Multiple rolls

[McFly]

I have been trying to incorporate some slow roll techniques (top rudder and forward elevator when inverted) when doing aileron rolls to keep the nose up. My goal is to complete multiple rolls without the nose pointing at the dirt.

The slow roll techniques have certainly helped keep the nose from wandering around the sky as much and have also helped with the nose down attitude but I am not quite there.

I don?t have inverted systems so I need to keep the roll rate up. Any one care to share some techniques or is this a matter of practice, practice, practice? Thanks.

[dan]

Pitch up steeper before you start, roll quickly, and possibly start at a slightly slower airspeed to give yourself a little more margin -- in case the nose is pointed pretty low when you finish the 2nd roll. Other than that, stick all the way to one side and count the references...

[N908RV]

I find that in my -8, you can do 2 consecutive aileron rolls with about a 45 degree pitch up using full roll input. Don't forget to neutralize the stick before you roll.

Your idea of doing slow rolls for consecutive rolls will look smoother, but takes more practice and coordination.

Have fun. Fly safe.

-Rob

[Kahuna]

Hugh,
Every flown R/C?
My technique reminds me of what I used to do in R/C for rolling circles. Rolls while circling in r/c really gets you a finesse with the elevator. Ailerons pegged the entire time.
Just as Dan said, Full deflection and then finesse you elevator. Takes more elev than you think to keep em going. I can get 5 rolls out of a 4 banger rv before I get ill and dizzy and before the airspeed slows down enough to get unstable. The up and down pitches, along with the full aileron deflection really bleeds the speed off. The 6 banger can keep em going forever, but my head cant.
Best,

[mike newall]

Ideally you want to trim to the zero g point, or zero lift point - start by trimming erect, note the position, then roll inverted and trim again, note the position. Now set your trim half way between for all aeros.

If you don't have an inverted system - as in my Citabria, I find that a chunk of down trim that takes a couple of pounds to hold works really well.

Every time you relax pressure, the stick will return to something approximately to the zero lift position.

Also, study the stick positions during roll - published in various places and concentrate on a smooth flow, while keeping the nose of the airplane defining the 'sacred circle' as you roll. I used to be able to roll my Zlin 526 and Christen Eagle continually until I got bored by being smoooooth on the controls !

Try and find a copy of Flight Unlimited 95 by Annette Carson and Eric Muller (ISBN 0-620-18774-3). About the best intro to aeros ever written - starts from the basics and works up and is written very well.

Not always in print but well worth a read if you can find a copy.

[RV7Factory]

You said it, practice, practice, practice. For a true slow roll, I remember my routine (not in an RV) was to roll the wings back and forth at 45-degree bank angles establishing an arc with the nose, with no pitch-up prior. After getting the arc (partial circle) consistent, the bank angles were increased to 60-degrees, then 90. Once I nailed the semi-circle in the sky (with the nose), it was a matter of putting all together. A method similar to this might help with your practice, but as you point out though, I don't think I would want to do a true slow roll in an aircraft w/o inverted systems, so you would probably want to adapt it.

So how does the -7 slow roll? How is the rudder at the knife-edge attitude? I'm curious. Good luck!

[gmcjetpilot]

You can barrel roll all day but true aileron rolls with out pulling near or zero g's is pretty hard. I can do two but #2 is not pretty, its rushed and nose down recovery. I find a hesitation roll more satisfying and a challenge than doing multi continuous rolls, but its just preference. My hesitation rolls, like a 4 pt, have worked my skills and there's more room for improvement for sure. Instead of putting the inverted system on my RV I may look into a acro plane partnership. An open cockpit would be a unique acro experience.

[frankh]

Better not rely on the Vans belts for sure then!..

Actually i get a real kick out of flying the 7a completly -ve...As soon as I got my improved belt in place I'm off to try the inverted spin.

I'm not expecting too much as so far the RV seems to spin very gently.

Frank 7a

[McFly]

So how does the -7 slow roll? How is the rudder at the knife-edge attitude? I'm curious

Well I guess I am actually trying to slow roll, just really fast Anyway I transition through knife edge at the blink of an eye so I can?t really answer your question. BTW: Using the rudder and elevator to keep the nose up certainly increases the forces on my body when compared to a regular aileron roll. Maybe practice will help here as well.

Kahuna, I?ll try a little more elevator action and see how that goes. As it stands now, I start with a pitch up of 20-30 degrees and finish at level attitude (most of the time). When I can consistently keep my pitch change under 20 degrees, I?ll screw up the courage and try for a second roll and when I nail two, I?ll go for three?.

Thanks for the tips guys

[AlexPeterson]

A while back I was trying to see how little altitude change (altitude box) I could get in a roll. About the best I could do was around 50' to 100', but that required one negative g while inverted (I have inverted fuel and oil).

I find one of the most satisfying rolls is a big barrel roll, with very light g loading, perhaps .1 to .2, over the top. I start at about 30 degrees nose up. I don't know what the roll rate is, but I keep it very slow. It doesn't take much rudder to put the nose at a better recovery position while in or near the wings vertical portions. The near zero g load over the top really makes a big difference compared to keeping the plane at one g.