High accident rates in light twins an alternative?

[Pace]

>By the way, have another look at that chart that gave you 127kts cruise on one. TAS right? At what weight and what height? Work out what INDICATED speed that corresponds to, and get back to me!!<

Wizofox

I have over 2000 hrs on Seneca Fives/ From that start point 127 kts is IAS on the Five one out and level and at 2000 to 3000 feet.

Both running with a cruise setting of 29 man and 24rpm will indicate 155kts at 2000 to 3000 foot level.

I have flown these things at 20000 feet and the tas turns well over 200 kts with both engines running at 29 man 24rpm.

The five which is wastegated, turbocharged and intercooled performs far better than the earlier seneca 1, 2, 3, and 4 all of which I have also flown.

I also do not think we are miles apart and maybe the differences are more a misunderstanding of what we are both saying. I also appreciate your expertise but also my own in trying to extract the best I can from not only underpowered twins but light jets too.

Being a practical pilot maybe you can explain why a seneca at blue line of say 90 kts one out will only climb at grosse at 200 feet per minute but at level flight will accelerate to 127 kts? If it isnt to do with drag and especially drag from angle of attack.
I appreciate there are other forms of drag but the drag from angle of attack must outweigh the other drag for the aircraft to accelerate to 127 kts in level flight.

>If the BEST rate of climb is zero, flying any other speed produces a descent.<

Yes If the best rate of climb is zero and you have no extra power any reduction in AOA will result in an initial descent It has to!

But you are reducing drag by reducing AOA and you now have the bonus of tapping into Kinetic energy to add to the energy produced by your solitary engine.

From that initial descent the airspeed will increase as will the lift for that reduced AOA until you have level cruise, No descent and 127 kts IAS.



Pace