After reading multiple posts on various climb profiles employed while taking off in a biplane, I decided to review this maneuver while simulating an engine failure at a safe altitude. My 180 hp Pitts S1S is based at 5500 MSL and has a Catto three blade prop.
This morning the field DA was 7200 as I climbed to my first test altitude of 7500 msl. I arrived at 7500 at full throttle indicating 90 mph which is my normal climb speed. Speed and attitude were set as I rapidly pulled the throttle to idle. I counted one thousand one, one thousand two and merely relaxed the back pressure on the stick. Speed at the apogee was 60 as the nose gently dropped below the horizon and I adjusted a bit more nose down to gain speed quicker. By 7100 the speed was back to 90 and as I flared at 7500 the speed was 100. This is well above my normal flare speed over the runway. I duplicated this maneuver at 8000 and again at 8500 always getting the same results.
I don't see, at least in my Pitts, to get into a hurry or make large control inputs... when given a chance, the airplane will seek nose down when the pilot merely releases the death grip on the stick. The time to get hurried was an engine failure in a TH-55 or the civilian version, Hughes 300, with a low inertia articulating rotor system and the blades would cone if the autorotation was not started in a timely manner.
So for me, be aware of the departure path obstacles on the runway you are using and possible survivable landing/crash areas, be familiar with you energy/altitude/speed capability and fly her till she stops.
Cheers, Hans
This morning the field DA was 7200 as I climbed to my first test altitude of 7500 msl. I arrived at 7500 at full throttle indicating 90 mph which is my normal climb speed. Speed and attitude were set as I rapidly pulled the throttle to idle. I counted one thousand one, one thousand two and merely relaxed the back pressure on the stick. Speed at the apogee was 60 as the nose gently dropped below the horizon and I adjusted a bit more nose down to gain speed quicker. By 7100 the speed was back to 90 and as I flared at 7500 the speed was 100. This is well above my normal flare speed over the runway. I duplicated this maneuver at 8000 and again at 8500 always getting the same results.
I don't see, at least in my Pitts, to get into a hurry or make large control inputs... when given a chance, the airplane will seek nose down when the pilot merely releases the death grip on the stick. The time to get hurried was an engine failure in a TH-55 or the civilian version, Hughes 300, with a low inertia articulating rotor system and the blades would cone if the autorotation was not started in a timely manner.
So for me, be aware of the departure path obstacles on the runway you are using and possible survivable landing/crash areas, be familiar with you energy/altitude/speed capability and fly her till she stops.
Cheers, Hans
