Aircraft suitable for zero g flight

You can reduce altitude loss by pitching up at the beginning of the
maneuver. In the Pitts, I pitch up to about 50 degrees above level,
establish a climb briefly, and then push the stick forward until the G
meter shows 0 and ride it to 45 dgerees nose low or so, then pull to
recover. I picture the arc of a lobbed baseball, and try to fly that.

While zero G is within the G envelope of every aircraft, the risk with
this maneuver is the nose-low attitude at the end. Airspeed will
build, and could cause overstress on the recovery if not managed
properly. And there is also the issue that non-aerobatic aircraft may
not have fuel and oil systems that tolerate zero G well.

Less of an issue with acro aircraft, but they still may experience oil
starvation from what I have been told. The ball valves in a Christen
inverted system, for example, won't be pulled all the way to either
end, and one rule of thumb I've read is to spend 10s or less at 0 G,
at knife edge, or on a vertical line.

ObDisclaimer: Try it with an instructor first. Don't exceed Vne,
Don't pull the wings off. Don't ruin your engine. I am not a flight
instructor, and this is not flight instruction!

Regards -- Peter
--
Peter H. Schmidt `\ /' Burning Blue Aviation Inc.
------^------ 2 Ewell Avenue
www.burning-blue.com | |o| | Lexington, MA 02421
fax: 781 863-8858 ------v------ tel: 781 883-4818
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