Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Dudley Henriques wrote in news:9-qdnZO8Tvdst-
:

Yeah, OK. jibes with my experince ( I think, been a while).
NEver thought of looking at the tip during it. I'll try it and let you
know how I get on!

Bertie

Works like a charm in the vertical plane as well...loops....Cubans...etc.


Well, for that, obviously! I always had problems with reverse cubans
though. I never did figure out a way to track my rotation perfecly going
up. So, I just avoidd them!


Bertie

A Reverse Cuban or more correctly a 1/2 Reverse Cuban since the complete
maneuver is simply two maneuvers done back to back put together :-) is
in my opinion one of the hardest maneuvers for a novice to get right.
First of all, it requires a high entry speed. For this reason, and as
well the slow roll rate of the Citabria and other flat wing light
aerobatic trainers, doing a good 1/2 reverse Cuban is not the easiest
thing to accomplish.
You can do one, but it amounts to a sloppy 1/2 roll at the top followed
almost immediately by a Split S. It isn't pretty in these airplanes.
To do a 1/2 Reverse Cuban correctly, you need an established 45 degree
up line erect, a quick 1/2 slow roll and an inverted 45 degree up line
continued as the energy drops down to the 1/2 inside Loop recovery.
The timing is critical as is the airspeed at the top gate as the pull is
initiated. In an underpowered airplane restricted by a low never exceed
speed you are severely hampered in obtaining the energy required to do
the maneuver properly.
As for visuals; you use the wing tips for establishing BOTH up lines
right side up and inverted, but in a Citabria or an Aerobat for example,
the low entry speed coupled with the energy lost doing the roll to
inverted leave you with little time to even establish an inverted 45
degree up line :-)

The result is sort of like doing what I refer to as a 1/2 whale roll and
a pull down into a 1/2 loop recovery.
You can get a decent 1/2 Reverse Cuban out of a Decathlon but barely :-)
Now the Extra, or a Pitts is another matter entirely :-))
But don't feel bad about not getting this one down just right. Actually
if you DID get one right within the airspeed and g limits suggested for
the Citabria or Aerobat type airplane you happened to be flying, you'd
be doing quite well :-)

--
Dudley Henriques