Ian Forbes wrote:

On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 00:02:30 +0000, Colin wrote:


- Spins occur when you stall and the glider is not "co-ordinated" ie
either slipping or skidding.

I used to think this, but I soon discovered our club Blanik would
happily spin from a coordinated turn by using a shallow bank and simply
reducing the airspeed. Since then, I've done this with other gliders.

A coordinated turn doesn't prevent the inner wing from flying at a
higher angle of attack than the outer wing, which is why it stalls
first, and a spin can begin. I haven't experimented with it enough to be
certain, but I suspect a slipping turn would reduce the tendency for the
inner wing to stall first.