"ShawnD2112" wrote in message
...
It'll take me a couple of times to digest what you've written here,
Dudley,
but I think I understand. So far, I'm not using any forward stick on
hammerheads and the amount of aileron I need seems to vary with each
flight
(could it be weight dependant?).
Thanks again for the tips!
Shawn

On the weight; in my opinion, no. You are probably doing it right and
not carrying power into the apex far enough to require a counter for the
precess. You would know this right away, as the nose would want to come
directly back into you throwing you off line.

Off the top of my head on HH's. Just remember I haven't been doing them
for a while now!!! :-))))

At the apex on a HH, you have several forces in play at once, depending
on the power in play when you reach the rotation point.
You're carrying a ton of power up the vertical line to extend and as
airspeed decreases, this power really begins to effect the airplane.
Basically, torque wants to pull you left; and in the slice down,
asymmetric lift wants to roll you left and precession (if you still have
the power in) is in play from the prop disk. The forward stick counters
the precession. Note that if you have cut the power, you have basically
settled the precess problem!! Usually, if your timing is just right, you
have just a bit of forward stick required at the apex just before you
throttle back. It's a touchy inter-relationship between the forces and
the required control pressures. The main thing in the Pitts is how close
to inverted flat spin pro controls you are with power on the airplane at
the apex coupled with whatever forward stick you need to counter the
precess from the prop. Visualize the nose wanting to come straight back
into you from the precess and you'll see right away why you need the
forward stick.
The main thing to remember is that with a HH, inputs are basically
sequential rather than all at once. The big issue is neutralizing on the
downside. Whatever you do in a Pitts, don't carry forward stick and full
rudder with power too far into the slice at the apex.
The good side of all this is that if you're doing it right, you're
cutting the power before you reach the critical point with forward stick
and the problem is solved. Anytime you blow something at the apex, cut
the power, let the nose come through, recover and do it again.

Dudley