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Michael Valentine
Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 108
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 Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 7:14 am Post subject: Flutter Testing |
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A friend in my EAA chapter told me that when he built a Vari-EZ, Burt Rutan instructed that builders should do a flutter test on their airplanes. This test was performed by putting the plane in a slight dive and trimmed hands off at Vne. Then, the pilot was supposed to sharply rap the control stick. My friend said that this was the only flight testing for which he wore a parachute, despite the fact that he suspected it would be futile!
I was just wondering if anyone has done a similar test in his/her own 601XL? Does anyone know if CH has done a similar test (I heard a rumor that Vne testing was the only stage for which he donned a chute, but I don't know about flutter testing)?
Michael in NH
601XL in progress
[quote][b]
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John Bolding
Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 281
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 8:05 am Post subject: Flutter Testing |
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Michael,
Sadly in the last 35 yrs that I've been messing with these little airplanes we have moved away from "everybody that built an airplane did their own structural/flutter testing as part of their 40hr test period" to one of
"trust the designer to have covered ALL the bases and our butts, no matter what, and just use the 40 hrs to learn how to land it and find out how fast it cruises".
Van also gave out those instructions to be followed during testing (don't know if he still does or not) as well as Thorp, Wittman, C.G. Taylor, Thurston and probably some other notables I've forgotten.
It's not a fun thing to do, exciting is putting it mildly but you KNEW when you finished that it WAS NOT going to fold up on you or flutter. The flutter tests were done at MANY speeds, slowly building to Vne. The structural testing was done with a G meter at gross weight, increasing flight loads "till you were at or right below limit loads.
I'll continue doing my own so I KNOW.
LOW&SLOW John Bolding
[quote] ---
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rjscep(at)yahoo.com
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 3:52 pm Post subject: Flutter Testing |
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| Quote: | A CHUTE PLUS A BRS!! do not archive
--- Michael Valentine <mgvalentine(at)gmail.com> wrote:
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| Quote: | A friend in my EAA chapter told me that when he
built a Vari-EZ, Burt Rutan
instructed that builders should do a flutter test on
their airplanes. This
test was performed by putting the plane in a slight
dive and trimmed hands
off at Vne. Then, the pilot was supposed to sharply
rap the control stick.
My friend said that this was the only flight testing
for which he wore a
parachute, despite the fact that he suspected it
would be futile!
I was just wondering if anyone has done a similar
test in his/her own
601XL? Does anyone know if CH has done a similar
test (I heard a rumor that
Vne testing was the only stage for which he donned a
chute, but I don't know
about flutter testing)?
Michael in NH
601XL in progress
|
8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time
with the Yahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut.
http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#news
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