Acro & a sighting device

[acroflyrgirl]

Anyone had any success finding a workable sighting device? Specifically for a 6 in my case.
I'm going to try this......but not sure if it will work at all.




Cathy

[sandifer]

http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...06#post1014506

[WillyEyeBall]

I like Ron's sighting device, but will have to do with the tape for awhile.
I use the lightest auto stick on tint in a weird pattern. That way it doesn't block outside vision. When I had the full quadrant 45 degree spoke pattern, I occasionally got confused on which line to line up (a little senile too). I had the two vertical lines because my head shifted when going up versus down. I've since removed one of the verticals and now use the wing tip. Patric Coggin (Balls) doesn't use any sighting device, and has done well in competition. "How do you do that Patric?"
Bill McLean
RV-4 slider
lower Alabama

[Hawg Driver]

Just kidding... kind of.

In reality, I'd love to have a fixed, wingtip mounting device like the one featured on the link above. I'd love to say I'll get to that this next off season but I don't know it will make the cut this year. I did try a canopy mounted device similar to Bill's and others above, but I still consistently got steeps and shallows with little consistency. I took a guess that my eyes would focus on the canopy (my sight device) and not the horizon, and therefore unable to quickly assess my pitch. Since I took the device off my canopy, I can focus on the horizon much better. Now when sitting a pitch I look out the right side of the aircraft and focus on the horizon, looking at the angle between the horizon and the imaginary line between the trailing edge wingtip and leading edge wingtip... oh, and always err on steep.

I will say that my 45s seem to be scoring better, but my up/down lines may not be...

Like with any finesse technique, your mileage may vary...

Cheers,
Balls

[Boyd Birchler]

I did exactly what you did on both of my Christen Eagles. Pin stripe tape on the left and right sides. I seemed to do ok with it even in competition. It is cheap only a dollar or so and no drag. Lots of old jet fighters, I've seen at/doing airshows, had similar on the canopy sides.

[jrs14855]

Canopy marks will help with pitch attitude but not much if any help in yaw. Too close to your head for yaw.
Leo Laudenslager always used sighting devices on both wingtips and he won the world. Kermit Weeks said sighting devices are for beginners and his best world finish was second, several years after Leo's first place finish.

[Flyingleap]

I have owned three different Pitts S1's. One , the factory version, had a canopy with these exact lines as guides. These taped lines are OK but just about useless for competition IMO. One practice day with my last S1S and a real site gauge the instructor asked for a series of hammerheads. As each one was performed my instructor told me how many degrees I was off from vertical. When I did get the site gauge to show perfect, the instructor said "hold it". It's amazing how the judges can pick up that small amount of error(1 degree) from my altitude of 2000 ft and they are on the ground. I don't see how the canopy lines can show the same perspective, but they are cheap, a good first step. as an example the 45 up line and inverted 45 down line won't show the same on the canopy, hanging from the belts. Or the reverse cuban, 45 up, roll, push (smooth)(maybe -2G) to hold 45 inverted.

How do you see that on canopy lines? If someone did score well, it was not from lines on the canopy but skill of the pilot.
John

[ronschreck]

Originally Posted by Flyingleap

I have owned three different Pitts S1's. One , the factory version, had a canopy with these exact lines as guides. These taped lines are OK but just about useless for competition IMO. One practice day with my last S1S and a real site gauge the instructor asked for a series of hammerheads. As each one was performed my instructor told me how many degrees I was off from vertical. When I did get the site gauge to show perfect, the instructor said "hold it". It's amazing how the judges can pick up that small amount of error(1 degree) from my altitude of 2000 ft and they are on the ground. I don't see how the canopy lines can show the same perspective, but they are cheap, a good first step. as an example the 45 up line and inverted 45 down line won't show the same on the canopy, hanging from the belts. Or the reverse cuban, 45 up, roll, push (smooth)(maybe -2G) to hold 45 inverted.

How do you see that on canopy lines? If someone did score well, it was not from lines on the canopy but skill of the pilot.
John

Canopy lines are OK for setting pitch a vertical or 45-degree line but they are useless for getting wings parallel to the horizon (level) on a vertical up line. You can put a strip of tape on the wing tip for that.