On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 05:06:12 GMT, Ed wrote:

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In idle, with the prop at flat pitch, it feels too draggy and comes
down like a rock. With it at high pitch, it seems to have too
optimistic a glide ratio. What's the happy medium?

I'm a little confused by this portion of your question, and a couple
of the replies.

I have never actually messed around a bunch with airspeed/descent
rate/idle engine/prop rpm, but am pretty familiar with how a typical
pressure-to-increase pitch constant-speed prop/governor works.

Somewhere around 1600-1800 rpm, the prop governor ceases to output
enuff pressure to change/maintain the propeller pitch, and the
propeller goes to flat pitch. I've seen it on a gov bench, and on
approach-to-land.

Whether or not the engine is "running" if the rpm is below this range,
moving the prop control has no effect on the pitch of the prop.

TC

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