Bill,
The point I was trying to make is; 61 was
a number that the feds came up with out of the blue when they set that figure
as the minimum Vso for the certification. They could have picked a different
number just as easily. That is why I said that the number was not significant.
However, the article’s case was built around that number as if there was
something magic about it.
Regards, (:
Lynn
From: Lancair Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of Bill N5ZQ
Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 10:45
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: [LML] Re: Fox Article
Everything you say below is absolutely
true. The reason that 61 knots is even marginally significant is that is the
max Vso allowed for single engine airplanes certificated under part 23. Since
we are not bound by part 23 our Vso can be higher. Hence, this is just one
of the many differences one might find between certificated and experimental
aircraft. Why FAA jumped on this number that has no particular significance
for experimental aircraft, I have no idea.
N6ZQ IV under construction
-----Original Message-----
From: Lancair
Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of farnsworth
Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 4:06
PM
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: [LML] Fox Article
My reply to Fox News
There is nothing holy, sacred or even significant about a 61
mph stalling speed. Why not pick 41 or 51 or 161 mph? All aircraft that are
used by the airlines have a stalling speed greater than 61 mph. Does that make
their aircraft unsafe?
The fact of the matter is that a given aircraft has many
"stalling speeds". The speed varies with weight, number or
"G" forces and even altitude and temperature will affect the true
airspeed at which an aircraft will stall.
It appears to me, that the person who wrote this article did
so with an eye toward damning Lancairs and experimental aircraft in general.
The Lancair aircraft that landed on the beach did not do so as a result of a
stall, but mechanical failure. So why the fascination with stall speeds? Even
the widely referenced "Piper Cub" will stall with just enough speed
to kill a person!
I can address this article from many many years of flying
experience that include: Piper Cubs, jet fighters, airliners and Lancair
aircraft. I have often stated that the Lancair Legacy, that I fly, is one of
the best flying aircraft I have ever flown.
Lynn Farnsworth
Super Legacy #235
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