I asked a not dissimilar question here about 18 months ago, more with respect to my short field bush operations in a 401/402A/B <img src="eek.gif" border="0"> rather than operations with the luxury of 3km+ tarmac.
From it I use the following procedure:
1. Full power prior to Brakes Release (if surface permits).
2. Rotate at recommended flight manual speed
3. When airborne and in ground effect, retract the gear.
4. Accelerate towards best RATE of climb Multi Engine.
5. Retract flap as soon as a positive rate of climb is identified.
6. Climb to a safe height (Circuit height in VMC or LSALT in IMC) at Multi Engine Best RATE of climb.
7. Reduce to cruise climb power/settings speeds.
8. Release sphincter muscles. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
*****
For NORMAL operations there is absolutely no reason to fly any particular speed with relation to blue line - that comes in to play if you have an engine failure, and as you still have 2 engines, what's the point?
The idea behind the above technique is to get AS HIGH AS FAST AS YOU CAN.
Flying any other speed than MEROC will introduce excess parasite/induced drag which can never be recovered should you lose a donk and you want as much altitude between you and the ground. In other words, you can NEVER recover turn excess speed into height.
For the proponents of climbing at blue line +10 knots, reread the previous paragraph. If you have the altitude, you can make allowances for the "sh!t f*&k factor" in attaining blue line speed as you are cleaning her up. Remember you will not die if your airspeed falls a little below blue line. Remember Best ANGLE single engine is in most aircraft less than Best RATE single engine.
Also, when you have the aircraft cleaned up, feathered, 5 deg to live engine yadda yadda yadda, and flying blue line, remember that blue line on your ASI may not be the environmental blue line for your aircraft on that day. Blue line speed decreases with an increase in pressure altitude (on my current aircraft by 3 kts over 4000'). You may require a little bit of tweaking to find the real best rate of climb single engine speed.
ALso beware of non standard ASI's on your aircraft - it may be a replacement, or a spare with a blue line painted on it that is a few knots out from the actual one for your aircraft!
Personally, I am VERY reluctant to advocate anything other than what is in the flight manual wrt aircraft operations for take off (ie taking off with nil flap on long runways). Should something go very wrong and not to plan, then you leave yourself wide open to litigation... Consider non standard operations VERY VERY carfefully.
Good to see you are thinking about things Scramjet! Many light twin pilots give it nary a second thought!
CS
[ 13 January 2002: Message edited by: compressor stall ]
[ 13 January 2002: Message edited by: compressor stall ]</p>