Wish I could remember where I read this, coz then I'd type it up properly including names, etc. It may have been on Avweb, I'll go and have a look there and post a link later if I find it.
The story goes that, at the start of WW1, the spin was not understood at all - if a pilot spun, he died. Then, some mathematician studied the spin, and figured out that the rudder could be used to get out of a spin. He got into his aircraft, climbed to the aircraft's service ceiling, and deliberately put the aircraft into a spin. The small gathering of people watching from the ground expected the worst, but the pilot applied opposite rudder, and the spin began to slow done, and eventually stop. Just to prove it wasn't a fluke, the pilot put the aircraft into a climb, went back up, and did the same thing again. This was the first ever spin recovery.
Well, (to get vaguely back on topic) British pilots began to learn about this technique, and practiced it - and used it during dogfights. Whenever things got a bit messy, they would deliberately put their aircraft into a spin. The Germans would see their oponents spinning, and, believing the fight to be over and the openent to be as good as dead, would head home. Then the Brits would apply oppoiste rudder, recover from the spin, chase after the German and shoot him down!
Ah, those were the days!
FFF
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