On Wed, Feb 22, 2023 at 12:50:31AM +0000, Stefan Schreiber wrote: > Is flying in a spiral not something you would do in some intentional way?
Yes and no... There is no essential difference between a spiral and a normal turn, except that a spiral is usually not intentional and in that case it can become so extreme that it puts the aircraft in danger. Both spins and spirals are done intentionally as part of pilot training. All (normal) aircraft have pitch stability, but few have roll stability. That means that if the wings are not level, there is nothing that would make them return to level. And in many cases the aircraft may very well be unstable in that axis: if left alone, the roll angle will slowly increase. A non-zero roll angle means that part of the lift force generated by the wings is now sideways. That - and not the rudder - is what makes the aircraft make a turn. The vertical component of lift is reduced, and a pitch-stable aircraft will just by itself increase its airspeed to restore it. It can do that only by going down at that same time. Unless you watch the horizon or the attitude indicator, you will not be aware that this is happening. As the roll angle increases, the g-force will apparently remain vertical (relative to the aircraft) but increase as well. And at some point you will notice that you are pinned down in your seat and unable to move - you are effectively in a centrifuge, way too fast, going down, and the g-forces will be so high that they can break up the aircraft. To recover: 1. Reduce power to idle. 2. Bring the wings level. This has to be done gently, to avoid even more mechanical stress. 3. As the wings return to level, the excessive speed will put the aircraft into a steep climb. Let it happen but keep the pitch angle under control. You will regain some of the lost altitude, and airspeed will decrease. 4. As you approach normal airspeed, bring back power and level off. Ciao, -- FA _______________________________________________ Sursound mailing list Sursound@music.vt.edu https://mail.music.vt.edu/mailman/listinfo/sursound - unsubscribe here, edit account or options, view archives and so on.
