What is the best way to descend the fastest in a cessna 206?
I am now at my 2nd year of flying skydivers, and i have always done the conventional nose down descent. Now using that method with our new wing extensions im only able to do 1500 ft/m max. I have noticed that on a practice engine failure at my best glide speed i do 1000 ft/m. Would putting full flaps and keeping your speed in flap operating range give you a faster rate of descent and would it be better on the plane, (no stress for going close to Vne)?
That's something you'll have to play with to see what you prefer. I like to use 10 degrees of flaps in the descent as I'll explain. Having flown U-206's in jumper ops for about 150 hours and glider-tow ops for about 200 hours, and another 1,000 hours or so of "bush" flying, I'm pretty familiar with the Stationair. I haven't flown with the WipTip extensions except on a 206 amphib, but as I recall 1,800 to 2000 fpm should be doable.
Hopefully your employer has trained you how to avoid shock-cooling the cylinders. If not you need to be aware that shock cooling can cause excessively worn piston ring grooves, broken rings, and cracked cylinder heads in a short amount of time. The method I was taught many years ago is to reduce power 1/2" MP no faster than every 30 seconds for the first 2 power reductions, then every 15 seconds thereafter. This is especially important during the first minute or so of power reductions from climb or cruise power to allow the CHT to slowly dropped to 200 degrees C and out of the "danger zone". The maximum safe rate of cooling is 28 degrees C per minute according to Lycoming, and I think it doesn't hurt to be a bit conservative. 25 degree increments are what I shoot for since it's easy to see on the gauge.
Anyway, I assume that you are using 25" / 2500 rpm in the climb and that you try to reach your target altitude several miles early so you can slowly throttle back to gently cool the cylinders and reach an airspeed of around 80 knots just before entering the drop zone. If you've set it up right the CHT will have dropped to 200 degrees by the time all the jumpers are out the door, or shortly thereafter. I any event, for the descent I set the flaps to 10 degrees and make 1/2" mp reductions every 10-15 seconds until I'm at 15" MP (bottom of the green), and I also gently pull the prop back to the bottom of the green arc too. This helps prevent piston slap (or "back lash" as it is sometimes called) which is also not good for the cylinders when the airflow is driving the prop at low power and not the engine. In the mean time I gradually accelerate to 140 knots (a bit less in turbulence) and I hold this all the way to pattern altitude, traffic permitting. By starting with 10 degrees of flaps you won't accelerate quite as quickly, further protecting the cylinders from cooling too fast.
Some pilots prefer to fly the descent flaps up at the top of the green arc (149 kts), but I like the 10-degree method at 140 kts better since the transition into the pattern is smoother and deceleration to 100 kts is quicker. What time they might gain in the the descent I can make up for in the pattern. A word of caution. With flaps up it isn't a good idea to accelerate into the yellow arc or anywhere close to Vne since over-cooling the cylinders becomes a possibility and it is rare when the air is dead calm except perhaps early in the morning. Obviously the operator you fly for has their own way of doing things, but my method has kept me and the airplanes I've flown out of trouble with no engine problems. Altogether, I've spent about 5,000 hours of my 24-year career flying behind Lycoming O-520's.
p.s. don't forget the cowl flaps and have a safe summer!
|
|
VWPics Birds - Male Eurasian Wigeon Dick flaps itw wings in the water.(Anas penelope).Back Bay Reserve,California - Aprons Male Eurasian Wigeon Dick flaps itw wings in the water.(Anas penelope).Back Bay Reserve,California Apron is commercial quality product. Whether it's put to use in a restaurant or home, this apron will always help keep you clean. 100% cotton with Teflon finish for added protection. 1" wide neck and waist ties, adjustable neck strap for full and medium length aprons.... |
|
|
VWPics Underwater - Paddle-Flap Scorpionfish-closeup.(Rhinopias eschmeyeri).Lembeh Straits,Indonesia - Aprons Paddle-Flap Scorpionfish-closeup.(Rhinopias eschmeyeri).Lembeh Straits,Indonesia Apron is commercial quality product. Whether it's put to use in a restaurant or home, this apron will always help keep you clean. 100% cotton with Teflon finish for added protection. 1" wide neck and waist ties, adjustable neck strap for full and medium length aprons.... |
|
|
VWPics Underwater - Paddle-Flap Scorpionfish.(Rhinopias eschmeyeri).Lembeh Straits, Indonesia - Aprons Paddle-Flap Scorpionfish.(Rhinopias eschmeyeri).Lembeh Straits, Indonesia Apron is commercial quality product. Whether it's put to use in a restaurant or home, this apron will always help keep you clean. 100% cotton with Teflon finish for added protection. 1" wide neck and waist ties, adjustable neck strap for full and medium length aprons.... |
|
|
Here Comes the Big Red Car $11.98 ... |
|
|
Flap - $14.99 Flap is marginally significant as the only Western ever directed by Britain's Sir Carol Reed. Anthony Quinn is top-billed as Flapping Eagle, a modern-day Native American stuck on a squalid reservation. Though liquored up most of the time, Flapping Eagle undergoes an eleventh-hour social awakening. Making certain that the media is notified, he hijacks a train and heads for Phoenix, demanding full restoration of rights for his people. Played uneasily for laughs, Flap tries to make up for its shortcomings with a 1970s-style tragic ending, but by that time most of the audience has given up. The working title for Flap was Nobody Loves Flapping Eagle, which was closer to the name of source material, Clair Huffaker's novel Nobody Loves a Drunken Indian. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi |
|
|
Tandi Cashmere Napa Full Flap Briefcase $308 Full Flap Brief Under Flap Gusset U Zip Organizer Back Open Pocket |
|
|
Lift the Flap Shadow Books $19.75 Underneath each shadow flap is a full-color photograph and multiple lift-the-flap pictures with corresponding words. Set of 4 Board Books. Ages 1 yrs. +. |
|
|
Distressed Leather Full Flap Laptop Backpack in Brown $140.29 Distressed Collection Full flap-over with snap closure Zippered pocket under flap with 2 additional smaller pockets Inside leather card holder and padded section for a laptop computer Adjustable shoulder straps 14 in. L x 5 in. W x 12 in. H |
|
|
Full Flap Over Leather Briefcase w Organizer $88.36 Large full flap briefcase with simple features for business Organizer with calculator pocket, card pocket and pen/pencil pockets under turn lock closing flap Front and rear zippered pockets and another zippered pocket under the flap Aluminum frame for lightweight and strength Adjustable shoulder strap Pictured in Cafe 16 in. L x 4 in. W x 11 in. H |
|
|
'Twas the Knits Before Christmas $19.1 Used - "...Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." Clement Clarke Moore's evocative 1822 poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" helped to define the story of Santa Claus and has itself has become part of the Christmas tradition in many houses. Contains instructions for knitting all of the characters in the poem plus full-size Christmas wreath and stocking. The original poem accompanied by beautiful illustrations. With the poem in it's entirety on the flap, so that you can read it alon |
|
|
'Twas the Knits Before Christmas $13.82 Used - "...Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." Clement Clarke Moore's evocative 1822 poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" helped to define the story of Santa Claus and has itself has become part of the Christmas tradition in many houses. Contains instructions for knitting all of the characters in the poem plus full-size Christmas wreath and stocking. The original poem accompanied by beautiful illustrations. With the poem in it's entirety on the flap, so that you can read it alon |
