This is an interesting case. I haven't really thought this through
since stalling is difficult in most properly balanced sailplanes at
high angles of bank. A long wingspan adds yet another aggrevator. But
your speed is higher in a steep turn, thus the vertical stabilizer is
more efficient. And right off hand I can think of several outcomes
that would look like spins, but are, in fact, something else. Think of
a wing over, for example. If you shot the initial 90 degrees of turn
after apex, it would look very much like a spin entry.

Nonetheless, I haven't tried a stall from a coordinated steep turn,
with controls crossed and the yaw string straight. And I won't have a
chance for another month or so...

Perhaps, for the time being, I need to ammend my position to say that
a spin is unlikely in most sailplanes if the ailerons and rudder are
neutralized.

In the meantime, if you have a chance to repeat, see if the instructor
will let the "spin" develop. I'm interested to see if it is really a
spin (I think the chances are good, though, if the controls stay
crossed). Try it again, but at entry, center the ailerons and rudder,
but leave the stick back. That is, add no further aggrevation after
the stall break and see what it does. By the way, how rapid was the
autorotation at stall break? How much change in direction did you
experience before rolling back to level? How much altitude did you
lose, if you took notice? And was there anything unusual about this
particular 25?

Robert Ehrlich wrote in message ...
Ian Johnston wrote:

On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 12:35:43 UTC, (Chris
OCallaghan) wrote:

: the point of my link was to show that you will not spin from
: coordinated flight.

Tight turn. Slow speed. String in the middle. Pull up sharply as if
another glider has just cut into the thermal. Whoops. Well, it works
in a Bocian, anyway.

Ian
--

Another way I experienced it during my 1st flight in an ASH25 (with
an instructor in the back seat of course). Circling in a thermal, with
just to much aft stick than approriate. Speed slowly decayed (slowly
beacause the hight weight and inertia of the glider), induced roll
and yaw slowly increased, needing more and more inside rudder and
outside stick, up to the point where a incipent spin started, immediateley
stopped by releasing back pressure and centralizing ailerons and rudder.
At the time of departure, stick and rudder were strongly crossed,
but the flight was coordinated and the yaw string in the middle.