A2A Aerostar Takeoff Performance Video

[Scott - A2A]

Coming home the other day I had these cameras in the cockpit and decided to do some ground roll tests. Basically, I set a fixed camera looking 90 deg right, mark starting point and accelerate to rotation speed according to the charts. Then mark than and measure using satellite imagery.

This acceleration test is a great indicator of the engine's performance, as the speeds are not so fast that any airframe drag plays much of a roll - it's just pure horsepower.

Anyway here it is. Watching the video, you can see just how fast the Aerostar's takeoff and landing speeds are, and even though it's just a gopro camera mic, you can get an idea of the outstanding sounds this airplane makes.

[youtubehd1002 606]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZUIfKNzCgA[/youtubehd]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZUIfKNzCgA

Scott.

[Ron Attwood]

Wow!

[Piper_EEWL]

Nice. Looks like she performs by the book. And yes awesome sound.

Thanks for sharing that video

Btw. The "A2A Aerostar 600" in the video makes it seem like your already developing the sim version

[AKar]

Nice video, thanks for posting!

It is always interesting to note some aspects of airplane propulsion in these circumstances. For instance, your average net propulsive horsepower, assuming your video is timed 1-1, would be about 180 hp for the first 97 miles-per-hour. That would put the propulsive efficiency (assuming 300 hp engines) to 0.3.

At that net propulsive power, the expected climb rate would be around 1300 fpm, whereas I'd figure the actual would be around...what, for an Aerostar at that weight..? I'm not sure, maybe about 1900...2000 fpm if flown like an angel as per a back of an envelope calculation?

One would note from that how these engines which actually do propulsion in a reactive way, start to get efficient only when gaining some speed. A peculiarity of the nature is that when having a good, constant push we are actually loosing in efficiency at low speeds whereas the cars for instance, which rip the tarmac from zero would do maybe the double of the power efficiency at low speed acceleration from 0 to 60 mph.

This also gives a perspective into why the climb rate tends to drop sharply when getting slow - it is not just about the aerodynamic efficiency, but about that of the propulsion too!

-Esa

[Bruce Hamilton]

Btw. The "A2A Aerostar 600" in the video makes it seem like your already developing the sim version

He's been known to keep things close to the vest *cough* constellation *cough* skylane *cough* comanche *cough*...

[Ian Warren]

Not bad 100MPH at just over an aircraft carrier length.

[Ron Attwood]

Am I losing my marbles? I cannot see a link to any video. My 'Wow!' post was supposed to be funny because I thought Scott had forgotten to link.

[spacejunkee]

Thanks for sharing that awesomeness Scott!

Am I losing my marbles? I cannot see a link to any video. My 'Wow!' post was supposed to be funny because I thought Scott had forgotten to link.

The video is embedded Mr. Ron, here's a link for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZUIfKNzCgA

[rod55]

Hi Scott,

many thanks for showing this splendid and really exciting video. That is some horse! ......... what a classy sprinter.

I've recently been strumming Creedance Clearwater Revival's 'Bad Moon Rising'. Since then: EU Brexit, Iceland beat my national team, my government and opposition political parties have splintered.

So the fantastic Aerostar video has broken the sequence of fractures.

(In your previous A2A Comanche video you enthuse something like "am I mad OR does this look good on jacks?!". Well I have a similar confession. When I open the side windows of the Comanche when taxiing, I feel a cool breeze on my face ... honest!). That is how immersive A2A planes really are.

Go Iceland!!

I "cannot wait" for hot rod A2A Aerostar!!!

Rod, Birmingham GB

[Nick - A2A]

[...] even though it's just a gopro camera mic, you can get an idea of the outstanding sounds this airplane makes.

You certainly do! Just being nosy Scott... What's that visible on top of the glare shield: metal rings with what look like cabling passing through them? If you get the opportunity, would be great to see more photos/vids of the cockpit setup in future.

Am I losing my marbles? I cannot see a link to any video. My 'Wow!' post was supposed to be funny because I thought Scott had forgotten to link.

I'm sure your marbles are mostly present and correct Ron. It's probably just that you're viewing the site via an https connection. See here for more on this.

I've recently been strumming Creedance Clearwater Revival's 'Bad Moon Rising'.

Rod - I think I know exactly what you mean. I'm glad I don't care that much about football or I'd be even more depressed at the current state of the 'United' Kingdom!

Nick

[Ron Attwood]

Am I losing my marbles? I cannot see a link to any video. My 'Wow!' post was supposed to be funny because I thought Scott had forgotten to link.

I'm sure your marbles are mostly present and correct Ron. It's probably just that you're viewing the site via an https connection. See here for more on this.

Nick

Top tip. Very odd though as I've been using the same bookmark for yonks and have seen embedded videos. Perhaps Firefox updated something.
Cheers Nick.

Oh and Wow!

[Scott - A2A]

Just being nosy Scott... What's that visible on top of the glare shield: metal rings with what look like cabling passing through them?

Those are just rings in a laminated binder for the checklists.

Scott.

[Nick - A2A]

Those are just rings in a laminated binder for the checklists.

Thanks! Well, now you say that, it's hard to see how they could be anything else. So, er, not some top-secret high-frequency Accu-Sim recording array then!

Nick

[spadjockey]

Btw. The "A2A Aerostar 600" in the video makes it seem like your already developing the sim version

He's been known to keep things close to the vest *cough* constellation *cough* skylane *cough* comanche *cough*...

You guys need to give up the weed

[Piper_EEWL]

You guys need to give up the weed

I have no idea what you're talking about