The bulldog flat mode is an interesting subject. I recall the reports on the beach incident to which 212Man refers, and several trials to try and find this alleged mode - but I don't think at BDN we ever did. It was also asserted to me over a beer recently by a well respected author of aviation textbooks that it has this mode.
But, can anybody genuinely report having seen it who can inform me further? I'm not personally convinved about this flat mode, and suspect that the high rotational mode is what caused these accidents (which is rather flatter than the normal erect spin in the Bulldog).
Re: the Vampire incident. I was told (whether this was genuine fact or local urban legend I'm not sure) of a Canberra spin trial, with a crash dummy as ballast in the nose couch. The aircraft was unrecoverable, until the pilot ejected after which it self-recovered. It then crashed near to another airfield and a couple of RAF fireman got medals for their heroic rescue of this crash dummy!
G
[This message has been edited by Genghis the Engineer (edited 24 September 2000).]