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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!cires!nbires!opus!scott
From: scott@opus.UUCP (Scott Wiesner)
Newsgroups: net.aviation,net.rec
Subject: Flat Spins
Message-ID: <946@opus.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 12-Nov-84 13:01:40 EST
Article-I.D.: opus.946
Posted: Mon Nov 12 13:01:40 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 14-Nov-84 02:41:38 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: NBI,Inc, Boulder CO
Lines: 30

What is the "correct" procedure to get out of a flat spin?  I only work
with models, but the theory's all the same I'm sure.

While flying last weekend, a friend and I decided to play around with
"snap" manuevers.  My friend has a fast "pattern" plane, complete with
retractable landing gear.  He would pull vertical, keep the power on,
and pull full up and full left rudder.  The plane did a couple of violent
snap rolls, and then started tumbling as it lost all it's airspeed.  It
was really wild to watch, so we talked about it a little, and the next
time, he threw in some down elevator as the plane started to tumble.
He was still at full throttle, and were hoping to see it tumble forward
(lomchevack?).  Well, all of a sudden, the plane was in a very flat spin.
I would estimate the nose was only about 20 degrees down.  The spin rate
was about 1.5 rotations per second I think.  Still at full throttle, and
giving right rudder and down elevator did absolutely nothing.  The spin
started about 150 feet up, so there wasn't much time to try a lot of things.
When it was obvious nothing would help, he chopped the throttle, and watched
it helicopter in.  The decent was quite slow, so it was like a bad dream in
slow motion.  As soon as it hit, we ran out to the plane, and discovered 
there was NO DAMAGE!  He had left the gear retracted, and the plane hit in
fairly high weeds.  All he could find was a small scratch on the bottom of
the wing which he said was probably already there.   

Is there anything he could have done to get out of the spin?  Another thing
I wonder about is whether he would have been able to pull out in time assuming
he had gotten the spin stopped.  
-- 

Scott Wiesner
{allegra, ucbvax, cornell}!nbires!scott