Straight Flight
All maneuvers must end in straight flight. The Aresti will show either
upright or inverted flight.
Upright & Inverted
Flight
(K=2)
(K=3)
Rolls
Rolls can be added to most other figures to increase the difficulty
factor of the figure. There are two basic types of rolls: slow rolls
and snap rolls (flick rolls in european parlance).
Slow Rolls
Fig 1
(K=10)
Fig 2
(K=7)
Slow rolls have to be flown normally on a straight line (exception is
the avalanche). The roll rate has to be constant and the longitudinal
axis of the plane has to go straight. This requires constantly changing
rudder and elevator control inputs throughout the roll. Hesitation or
point rolls include stops at certain roll angles. The number on the
base of the roll symbol describes the number of points the roll would
have if it were a 360 degree roll. Allowed are 2 point, 4 point and
8 point rolls. The fraction on the arrow of the roll symbol describes
what fraction of a full roll is to be executed. If no points are specified,
rolling is done without hesitations. If no fraction is specified, a
roll symbol that starts at the line specifies a half roll (see description
of the Immelman). A roll symbol that crosses the line specifies a full
roll (first figure). The second figure shows the symbol for 2 points
of a 4 point roll (adding up to half a roll) from upright to inverted
flight.
Snap
Rolls
Fig 3
(K=13)
Fig 4
(K=17)
Snap or flick rolls also have to be flown normally on a straight line.
A snap roll is similar to a horizontal spin. It is an autorotation with
one wing stalled. Figure 3 shows the symbol for a regular snap roll,
figure 4 for an outside snap. In the regular snap, the plane has to
be stalled by applying positive g forces. In an outside snap, the plane
is stalled by applying negative g. In both cases rudder is then used
to start autorotation just like in a spin.
Loops
(K=10)
This is one of the most basic maneuvers, but not easy to fly well. It
has to be perfectly round, entry and exit have to be at the same altitude.
The difficulty in flying this manuever well is in correcting for effects
of wind drift. In competition, it helps if you don't have to fly first,
so you can watch what your competitors are doing and judge the wind
drift that you have to take into account.
The maneuver starts
with a pullup. Once past the vertical, the back pressure on the elevator
is slowly relaxed to float over to top of the loop to keep it round.
Past the top, the back pressure is slowly increased again throughout
the back part till horizontal flight. The plane has to stay in one plane
with the wings horizonal to the flight path. Rudder is used to maintain
the plane of the figure and ailerons are used to maintain the orientation
of the wings.
Avalanche
(K=21)
This is the basic loop with a roll (usually a snap roll) at the top
of the loop. The roll has to be centered at the top of the loop.
Square Loop
(K=14)
This is a variation of the basic loop. The two vertical lines and the
horizontal line on top have to be of the same length. The exit line
at the bottom has to be at least as long as the other three sides. The
quarter loops that connect the four sides have to have the same radius
at each corner.
Eight
Sided Loop
(K=19)
This is another variation of the basic loop. The two vertical lines,
the 45 degree lines and the horizontal line on top all have to be of
the same length. The exit line at the bottom has to be at least as long
as the other seven sides. The eight loops that connect the eight sides
have to have the same radius at each corner.
Immelman
(K=10)
The figure starts with a half loop to inverted flight. A half roll then
results in horizontal upright flight. This is one of the maneuvers that
have been used in WW I to reverse direction. This maneuver does not
preserve speed and altitude. It trades speed for altitude.
Split-S
(K=10)
The figure starts with a half roll to inverted followed by the second
half of a loop downward.
This is another maneuver
to reverse direction. This one, like the immelman, does not preserve
speed and altitude. In this case it trades altitude for speed.
English Bunt
(K=8)
This figure also is the second half of a loop downward, this time an
outside loop. You push forward and fly the second half of an outside
loop till you are in horizontal inverted flight. Make sure you are not
too fast going into the maneuver, otherwise you may exceed redline speed.
Cuban Eight Maneuvers
Cuban Eight
(K=29)
Two Half Cuban Eights can be combined to form a Cuban Eight or Lay-down
Eight. In this figure in competition the two looping parts have to be
flown at the same altitude with the same radius. The exit has to be
at the same altitude as the entrance to the figure.
Reverse
Cuban Eight
(K=29)
Like the Cuban Eight, a Reverse Cuban Eight can be formed by flying
two Reverse Half Cuban Eights back to back.
Half
Cuban Eight
(K=14)
Five-eighths of a loop to a down-line at a 45 degree angle. The plane
is inverted at this point. Centered on this downline is a half roll
from inverted to upright. A pullout to horizontal completes the figure.
This is another one
of the maneuvers that reverse direction. The downline can be used to
adjust the altitude and speed at the end of the figure.
Reverse
Half Cuban Eight
(K=16)
This figure starts with a pull to a 45 degree up-line. Centered on this
line is a half roll from upright to inverted. Five-eighths of a loop
complete the figure to horizontal flight.
This again is one of
the maneuvers that have been used to reverse direction while preserving
altitude and airspeed.
Inside-Outside Eight
(K=20)
This figure is similar to a Full Cuban Eight, but it does not contain
any rolls. The second loop is an outside loop. Again, the two loops
have to have the same radius and have to be flown at the same altitude.
Entry and exit have to be at the same altitude.
Hammerhead
(K=17)
It starts with a quarter loop into a vertical climb. When the plane
stops climbing, it pivots around its vertical axis (which is now horizontal).The
nose moves in a vertical circle from pointing up through the horizon
to pointing down. After moving vertically down to pick up speed again,
the maneuver is finished with the last quarter of a loop to horizontal
flight. This figure can have optionally rolls on both the up-line and
the down-line.
The quarter loop is
flown just like the first part of a loop. When the plane is vertical,
the elevator backpressure is released completely. During the vertical
line up, some right aileron and right rudder is needed to maintain the
vertical attitude because of the engine torque and p-factor. When the
plane has slowed enough, full rudder initiates the turnaround. It is
followed by right-forward stick (right aileron and forward elevator)
to keep the plane from torquing off. The pivot is stopped with opposite
rudder when the nose points straight down. When the pivot is completed,
the ailerons and rudder are neutralized. Elevator and rudder are used
to keep the nose pointing straight down. The pivot must be completed
within one wingspan. Rolls on the downline require only aileron input
if the plane is trimmed correctly.
This maneuver is sometimes
called a hammerhead stall. This is not an accurate name because the
airplane never stalls. The airspeed may be very low, close to zero,
but since there is no wingloading during the turn-around, there is no
stall (at zero g wing loading, a wing does not stall). The plane is
flying throughout the maneuver with all the control surfaces effective
(although sometimes only marginally so).
This also is one of
the maneuvers that have been used to reverse direction while adjusting
altitude and airspeed by changing the length of the down-line.
Tailslides
(K=15)
(K=15)
These maneuvers involve bringing the airplane to a complete stop in
a vertical attitude and then sliding back a visible amount. The airplane
must then tip over and fall through a vertical down position. The left
figure indicates a tailslide with the wheels down during the flip, the
right figure is a tailslide with the wheels up (inverted) during the
flip. Going into the figure and coming out, the same rules apply as
for other figures (quarter loops of constant and equal radius, vertical
lines).
Humpty-Bump
(K=13)
The figure starts with a quarter loop to a vertical climb. A half loop
then results in a vertical down-line. The figure completes with another
quarter loop to horizontal flight. The looping part on the top of the
figure does not have to be the same radius as the two other looping
portions (the quarter loops going into and coming out of the humpty).
Again the figure can have optionally rolls on both the up-line and the
down-line.
Turns
Competition Turn
(K=5)
Competition turns are not the coordinated maneuvers that you use in
normal flying. In a competition turn you first roll to the desired
bank. It has to be at least 60 degrees. My experience shows that the
steeper the bank, the better the scores. I try to get close to 90
degrees bank. Once the bank is established the turn is started. The
plane has to maintain a constant bank and altitude throughout the
turn. At the end of the turn the turn is stopped and then the wings
leveled for horizontal flight. The example shows the symbol for a
270 degree turn.
Rolling Turn
(K=20)
This maneuver combines a turn with rolls. The example shows a 360 degree
turn with four rolls to the inside. The plane has to maintain a constant
roll rate, constant turn rate and constant altitude throughout the rolling
turn. This maneuver is quite difficult to fly. It requires constantly
changing inputs from all three controls (rudder, aileron, elevator).
Spin
(K=14)
(K=18)
Spins also are aerobatics competition maneuvers. The two figures show
a regular and an inverted crossover one turn spin. Spins come in 3/4,
one, 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 turns.
During spin entry, the
plane has to show a stall break, followed by the auto-rotation. The
rotation has to stop exactly after the specified number of turns. Once
the rotation has stopped, a vertical downline has to be established.
In a crossover spin,
the plane is first stalled upright. At the stall break, the nose is
pushed forward to get into an inverted spin while maintaining the stall.
The inverted spin is then completed as it would be for an inverted spin
with entry from inverted flight.