Aerobatics

[JW Scud]

Was watching the video posted below and I was wondering if you could watch for about two minutes starting at 4:20.

It this the typical way to hold the control column. Is that what you do. Is it a better way.

https://eaatogether.org/live/airshowmil ... OVZzIn0%3D

[John Swallow]

When I do aerobatics, my control movements are smooth and measured. That's because I only do 'olde pharte' aeros. Not like my good friend Bud Granley; I have attached a video of what it looks like in his cockpit as he puts on a display in the Yak-55 at Olympia in 2013. As you can see, there is a lot going on in the cockpit doing low level aerobatics! (I ferried that aircraft for him between show sites several years ago; my landing was not as good as his...) PS The take-off roll starts about the 2:00 minute mark.

[cgzro]

The Europeans are big proponents of the two handed style while many North Americans use 1 hand. Certainly with light aileron/elevator planes like the Extra/Sukhoi/Pitts/Cap etc. you don't need two hands but for heavy stuff it is useful from a strength perspective in a lengthy routine. However there is another good reason to use two hands, to eliminate the tendency to input elevator with aileron. If you use one hand as you move the aileron you will naturally pull the stick back at the extremes. If you use two hands its easier to counter this natural tendency. The Russian and French teams in particular are taught this style in the Sukhoi and you see it also in the Cap and now in the Extra in top performers. Goulian perhaps adopted this style in the Cap when he was flying one and you'll see Svetlana also using two hands from her Sukhoi training. I'm not sure off the top of my head what Holland does as he flew Pitts/Ultimate and then MX. Personally I don't do it but my precision is nowhere close to what the top competition folks do. For airshows I don't think it matters unless you are flying something big and heavy like an old warbird since nobody cares about that degree of precision.

[Colonel]

Like wheel landings vs three-point, just do what works for you.

Personally, I prefer the right hand on the stick and the left hand
on the throttle, which is pretty much how I have to fly formation
aerobatics. I don't know anyone that can fly close formation with
both hands on the stick.

If the stick is too heavy, either fix the aircraft, or fix you.



Spend some time shooting the .50 Magnum, and you'll probably
be ok with one hand on the stick. About the same energy as a
.308 rifle cartridge. Make sure you get a .50 load lots of oomph,
around 50,000 psi, for maximum kick.



.22LR on the left, .50 Magnum on the right.

Most aerobatic pilots I know are muscular little bastards with
a lot of arm and upper body strength.

I remember, maybe 30 years ago, getting some dual on a TF-51
(P-51 dual seat Cavalier conversion) from a guy called Lee Lauderback
or something like that. Built really weird. Biceps like bowling balls
but a gut. Not a pretty boy weight lifter (gym rat). When I flew the
P-51, I figured out why. It had terribly heavy ailerons over 250 knots,
and needed servo tabs in the worst way. They say you should never
meet your heroes, and the P-51 was quite disappointing. Fuck, it
was loud though, I'll give you that. It could hurt your ears on the
ground from downwind. I'll bet it set off lots of car alarms in Kissimee.

Found it:

https://www.flyingmag.com/lee-lauderbac ... 1-mustang/

Lee Lauderback ... reached the 10,000-hour mark in the P-51 Mustang, having flown a total of more than 22,000 hours in various types of aircraft.

Not much of a stick compared to the AssCan keyboard heroes, though.