I expect my answer to this will boil down to practice, practice and some more practice. However, I was wondering if anyone had some hints regarding controlling rudder inputs during the slow roll. Specifically, I'm encountering problems between 90 and 180 degrees of rotation. I get to 90 degrees (knife edge basically, just much slower getting there, so I'm using rudder to point the nose up and maintain altitude at this point) and as I begin rotating to 180 degrees I have problems of letting off the rudder too slow and end up losing altitude. I'm trying to get off a little faster, but it just hasn't been so smooth. Like I said, I realize this is probably a matter of practice, but if anyone does have some tips, I'd love to hear them. Thanks.
Eric
Looking for hints on rudder control during slow roll...
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ESzczesniak
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:44 pm
In the end it will boil down to what you already mentioned: Practice, practice and more practice! In the mean time I'll see if I can break down the setup and control movements for you. Once all these make sense to you, you'll have to purge them from your head and just let the fluidness and ballet of control inputs flow together seamlessly, in other words, just fly the airplane!
LOMAC Parameters
450 kts Cal
90% N1
Flaps Down
150ft AGL
Throttle
You'll want to start the roll just after 8K (eight thousand from show center), so that you are inverted at show center and continue to 8K on the other side for the "flip turn" (exit profile). Setting the throttle properly to allow for the myriad of control inputs that will follow is key. If you get slow you'll struggle to maintain altitude during the second half of the Slow Roll. If you continue to accelerate during the maneuver you'll be more prone to over control towards the end, either by too much rudder for the speed or by increasing your roll rate. Bottom line, have the throttle set before 8K and be on speed as you begin the maneuver.
Rudder
Rudder input will never be constant throughout the Slow Roll. As soon as you begin rolling (left), you'll start slowly applying right rudder. As you pass 90 degrees of roll you'll be at your maximum right rudder and from 90 to 180 degrees you'll decrease the input to zero; however, you won't maintain neutral rudder, but continue past 180 degrees of roll and continuously begin adding left rudder. At 270 degrees of roll, the left rudder input will be at its maximum and from that point until completing the 360 degrees of roll, the left input will decrease. The rudder is used to compensate for you elevator at 90 and 270 degrees of roll and in any other angle throughout the roll in combination with pitch input. It is not used to steer or keep directional control, but primarily to maintain altitude.
Stick
This is where the magic happens! It obviously has to be used in conjunction with the rudder, but you stick determines, No. 1: The roll rate. No. 2: Your directional control and, No. 3: The majority of your pitch control (rudder being the other factor).
Pitch
As you begin rolling (left), start pushing forward on the stick to maintain your line. At the 90 and 270 degree points, you'll need forward pressure to maintain a straight line. At this point in time your rudder is your elevator. At the 180 degree point, the most forward pressure is used to hold inverted flight as the roll is continued. Using forward pressure to maintain a straight flightpath down the runway or showline is key to the success of the roll. Mainly because it makes the isolation of other inputs needed much easier to asses and change. Pitch is primarily used for directional control, with the exception of the 180 degree point in the roll where it alleviates the rudder to maintain altutude while inverted.
Roll
This is all about pacing and setting a constant roll rate that will take 8K (eight thousand feet) to reach show center inverted and another 8K before level again. Once you have a feel for this kind of pace (on airspeed), it's only a matter of being consistent in your roll rate and throughout the entire maneuver. It also isolates the roll input and basically means that you'll be flying the elevator (directional control mainly) and rudder (altitude control mainly) together while keeping two constants, No. 1: Roll rate with the ailerons and, No. 2: Throttle set. Roll is primarily used for rate control and timing, thus to make sure the maneuver is begun and finished at the appropriate distances from show center (8K on either side). If done properly, the roll input isn't changed throughout the entire maneuver.
Ok, now once some of this sinks in, forget all about it and practice flying the maneuver a few hundred times and you'll be all set! One thing you can do in LOMAC is to go out and find a long stretch of railroad tracks and drop down below (!) the treelines adjacent to the track. Maintaining an altitude low enough no to climb you above the tree tops and maintaining directional control over the railroad tracks while doing maneuvers such as Slow Rolls, 4-Point Rolls, 8-Point Rolls, Knife Edge and Inverted Passes help you develop quite good motorskills. This is obviously something one couldn't do IRL, but if you're up for the challenge give it a try!
LOMAC Parameters
450 kts Cal
90% N1
Flaps Down
150ft AGL
Throttle
You'll want to start the roll just after 8K (eight thousand from show center), so that you are inverted at show center and continue to 8K on the other side for the "flip turn" (exit profile). Setting the throttle properly to allow for the myriad of control inputs that will follow is key. If you get slow you'll struggle to maintain altitude during the second half of the Slow Roll. If you continue to accelerate during the maneuver you'll be more prone to over control towards the end, either by too much rudder for the speed or by increasing your roll rate. Bottom line, have the throttle set before 8K and be on speed as you begin the maneuver.
Rudder
Rudder input will never be constant throughout the Slow Roll. As soon as you begin rolling (left), you'll start slowly applying right rudder. As you pass 90 degrees of roll you'll be at your maximum right rudder and from 90 to 180 degrees you'll decrease the input to zero; however, you won't maintain neutral rudder, but continue past 180 degrees of roll and continuously begin adding left rudder. At 270 degrees of roll, the left rudder input will be at its maximum and from that point until completing the 360 degrees of roll, the left input will decrease. The rudder is used to compensate for you elevator at 90 and 270 degrees of roll and in any other angle throughout the roll in combination with pitch input. It is not used to steer or keep directional control, but primarily to maintain altitude.
Stick
This is where the magic happens! It obviously has to be used in conjunction with the rudder, but you stick determines, No. 1: The roll rate. No. 2: Your directional control and, No. 3: The majority of your pitch control (rudder being the other factor).
Pitch
As you begin rolling (left), start pushing forward on the stick to maintain your line. At the 90 and 270 degree points, you'll need forward pressure to maintain a straight line. At this point in time your rudder is your elevator. At the 180 degree point, the most forward pressure is used to hold inverted flight as the roll is continued. Using forward pressure to maintain a straight flightpath down the runway or showline is key to the success of the roll. Mainly because it makes the isolation of other inputs needed much easier to asses and change. Pitch is primarily used for directional control, with the exception of the 180 degree point in the roll where it alleviates the rudder to maintain altutude while inverted.
Roll
This is all about pacing and setting a constant roll rate that will take 8K (eight thousand feet) to reach show center inverted and another 8K before level again. Once you have a feel for this kind of pace (on airspeed), it's only a matter of being consistent in your roll rate and throughout the entire maneuver. It also isolates the roll input and basically means that you'll be flying the elevator (directional control mainly) and rudder (altitude control mainly) together while keeping two constants, No. 1: Roll rate with the ailerons and, No. 2: Throttle set. Roll is primarily used for rate control and timing, thus to make sure the maneuver is begun and finished at the appropriate distances from show center (8K on either side). If done properly, the roll input isn't changed throughout the entire maneuver.
Ok, now once some of this sinks in, forget all about it and practice flying the maneuver a few hundred times and you'll be all set! One thing you can do in LOMAC is to go out and find a long stretch of railroad tracks and drop down below (!) the treelines adjacent to the track. Maintaining an altitude low enough no to climb you above the tree tops and maintaining directional control over the railroad tracks while doing maneuvers such as Slow Rolls, 4-Point Rolls, 8-Point Rolls, Knife Edge and Inverted Passes help you develop quite good motorskills. This is obviously something one couldn't do IRL, but if you're up for the challenge give it a try!
-
ESzczesniak
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:44 pm
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Rotorblade
- Posts: 192
- Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2005 3:57 pm
