On Thu, 13 May 2004 06:29:55 +0000, Regnirps wrote:

I keep looking at teh web site and owner's sites. I wish the cruise was a
little higher and when you check out the full deflection maneuvering speed
you have to wonder how stron it is.


Well, the manoeuvring speed (VA) is a function of:

wing loading (low wing loading leads to lower VA),
maximum coefficient of lift of the wing (high CL max leads to lower VA),
design load factor (low design load factor leads to lower VA).

The CH701 is designed to have short take-off and landing distances, so it
needs low wing loading and a high CLmax. It isn't designed for
aerobatics, so it can get away with a lower design load factor. A higher
design load factor would require a heavier structure, which would worsen
the performance.

The Zenair web site says it is designed for +6g ultimate load. It is a
bit unusual for the manufacturer to quote ultimate loads, as that
represents the ultimate strength of the airframe - i.e. the point at which
it may fail catastrophically. Normally a 1.5 factor of safety is applied,
and the limit load (4g in this case) is quoted, as that is the value that
the pilot should use as his load factor limit.

--
Kevin Horton RV-8 (finishing kit)
Ottawa, Canada
http://go.phpwebhosting.com/~khorton/rv8/
e-mail: khorton02(_at_)rogers(_dot_)com