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SuperStream

Re: SuperStream

Hi Willem,

The higher you fly, the more wing AOA is needed to create the lift to carry the weight. Thus, if you were to closely observe the streamlining of your elevators, you would notice that the upward deflection of the tips gradually diminishes as you cruise higher and higher. Up to about 15,000 MSL, there is still substantial upward deflection of the tips (down elevator) to keep the nose down, and the plane "on the step". Above that, there will be some altitude where the elevators become streamlined. How about you fly the experiment and let me know?

Best,
Jim
 
Re: SuperStream

jrichards said:
The higher you fly, the more wing AOA is needed to create the lift to carry the weight. Thus, if you were to closely observe the streamlining of your elevators, you would notice that the upward deflection of the tips gradually diminishes as you cruise higher and higher. Up to about 15,000 MSL, there is still substantial upward deflection of the tips (down elevator) to keep the nose down, and the plane "on the step". Above that, there will be some altitude where the elevators become streamlined. How about you fly the experiment and let me know?

Best,
Jim
Click to expand...

Jim, that is very interesting. What you are saying is our Commanders are rigged to be streamlined above 15k. Unfortunately we have no more power left to push the airplane at that Altitude.

So my question are:

1) At what altitude are you rigging the airplanes to be streamlined?

2) Is there an altitue at which point the deflection is negative if we define the upward deflection as positive?
 
Re: SuperStream

Hi Ian,

143 does seem slow, what RPM and GPH are you using at 7,000 for the 65%? And what do you see for CHT's?

Hi Byrne,

Yes, all Commanders are eligible for SuperStream.
112, 112A, 112B, 112TC, 112TCA, 114, 114A, 114B, 114TC and 115

Hi Allen,

The SuperStream clinic includes rebuild of the elevator center fitting to restore left-to-right elevator symmetry; and fitting, painting and installation of stab root root fairings; so we figure 2 wks for standard visit.

Hi Alex,

No, our planes are not intentionally rigged for high altitude, it's just that your elevators fly in stream whenever the wing is at an increased angle of attack (approx 4 degrees) because you are climbing or flying at a low indicated airspeed.

Jim
 
Super 59W Streamed!

Super 59W Streamed!

Hi All,

Was just briefing Lonnie on our results SuperStreaming 59W and he asked me to post the news to all of you.

Firstly, let me say that she came in already very fast, well-rigged, and with most of the speed tricks already in place, so that really put the spotlight directly on the SuperStream process.

Here are the results:

Her tail now flies streamlined.

Solid gain of 6 KTAS at 7,500 and 10,000 at typical settings.
Gain of 9 KTAS at same altitudes at max speed settings.
Only a few knots gain at 5,000 and no gain at 2,500.

The lack of much gain at the low altitudes just goes to remind me that there are still some mysteries to these fantastic airplanes. And the solid gains at higher altitude made me wish I had taken incoming comparison data also at 12,500... maybe on the next one.

Her extreme sensitivity to pitch trim on the step is gone, and her pitch trim is now smack on Neutral for the step. She is also a lot less thirsty for left rudder.

On this first flight, she showed a tendency to roll definitely, but slowly, to the left. This stems from our correction of her tail twist, and should gain us another knot, or so, when I now remove some of the cross-rigging of the flaps and ailerons that was previously compensating for the twist in the elevators.

Jim
 
Re: SuperStream

That's awesome... Very jealous here in Austin!
 
Re: SuperStream

Hello all it's icy here in ms which is not the normal. I talked to jim and sounds great to me. Of coarse I did go into this opened minded but with high hopes of at least 5kts so i am pleased with the out come. Of coarse I have not flown it yet and the proof will be in the pudding when I fly her home this weekend. I fly out tomorrow morning and will try to head home Saturday if weather permits. I wanted to stop by Islp but the weather may not work for that but still going to try. I will send report when I get back.
 
Re: SuperStream

Hi Jim

sounds great... but you know... We commander owners have chosen for a a solid reason... We want the best :-)


I currently am doing:
@2000 145/150TAS
@11000 165/168 TAS
@18000 175+ TAS

so with the flap gap seals and your superstream mode, very able hands and wisdom the goals and my dreams are

160@2500
180@11000
185/190@18000

@31/2400

:-)

and then we should start thinking about your future supercommander version with the TEO engine!! :-) <<with some more usefull load, thank you >>

You are a magician..you truly are and once you have had several mods done, you come to europe.. I already know of a few people who are really interested!!
 
Re: SuperStream

What is up with you speed freaks??? Us Commander owners are noted for life in the slow (and comfortable) lane. Pretty soon those Mooney owners are gonna start comming up to us and challenging us for Pink slips....
 
Re: SuperStream

Jim ..

Any news on the faa approval for the stc?
 
Re: SuperStream

Great news! Hats of to Jim for getting it done!
 
Re: SuperStream

Hi All,

Martine and I had a great time hosting Lonnie here last eve in Vermont and watching him blast off this morning. He'll be skirting the weather to the NW and be driving into some headwinds so it won't be quite like his trip up to ISP a few weeks ago at 240 GS.

The below pic of his climb out is just fantastic! Looks something like a shuttle lanuch, no?

Also below I attached a pic of his completed new tail with the SuperStream fairings showing nicely, and including the enclosed beacon we did for him also on this visit. If I was the air, this is the Commander tail I would want to see.

Jim
 

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  • SuperStream and Enclosed Beacon.jpg
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Re: SuperStream

That graph is completely insane, Jim. 58 knnots ...lol ...he was playing that for all its worth ... and it was definitely worth it. I would print that and frame it. Just amazing. Of course, the key is getting rid of that damn nipple! Enclosed beacon has to be worth, uhhhhhhh, "5 knots" and 500 fpm (easy.) Just checked Lonnie on flightaware. If he turns SW twd Pittsburgh in a hurry, he can fly that slot through WV before the icing closes in, but not much time. Good thing he's got the Super & Streamed Commander.
 
Re: SuperStream

For you aspiring IFR guys and those who don't have the "blessing" of flying in the Great Lakes Ice Machine, Check Lonnie's track, then check the weather, especially icing and winds, and you will see he is facing a very interesting dilemma. If he keeps heading west to Buffalo then to Detroit and west, then South to Mississippi he avoids the big winds and will actually pick up time, but he runs into forecast icing from 18000 to surface. Not good. But if he turns SW toward Pittsburgh and over WV, there is a gap in the icing forecast, but the headwinds get huge even for a SuperCommander, 40 - 50 knots now and within a couple of hours, as much as 80 knots. Also not good. The turbulence over the Appalachian chain is forecast high and that could get rough. That gap over PA in the icing is forecast to close up within a couple of hours. I am really curious as to how he will play it, but Lonnie is without a doubt one of the finest and most experienced pilots in the fleet.

If you don't use it, I think the GMET progressive display in 3Z increments on ADDS is about the best WX tool out there.

http://aviationweather.gov/products/gairmet/

IT is 15:30 Z now ... take turns clicking on icing, turbulence and IFR and you will see how these gaps are moving and changing. What would you do? (Use the PLAY button and slow down the rate a bit to follow it well.) Fascinating stuff.
 
Re: SuperStream

Lonnie filed to GYY in Chicago. Nasty headwinds to start out but they lessen 100 out of BUF.
Some icing pireps along the way, but all pretty high. Winds favor low anyway.
 
Re: SuperStream

I hope he didn't take too much gas. $6.30/gallon at BUF.
 
Re: SuperStream

I talked to Lonnie on the ground at BUF. Right about the gas. I told him had he gone to IAG just 20 nm north he would have saved a bundle and got in and out really fast and easy. IAG Niagara is the NY ANG base, huge runways, and nobody home. (My step-dad was base commander for years.)

Anyway, I texted him a bunch of alternatives to Gary ... which is he has to stay is not such a great place. He'll be coming north of me shortly. The Icing forecast is to surface and turning to crap here now, but stops just north. Good chance he'll get home tonight, although I told him to go to UGN Waukegan ilo Gary. Cheap fuel, good FBO, big runways, close to hotels if needed.
 
Re: SuperStream

Lonnie is right on the plan he and I mapped this AM to become a Canadian and skirt the weather to the N, knowing he would have an easy out all the way around by just turning tail northwest. He is running lower to Gary than we planned, either to stay under or to advantage the nil winds. I also see he has her dailed back to 160 to make sure he got's good reserves for a dodge.

We looked at the PA "slot", but didn't like the let-down alternatives, maybe none. No easy outs.

Agreed, this IFR strategy stuff is what really makes this a fun game.

Jim
 
Re: SuperStream

I have received 6 texts from Lonnie! Under the clouds at 4,000. In and out of a lot of snow, but now ice. Jim, you are right. A quick turn north should get him free, but this stuff is tracking much further north than predicted. we were supposed to get nothing, then a trace, then an inch, now 2-4" and it is snowing like hell for the last hour now. I texted Lonnie some good options for ILS airports with reasonable fuel and close hotels. Lansing, Grand Rapids, Waukegan, Kenosha. Gary? You should ask your pals who live and fly in this area! That would have been about choice # 27!
 
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