So you think you have a low glide ratio!

Taking off in a Mooney 201 from Albury-Woodonga in NSW, OZ, years ago
during a coast-to-coast and return holiday adventure, Kris and I had
just completed a right turnout when the engine swallowed an exhaust
valve and clattered to a stop. “Albury Tower, Mooney NWF is returning
immediately.” From 1100’ we had height for a truncated right hand
circuit back onto the runway and enough ground speed to roll off onto a
ramp parking spot. The Tower asked why an emergency had not been
declared – too busy said I – probably just as well, they replyed:
otherwise you would have been filling out paperwork for a week.

Kris and I hitched a ride to Tocumwal and enjoyed a soaring week while a
new engine was fitted to the Mooney. The ship’s owner had one in Perth
awaiting our return. The glide ratio was sufficient. BTW, that was the
only engine failure so far in 60 years of flying.


bumper wrote:
Just got an answer from my friend who owns a 2 year old PC-12. Glide ratio
is 12:1 or approx. 2 nm per 1000 ft.

My Mooney 201 is the same, but lots cheaper!

All else being equal, the probability that I might "test" the Mooney's glide
ratio some day is much more than the chance of that PT-6 going quiet.

bumper

wrote in message
oups.com...

Pilatus' web site states that the glide ratio of a PC-12 is 16:1.

It is a very clean aircraft (as turboprops go), but the wing loading is
35 lb./ft2. 16:1 seems optimistic, but I since it is on the internet,
I am sure that it is true.

Bob Zahradnik





--
Charles Yeates

ZS Jezow PW-6U & PW-5
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/yeatesc/world.html