At 23:54 11 May 2009, Andreas Maurer wrote:
On Tue, 12 May 2009 01:25:24 +0200, John Smith
wrote:


It may quicken up the recovery, but JAR-22 requires a sailplane to
recover with any flap setting.

Indeed - but many gliders who are still popular were designed before
JAR-22.
I'm always amazed about how much easier the ASW-27 handles in this
regard compared to a, say, ASW-20.

Bye
Andreas

Andreas is correct, the ASW17 was extremely reluctant to recover from a
spin in anything above 0 flap and if it did recover the flap speed would
be exceeded in the recovery a loose loose situation. I suspect for this
reason the spin recovery action was:

1 Flaps to a non positive setting
2 Full opposite rudder
3 Pause
4 Stick progressively forward until the spinning stops
5 Recover

I have never flown a Nimbus but I am told it is much the same.

The pause between the application of rudder and moving the stick forward
is frequently ommitted in modern teaching but there are valid reasons for
it's inclusion. Having said that in most gliders, Puchaz excepted, as
soon as the back pressure is released the glider stops spinning.
The only glider I have ever flown that spun properly was the Slingsby
Swallow which would wang round like a good un until the full recovery
action was taken.