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Old November 21st 09, 12:00 AM posted to rec.aviation.aerobatics
Ed
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Posts: 59
Default Dumb question maybe re Stall Turn

On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:06:09 -0800 (PST), Surreyrider
wrote:

Need someone to settle an argument. I do not fly, so your answers need
to be in laymans terms and hopefully put simply.
I've occasionally watched aerobatic displays and seen a maneouver
called a stall turn. Now, I more or less understand how this works,
but there comes a point, just before the aircraft "turns around" where
it is momentarily stationary in space, pointing directly to the sky..
Impressive stuff. Now, here's the crux: My mate reckons the pilot
could hold the aircraft in this "head-up" attitude almost indefinately
as the prop is acting like a helicopter's rotor and it could
effectively hover in this attitude. I, however, maintain that the
aircraft would begin to spin on it's axis if held in this attitude.for
more than a second or two.

Can anybody tell me who is correct?

Thanks all,

Roy

Roy, I have only performed the stall turn or hammerhead in a couple of
aircraft, a Decathlon and my Jungster II, both with 150 hp. It has
been my experience that you had better kick rudder before the aircraft
stops or you will experience the thrill of a tailslided and a whip
stall. You can tell when you are about to run out of steam by watching
your wing tip, that also keeps the ship from rotating. I always pick a
road intersection so I can keep the wings aligned with the crossroad.
Neither of these aircraft had the poop to hang on the prop.
Ed Sullivan