Feedback Needed - Homebuilt Aircraft Cruise Speeds

[rwanttaja]

Hi Ron,
Always appreciate your analysis of aircraft accidents. It informs the entire community.
Instead of cruise speed as differentiator, why not use stall speed since most accidents occur during takeoff and landing.

It certainly can be argued either way. However, when I'm looking at fatality rates, I prefer cruise speed for a couple of reasons.

1. It's a better indicator of a high-performance aircraft. If a plane "gets away" from the pilot, a higher cruise speed indicates it would accelerate faster and to a higher speed.

2. There's the difference between dirty and clean stall speeds... which would I use? Dirty stall speed is applicable to landing accidents, while clean stall speeds are more related to stalls in other phases. Note this graphic from an upcoming KITPLANES article...it's tough to decide which parameter to compare. Since most stalls of operational homebuilt occur on takeoff and initial climb, clean stall might be better. But the base/final stall/spin is such an ingrained aspect of our lives, it's hard to fight the dirty-stall idea.

Discussing it, though, makes me wonder if wing loading might be a better factor than cruise or stall speed. Probably less prone to marketing distortion.

Ron Wanttaja