Need help! 1968 piper arrow ( arrow 1 I believe)

Well i am a new member and have purchased my first aircraft a nice original piper arrow 1968 model.

I am a newly certified private pilot in Canada going through the commercial program on my own aircraft.

I need some help finding the best glide speed for my arrow their is nothing published in either the original flight manual or the pilot operating handbook for best glide.
For engine out procedures all it goes through is fuel management stuff, ie electric fuel pump on, switch tanks, mixture rich.

The major problem I'm having is that I am in the middle of training for the precision 180 approach and no matter what we do, we can't make the field by cutting the power abeam the numbers at 1000ft agl by doing the 180 degree turn @ the final approach speed published at 90mph, we were in landing configuration gear down flaps 25 degrees and 1/2 mile out from the field (standard circuit distance in a 172 half way down the wing strut)

I'm wondering if for this procedure the aircraft should be in the clean configuration gear up flaps up...

We did do some experiments the other day and found that min sink seems to be at 90mph yielding about 1000fpm decent rate in the clean configuration, 100mph yields 1500fpm sink rate clean

I understand that min sink is not the same as best glide...

I'm hoping someone on here can help me out, so I'm looking for best glide speed, and possibly a better procedure for the arrow for the precision 180 approach (simulated engine failure from the downwind)

The only difference between my arrow and an original one is I have a 3 blade stc prop from mc cully on it , but I doubt that makes. Difference


Please help
Thanks
Eric

Comments

  • Sounds to me like your down wind leg is too far from the runway. I fly a '78 Arrow and I prefer the 180 side approach anytime traffic permits. That way I know I have the field made should the engine quit. I have no problem reaching the runway. I always have the gear down but apply flaps only when I know the field is made with them. My best glide speed is 78kts which equates to your 90mph.
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