"BDS" wrote in message
et...

I found this on the Grumman Yankee which I recalled had a nasty reputation
for spins and yet was being used as a primary trainer:

"The original American Aviation AA-1 Yankee developed a poor reputation
for
safety in its first years of production (1969-71). The aircraft was
designed
purely to fill the role of a personal transportation and touring aircraft
and not a trainer, but many of the early production models were purchased
by
flying schools. The appeal of the AA-1 to schools was obvious - compared
to
the competition, the AA-1 was faster, cost less to purchase and maintain
and, most importantly, had more student-appeal with its sliding canopy and
fighter-like looks.

Many of the early school accidents were related to spin-training. Once the
AA-1 entered a fully developed spin and exceeded three turns, it was
usually
not recoverable. The AA-1 had been spin-tested as part of its
certification,
but in 1973 the FAA issued Airworthiness Directive 73-13-07 ordering the
aircraft placarded against spins."


Analysis and comparison of aircraft spin characteristics and the records:
http://www.aopa.org/asf/asfarticles/2003/sp0302.html