Attention
Bonanza Pilots
It would be helpful if you would begin to fill in this
Airpseed and Weight & Moment Worksheet before class. Thank You.
Have a great weekend of FLYING !
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BONANZA WT & MOMENT FORM
ITEM
WEIGHT
MOM/100
Basic Empty Condition
Front Seat Occupants
3rd & 4th Seat Occupants (aft or fwd face)
5th & 6th Seat Occupants
Baggage
Cargo
Sub Total Zero Fuel
Fuel
Sub Total Ramp Condition
. Less fuel to start, taxi & takeoff
. Sub Total Take-off Condition
. Less Fuel to Destination
. Landing Condition
QUESTIONS:
1. If over weight or out of CG, how could you fix the condition?
2. What is your CG position in inches at the takeoff condition above?
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INTRODUCTION TO AIRSPEED WORKSHEET
This is a do-it-yourself airspeed worksheet. With the help of the accompanying
explanations, we would like you to use your Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) or Pilots
Operating Handbook (POH) to locate the requested speeds for your model airplane. Most
of these speeds are dependent upon aircraft weight and are affected only slightly by
altitude. However, climb speeds and rates are sensitive to density altitude as are take off
and landing distances.
________________________________________________________________
Airspeed is often the key performance indicator for maneuvers. One should
always know what the correct speed is for a particular phase of flight or
maneuver and the corresponding configuration and power setting to attain that
speed. In order to achieve the performance stated in the AFM/POH, such as take
off distance, rate of climb, cruise range, and gliding distance, it is essential to
accurately fly the correct airspeeds.
______________________________________________________________________________________
FINDING THE ANSWERS
1.
First, compute two typical Bonanza operating weights as defined below. If you
routinely operate with a different loading condition than one of these, compute that
weight and substitute it for one of these. A third weight will be your plane's
maximum gross weight.
2.
Next, use your POH and the Explanations attached to compute the working airspeeds
for the various weights. Note how the airspeed varies with weight in many of the
situations.
LOW WEIGHT: represents 50% fuel, one pilot (170 lbs.), plus 30 pounds of baggage.
Basic Empty weight
Front Passengers
Fuel
Baggage
Total
_______
____170
_______
_____30
_______
MID WEIGHT: full fuel, pilot and one passenger, plus 25 pounds of baggage.
Basic Empty weight
Front Passengers
Fuel
Baggage
Total
_______
____340
_______
_____25
_______
3. Please bring the speed sheet to your airplane for the flight instruction. Your
instructor may review it for accuracy, and then you can refer to it during flight
instruction periods for the proper target speeds to strive for in each operation.
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EXPLANATIONS for AIRSPEED WORKSHEET
1. See the Stall Speed chart in the Performance section of your POH.
2. See Stall Speed chart.
3. Vx - Best Angle of Climb speed, gear & flaps UP. See Normal Procedures section,
"Speeds for Safe Operation" page. This speed is for sea level, max gross weight, gear &
flaps up.
Note: Both Vx and Vy will be lower than POH when the gear and/or flaps are
extended.
RULE OF THUMB: the published speed should be reduced one mph or knot for every
100 pounds below full gross weight, and increased one-half percent for every 1,000 feet
of altitude MSL.
4. Vy - Best Rate of Climb speed, gear & flaps UP, max gross weight. This speed is found
in the same place as Vx.
RULE OF THUMB: one should reduce Vy by one mph or knot for every 100
pounds below full gross weight, plus reduce Vy by one percent for every 1,000 feet
of altitude MSL.
EXAMPLE: Published values for Vy is 90 KIAS for the P35. If we are 400
pounds below gross and 5,000 feet MSL, we compute Vy as follows:
Vy=90 kts (handbook value)
-4 reduction for weight
-5 reduction for altitude (5% of 90 kts=4.5 kts)
Vy=81 kts corrected value
5. Lift off speed. Varies with weight, and is found in a table at the top of the Take Off
Distance chart page in the Performance section of your handbook. Start the nose wheel
up (rotate) approximately 5 kts (or mph) PRIOR to this speed. Angle of attack will be
the same for all weights when the correct speed is used.
6. Climb speed at 50 feet AGL. After lift off, establishing the correct attitude will allow
the airplane to accelerate and attain this speed at 50 feet altitude. You will note that the
speed is the same as Vx. If you pass the 50 foot height at a lower airspeed, then you
have pulled the nose up too much after liftoff, and vice versa. When you meet this point
at the recommended speed, you have raised the nose and accelerated at the rate the
Beech engineers and test pilots feel is optimum. This speed also depends upon weight,
and is found next to the liftoff speed in the Performance section, Takeoff Distances.
A simple technique is to rotate at the computed rotation speed to approximately +10
degrees of pitch and HOLD it there after liftoff. Trim is usually set for Vy, so a heavy
pull is required for the initial rotation, then in order to hold the +10 degree attitude, one
must RELEASE some back pressure as the plane accelerates to trim speed. As Vy is
reached, the aircraft should be approximately in trim with control forces near zero.
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6..(continued) For high density altitude takeoffs (avobe 5000 ft DA), at rotation speed,
begin to raise the nose only to +7 to * degrees up, and WAIT for the airplane to fly off.
Then hold this shallower climb attitude and raise the gear when you are sure you will
not settle back to the runway; attain Vy and continue the climb out of ground effect.
7. Short field takeoff. Some handbooks recommend an obstacle or short field takeoff
using 15-20 degrees of flaps (approach setting). When flaps are used, the liftoff speed
should be reduced 4 to 7 mph/kts below the “normal” flaps UP liftoff speed. Subtract 4
from your normal liftoff speed for this value.
8. When flaps are down 15-20 degrees for a short field takeoff, some handbooks
recommend maintaining the same speed as liftoff during the initial climb out to 50 feet.
Vx with flaps extended is lower than the one published for flaps up. This is the same
value as used in number 7 above, and is very close to the new Vx with flaps extended.
CAUTION: this lower speed is below the power off Emergency Landing
Approach speed of 83 kts/96 mph. Should engine failure occur during the climb,
immediately lower the nose only to slightly below level flight attitude (0 degrees
pitch), leave the gear and flaps down, and hold the speed computed above. DO
NOT attempt to gain airspeed to Best Glide or Emergency Landing Approach, as
a steep nose down attitude is required, resulting in a steep decent path (very high
sink rate) and possibly the inability to stop the decent during flare for touchdown.
9. Va – Maneuvering speed. The handbook lists this speed in the Limitatioins section. It
is a not-to-exceed speed for full gross weight, gear and flaps UP only. Va should be
reduced for weights below full gross. You can compute the corrected value for Va with
the following formula:
Corrected Va = published (Va) x (spuare root of present wt divided by max gross wt)
EXAMPLE: a V35B has a published Va of 154 mph at 3400 pounds full gross weight.
At 2800 pounds, its corrected Va is only 140 mph.
Va = 154 x √ 2800/3400
= 140
RULE OF THUMB: An easy approximation is to reduce Va at max gross weight
given in the AFM/POH by 2 mph (or knots) for each 100 pounds less than maximum
gross weight.
10. Maximum range speed with power on. Approximation. We must account for the lack
of propeller drag which is significant with a wind milling engine. Add 15 to the
maximum glide speed as determined in number 18.
11. Normal Operating – top of the green arc. Does not change with weight.
12. Never exceed speed – top of the yellow arc – the red line. Does not change with
weight.
13. Speed at 50 feet, normal landing. See table at the top of the page for Landing Distance
chart in the Performance section.
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14. Short field approach speed (at 50 ft AGL). In old POH/AFM’s Beech used 1.2 x Vso
plus ½ of any gust increment. Use no more than speed shown for a Normal landing
(plus gust factor if present) and less power to achieve a steeper decent path. Be
prepared – it may be necessary to add a short burst of power in the flare to arrest the
sink rate.
15. Balked landing. See the page in the Normal Procedures section for “Speeds for Safe
Operation”. It is the same as used on final approach at 50 feet for any given
condition/configuration, and is very near the actual Vx for that configuration/weight.
16. Vfe – flaps FULL down. See Limitations section. New Beech POH’s state that flaps
may be lowered to 15 degrees or 50% when at or below the maximum gear down
airspeed. Using this technique is quite handy to increase drag and descent angle
during cruise letdowns.
17. Vle/lo. Maximum gear operation speed – both in transit and fully down.
Limitations section.
See
18. Best glide for maximum range, NO power. The speed that will give the greatest
distance (with gear and flaps UP, wind milling prop at LOW rpm position). Reduce
the POH best glide for lower gross weight by the square root of the weight ratio as
done earlier with Va. See Emergency Procedures section of AFM/POH.
RULE of THUMB: reduce 2 mph or kts per 100 pounds below gross weight.
19. Found in Emergency Procedures section. In an emergency, this speed can be exceeded
with probably little damage, but an inspection and retraction test is required. Leave
gear DOWN if exceeded.
20. Allows the aircraft to have sufficient airspeed (energy) to stop the decent under high
drag conditions with wind milling prop, gear and flaps down during a flare from the
nose low attitude required in the power off glide. Found in the Emergency Procedures
section.
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AIRSPEED WORKSHEET
Aircraft Weights
INDICATED SPEEDS - (sea level)
kts or mph (circle one)
LIGHT
MID
MAX
Page ref
in POH
STALL & CLIMB
1. Vs – stall with gear and flaps UP
2. Vso – stall, gear and flaps DOWN
3. Vx – Best angle of climb, G & F’s UP
4. Vy – best rate of climb, G & F’s UP
NORMAL TAKE OFF
5. lift off
6. at 50 feet AGL (Vx)
SHORT FIELD TAKE OFF
7. lift off (flaps 15 to 20 degrees down)
8. at 50 feet AGL (Vx with flaps)
Explanations
CRUISE
9. Va – maneuver / turbulence
10. maximum range, power ON
11. Vno – normal operating (all weights)
12. Vne – never exceed (all weights)
Explanations
Explanations
LANDING APPROACHES
13. normal, flaps down, 50 feet AGL
14. short field, at 50 feet AGL
15. balked landing (full power climb)
16. Vfe – flaps full down (all weights)
17. Vle/lo – gear in transient / down
Explanations
EMERGENCIES
18. best glide for max range, power OFF
19. emergency decent, gear only down
20. emergency landing approach, power
OFF, gear & flaps DOWN
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All this good research may fade quickly from memory without
regular review. You may want to enter some of the key numbers
in this form for handy reference in the cockpit. After a lay off
from flying, a quick 15-second review during your cockpit check
before flight will work wonders.
BONANZA AIRSPEEDS in Knots IAS
(at full gross Wight)
Takeoff/climb
Pattern
V rotate ________
Downwind 100 – 120
V loff
________
Base
Vx
________
Final Flaps UP
______
Vy
________
Final Flaps DN
______
Vcc
________
BEST GLIDE ______ at GW
(reduce 2kts/100 lbs below GW)
Vs
________
Vso
________
ROUGH AIR ______ MAX
MP = ~17 inches
(reduce 2 kts/100 lbs below GW)
85
Cut out and laminate or put in an approach plate holder.
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