Hello all,

This is my big debut to this message board. I'm pretty new to Aerobatics, but joined the IAC and have one contest under my belt. I like the good'ol Decathlon, but decided to move up to a hot shot machine. One of the things I really like about the Extra is the ability to do tumbles and tail slides as well as its handling.

I'll be bold and state my understanding of the subject (correct me if I'm wrong) and ask my question:

So it is my understanding that a knife edge spin is not a spin at all, but rather a tumble. My instructor and I have done some experimentation and it seems tricky to get the axis of tumble to be stable. The entry we have used is like a hammer to the left, but at the knife edge attitude at the top of the turn I neutralize rudder and push the stick forward. The problem is that it falls off the tumble axis only after 1 turn. Is there a trick to it?

• RE: Tumbles in the Extra 300,DHamblin, 01:26z, 07-28-03
  • RE: Tumbles in the Extra 300,bret, 04:46z, 07-30-03
    • RE: Tumbles in the Extra 300,DHamblin, 17:37z, 08-01-03
      • RE: Tumbles in the Extra 300,bret, 13:54z, 08-02-03
• RE: Tumbles in the Extra 300,Patty_Wagstaff, 01:57z, 08-08-03
  • RE: Tumbles in the Extra 300,DHamblin, 13:21z, 08-11-03

Hmm,

Never have flown a full scale Extra (only Pitts S-2B), but to knife edge spin any of my RC model Extra's as I pivot on the hammer head (lets say to the left with left rudder), as the nose pivots just past horizontal I leave in full left rudder and go full forward and left stick.

With these inputs the RC versions stablize quite nicely spinning about the right tip leading edge of the wing (right wing down).

Patty of course can answer directly the full scale version inputs necessary.

Dave Hamblin
(formerly DaveH on old site!)

OK, I have a lesson Saturday. I'll try it and let you know if I get the chance. I am working on a general checkout to solo so we may end up doing laps around the patch so I can do the most difficult maneuver of all - land it.

But I'm curious, why left instead of right stick like used in a hammer to the left? Maybe try both?

Bret

RC models are as affected by engine torque, so I generally do to the left (personal preference I guess, not sure why....) Right would work, just reverse the inputs.

Dave Hamblin
(formerly DaveH on old site!)

I think there is also a difference in the entry that we both describe. I went to Kirby Chambliss' website and looked at some of his videos. I think the knife edge spin entry he used (as the one that you seem to describe and also found in "Advanced Aerobatics") is to hammer completely over to nose down then an additional 90 degrees to pull he nose up to the horizon. At this point there would be full top rudder and a small amount of right forward stick. The Extra doesn't need nearly as much forward right stick as does the Decathlon to counter torque. So at this point is the idea to move the stick full forward cross it over to the left?

The entry I tried was to hammer over only 90 degrees from vertical. At this point push the stick forward. There could be a difference here.

Bret

Try this

Pull up into about a 60 degree climb.

Roll into left knife edge

Push forward on sick, neutralize rudders and ailerons.

See what happens.

Have altitude.

Patty

Hmmm,

Patty, what does the full sixe Extra do in this case (and I will tell what a 25% scale one does

(No, I didn't crash my replica of your plane, it just didn't tumble).

Dave Hamblin
(formerly DaveH on old site!)