RV-7A Aerobatics Lesson with Air Show Pilot Adam Baker - Part 2

[eddieseve]

I have to say I'm really enjoying your video's, I am doing the same as you and getting togeather with an instructor once month to tidy up my manouvers.

My challenge at the moment is doing nice clean stall turns keep em coming.

Cheers

[eddieseve]

I have to say I'm really enjoying your video's, I am doing the same as you and getting togeather with an instructor once month to tidy up my manouvers.

My challenge at the moment is doing nice clean stall turns keep em coming.

Cheers

[Don Patterson]

Great video on your aerobatics training. What kind of stall warning device do you have in your plane. It sounds like it would get your attention when necessary.

[genelee59]

Originally Posted by rmr

Great video Smitty and thank you for posting.
One thing you always here about the RV series is that they accelerate very quickly in the down line. In fact as I've practiced aerobatics in Pitts I've been purposely practicing removing power anytime the nose is pointing below the horizon (after attaining entry speed) and putting power in after the nose crosses above the horizon. I tried to listen to any power changes while you were doing your loop and didn't notice any. By any chance did you notice your airspeed on the way down and did you ever get close to Vne?
Cant wait for part three!

Richie Rivera
RV7A,
Ormond beach, FL

I have to admit, not only is the plane doing a lot of spinning but so is my brain
I have a hard time keeping up with noticing things like that until I go back and review the video of my flights. But even though I've had the concerns of high airspeed on the way down hill I haven't felt like its been on the verge of getting out of hand. And watching the videos seems to confirm that. I'll try to make sure in future videos that I switch to the cam showing the instrument panel so the airspeed shows at those times that it might get high.
BTW - Thanks too all who give their comments and encouragement too!
-Gene

[genelee59]

Originally Posted by Don Patterson

Great video on your aerobatics training. What kind of stall warning device do you have in your plane. It sounds like it would get your attention when necessary.

I have the Dynon heated pitot tube with AOA. It feeds my Dynon D10a mini-EFIS for visual indication and is then fed into my audio panel for audio alerts. It's funny though, during my acro lessons I have so much going through my mind I don't hear it half the time until I watch the video playback later.

Speaking of that...
If anyone has any guidance to give me on using AOA during acro, do I want to pay attention to it on the top of a loop to make sure I'm pulling the right amount of Gs as I go over the top?

-Gene

[sandifer]

Originally Posted by genelee59

If anyone has any guidance to give me on using AOA during acro, do I want to pay attention to it on the top of a loop to make sure I'm pulling the right amount of Gs as I go over the top?

That's a fair question Gene. My strong suggestion would be to forget about referencing AOA during acro. Good aerobatics involves eyeballs outside as much as possible. There is no such thing as the "right" amount of G/AOA (or even airspeed) for any figure. About the only exception I can think of is for snap rolls, which are greatly helped by proper airspeed and pulling to the proper AOA. But the inputs and the snap happen so quickly that AOA would be absolutely useless. Again, looking at AOA won't give you much helpful information, and will only distract you from using your eyeballs and your touch and focusing on flying nicely shaped figures.

There are low G oblong flopped loops, round precision loops, loops w/ snaps on top, half loops with rolls on top, etc. All can involve large variations in possible airspeeds and G loading throughout. It's something you do by feel.

[genelee59]

Originally Posted by sandifer

Again, looking at AOA won't give you much helpful information, and will only distract you from using your eyeballs and your touch and focusing on flying nicely shaped figures.

Since the AOA has a tone in the headsets (that chirps faster as it gets closer to critical angle of attack) and not just the visual indication, would that change the answer you gave in any way? Say in going over the top of a loop, or at the top of maybe a hammerhead stall?

[sandifer]

Originally Posted by genelee59

Since the AOA has a tone in the headsets (that chirps faster as it gets closer to critical angle of attack) and not just the visual indication, would that change the answer you gave in any way? Say in going over the top of a loop, or at the top of maybe a hammerhead stall?

You can tell I'm not an AOA user. But no, this wouldn't change my answer. I think the aural indication would be annoying to me during acro - like the stall horn in my Pitts. Fuse pulled. Again, there is no precise AOA you need to be at over the top of a loop. There are many ways you can do looping variations. You're actually around zero AOA over the top of a well-performed (round) loop. You can easily feel it. AOA is constantly changing throughout figures. It's not like flying a precision (stabilized) landing approach, where AOA is more useful. And you're also at zero AOA on the upline, pivot, and downline of a Hammerhead. You set precise vertical lines via visual wingtip reference to the horizon. You can also feel the vertical (zero AOA) attitude in your seat. I just can't envision how AOA would be an aid in flying well-performed aerobatic figures. You will very quickly learn the visual cues, the pressures you feel through the stick, the position of the stick, and the feel in the seat of your pants.

[Chris Thomas]

Just wondering....what entry speeds do you use for loop & roll entry? They seem higher (170 for loop) than what I use. Cool videos.

[roadrunner20]

Great videos. Thanks for sharing.
It's amazing how clear the GoPro images are presented.