn’t feel nearly as nimble. 

Things to consider are things like the feathering prop and how to simulate that. I figure 375 fpm rate of descent at around 100kias to simulate a feathered prop. 

Other checklist items are to try to lean if I lose MP due to turbo or intake hose failure, per the continental docs. 

Stalls in the rocket with the significant forward CG are no issue provided you don’t let P-factor roll you as you approach under power. I’ve done full power stalls in the m20f at 4000ft and you almost run out of rudder. I don’t use the ball, I pick a cloud or something on the horizon and keep it horizontally centered in my windshield using the rudder. 

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One MSer detailed a lot of Mooney Engine out glide distance testing he performed for his own plane...

And his engine out data was actually done... engine out!  

If interested in his data... look for CNOE... I think that is the author...

The Rocket and Missile add the full feathering prop to the mixture... :)

Best regards,

-a- 

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