PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - The case for realistic unusual attitude training
Old 21st May 2015, 08:41
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Centaurus
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Australia
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"A minor problem was that the fuel gauges could read zero in flight which was due to moisture or water in the tanks affecting the gauge sensors.

One remedy was to invert the aircraft (interesting on a black night) and move the control column forward and aft to clear the sensors. Navigators did not like this.

The Pilots Notes for the Javelin stressed that the navigator must be warned before deploying speed brakes due to the deceleration. The speed brakes were so effective that a descent from 40,000ft to sea level took two minutes".
While on the subject of scary characteristics of these old aircraft, I extracted some equally frightening warnings in some of the Pilot's Notes given to RAAF pilots. Keep in mind some of these were single seat types so no chance of a dual check first.

For example: Hawker Hurricane - stalling. "At the stall, one wing usually drops sharply, often over the vertical with flaps either up or own".
Spinning: Spinning of Hurricane Mk 2D and 1V aircraft is prohibited at all times. Recovery is normal but the loss of height involved in the recovery may be very great: spins are not to be started below 10,000 ft and recovery initiated before two turns are completed.

Abandoning by parachute:- "When abandoning the aircraft by parachute it is important to decrease speed and then dive over the side immediately. The pilot must not stand on the seat and delay in jumping or he will hit either the aerial mast or the tailplane".
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Bristol Beaufighter twin engine fighter-bomber: Stalling - "The aircraft stalls at approximately 105 m.p.h and if the control column is held back, the nose and one wing drops sharply. The wings may pass the vertical if there is any delay in pushing the control column forward.
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Mustang. When fuel is carried in the fuselage tank there is no buffeting to give warning of the approaching stall, but a series of stick reversals occurs just above the stalling speed; at the stall, the right wing drops sharply, and unless an immediate recovery is taken, a spin may develop. The aircraft sinks rapidly as stalling speed is approached. If the control column is held back at the stall, a wing will drop very rapidly and the aircraft will become inverted. Power-on spins should never be intentionally performed. As many as five or six turns may be made after recovery action and 9000-10,000ft lost. If, however, the spin should remain flat on throttling back and taking normal recovery action, the aircraft should be rocked fore and aft by full movement of the control column, opening up the engine as the stick is pulled back and throttling back as it is pushed forward.

Parachute exit: Rise to crouched position in the seat, placing right foot on seat and left foot against the left longeron, grasping right longeron with right hand and right side of windshield with left hand. Kick with the legs and push with hands at instant of leaving the cockpit, and dive for the starboard wing tip. If this method is used the wing will either pass your body before contact or it will be possible to slide off the wing, and you will not strike the empennage.

If there is insufficient time for this method, jettison the canopy, disconnect headphones and oxygen, roll the aircraft onto its back, trimming nose heavy, then release safety harness.

Ditching: It is strongly recommended that pilots should avoid ditching and should bale out whenever possible. Should ditching be unavoidable, ditch along the top of the swell, dipping the wing tip on the windward side in order that this will strike the water first. Kick hard on the inside rudder just as the wing tip hits the water, so as to spin the aircraft around on the surface. This will reduce the tendency to dive. This manoeuvre calls for a very accurate judgement of height. When the aircraft stops, get out immediately as the aircraft will remain above the water for a period of 1-2 seconds.
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Vampire fighter. High Speed stall: Ample warning of the approach of a stall in a steep turn is given by elevator buffeting. When this warning is observed, the acceleration should be reduced since further backward movement of the control column can cause the aircraft to flick on its back. .
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And finally, if you think a large four engine bomber like the Avro Lincoln should have benign flying characteristics, consider this if you have do a go-around with full flap extended:

"Mislanding and going around again. It is essential to raise the flaps to half down before the undercarriage is selected up otherwise an uncontrollable nose up change of trim may be experienced at loadings near the aft centre of gravity limit; this is aggravated by the use of full power".
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These aircraft were all wartime designs where certification rules were largely absent. Good handling skills were vital especially as newly graduated military trained pilots with as low as 200 hours were flying these aircraft single pilot. Today, strict flight certification rules make modern aircraft much more forgiving of mis-handling.
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