PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - pitching motion during spins
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Old 25th Sep 2002, 01:28
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Mad (Flt) Scientist
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
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Been a while since I had to worry about spinning but...

Spin characteristics vary widely, as do the mechanisms driving the spins. But one of the common components is that the wings are stalled (angle of attack on each wing greater than stall AoA). When a roll rate is imparted to the aircraft, this causes a moment which drives the roll rate, rather than opposing it as in 'normal' flight. This is a major contributor to the spinning motion.

If the aircraft (or even one wing) were to 'unstall' then the effect would be to cause a strong damping to the roll motion; this would either bring the aircraft out of the spin (most likely) or cause it to transition into another spin mode, likely in a violent fashion. While stalling and unstalling might be associated with an aircraft with several spin modes transitioning between them, I don't see it as a component to a stable spin mode.
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