Dom Crain wrote:
/The Lancair is not a design to be trifled with when it comes to doing low speed manoeuvres close to the ground which will almost certainly involve increased wing loading. High speed manoeuvres must be treated with equal caution in terms of control input rate.// Until now, I continued post takeoff acceleration to 140 Knots for engine cooling. A fast flat gradient gear/flap retraction sequence which prevented the CHT getting up.
Since cowl modification which has resolved CHT cooling, I may revert to Don’s law. //
As we know, the local President of the AOPA was killed last month in a 360 after take-off with a reported engine problem. The reports suggested vertical and not horizontal impact, associated with the aircraft turning./

When I learned to fly in Jet Provosts, we practiced turn backs following engine failure. But the rules were simple:
1. Always turn into whatever crosswind you have; if you don't know the crosswind direction, don't do it.
2. Only turn back once you have reached the set speed /and/ altitude for the aircraft type.
3. Don't overbank at low speed
3. If you cannot make it to the runway, level the wings and crash land (actually eject, but we don't have that luxury)

The point is that you need a set amount of energy to turn back. It can be speed or altitude, they are interchangeable, so it really does not matter within limits whether you climb shallowly or steeply. But above all, you must practice the maneuver periodically (with care). If you do not practice it and you do not note the crosswind for each take off, you have no business turning back. Just land straight ahead.

Jerry Fisher