Well, that didn't work out

[Colonel]

[JW Scud]

Did you know him too?

[Scudrunner]

Yikes!

So would this have been a let go let jesus take the wheel scenario or just too low at that point?

[Colonel]

Never met the guy. Nice airplane. Didn't have enough experience
tumbling/spin recovery to be doing it at low altitude. I didn't like
his tumble entry much either.

Here's how I do it at low altitude. Note my vector and immediate
recovery:

www.pittspecials.com/movies/tumble.wmv

I wrote this a while back. Note the section on stalled maneuvers:

www.pittspecials.com/articles/aerobatics_low.htm

Now let’s look at the other category of aerobatic maneuvers, which I refer to as “out of control” maneuvers because they involve exceeding the stalling angle of attack of the wing. The prime example of this is the tumble. Tumbles should NOT be attempted down low until you have considerable experience and expertise in that particular type of aircraft, otherwise you are rolling the dice with your life.

When I perform a tumble, at least 90% of the time I exit the tumble in an inverted spin at or below 1000 feet. I actually prefer inverted spins to upright spins at low altitude, because the rudder is in clean air, and I can stop the yaw instantly.

Until you are completely comfortable recovering from any spin, you should NOT fly out of control maneuvers down low, because you are betting your life that you will be lucky.

A common error – which has killed many airshow pilots – is that they exit the spin, but start doing (often outside) snap rolls on the vertical downline. This is not good, and death generally results because they don’t recover in time to avoid hitting the ground. You simply wouldn’t believe the supposedly “expert” aerobatic pilots that don’t understand the difference between a spin and a snap roll.

Around 10% of the time when I tumble the Pitts, I exit in a tailslide. The procedure for recovery from a tailslide is very different than from an inverted spin, and you must do it correctly to avoid damaging your aircraft. Again, unless you are totally comfortable instantly recognizing and recovering from tailslides at low altitude, don’t do tumbles at low altitude.

let go let jesus take the wheel

First you have to identify if you have exited the tumble in a spin or tail slide. Entirely
different recoveries.

Spins are like Socialism. You have to nip them in the bud, before they become a big
problem causing a lot of pain. You can easily identify a spin, because of all the yaw
that's going on. Instantly apply full rudder opposite the yaw (viewed at the gas cap)
and if you are inverted, it's going to stop nearly instantly. If you are upright, it will take
longer to stop the yaw. Obviously, when the yaw stops, get off the rudder. You would
be amazed at how many people don't, and begin a spin in the opposite direction.

In a spin, it's important to let the elevator and ailerons trail. That sounds simple, but
again, you would be amazed at how many people continue to forcefully drive the stick
over (causing adverse yaw) or pull it back (increasing +ve AOA). Letting go of the stick
(Beggs-Mueller) is marvellously effective as demonstrated in flight by Spencer Suderman.

Tailslide, you're going to see a lot of sky, and no yaw. You must center the stick and rudder
pedals to avoid damaging flight controls. Once you're re-oriented with a little bit of speed
in reverse - the aircraft can be amazingly stable in a tail slide, and speed up enormously -
just a bit of forward stick will give you a nice, canopy-down +ve G pivot.

Personally, I prefer to pivot slowly - less violently - and canopy down (+ve G) instead of
canopy up (-ve G) but whatever floats your boat.

PS. No one taught me this. I figured it out on my own, and the guys that are still alive
probably have, too. Like biplane pilots in War One.

[Scudrunner]

Think ill just stick to having fun and keeping it basic, much less complicated and ill still come home with a grin on my face.

[Colonel]

Your S1 with it's metal blade prop and short fuselage is going to
experience considerable effect from gyroscopic precession. Lots
of coupling between pitch and yaw.

For example, at the top of a hammerhead, expect the stick to go
into the front right corner.

Your aircraft will do wicked tumbles. It may crack the crankshaft,
but it will do incredible tumbles.

Also, snap rolls. You should learn to 1/2 and 1/4 and 3/4 both
inside and outside snap rolls. Nothing snap rolls like an S1.

For example, a inside 1/2 cuban 8. You fly 5/8 of an inside loop
and exit on the 45 downline. Instead of doing a 1/2 roll to the
upright 45 downline, do an outside 1/2 snap to the upright 45
downline. Or inside 1/2 snap. Whatever feels better.

[Colonel]

[Scudrunner]

I guess his rudder failed to.

[Colonel]

When it veered right,

FULL POWER

to get some air over that rudder! Get airborne, get your heart rate
under 200, figure out what's going on and try again, knowing about
the failure.

[Colonel]

It depresses me, when people treat what I do with contempt.