Jan Zurakowski

[henry crun]

There have been a number of references to him on this forum.. .This link provides a good resume of his action packed life.

For those who might be in some doubt as to what his cartwheel involved there is a schematic diagram which explains it.

There is also an amusing reference to his tailslides in a CF100.

<a href="http://tsw.odyssey.on.ca/~dmackechnie/Zurakowski.htm" target="_blank">http://tsw.odyssey.on.ca/~dmackechnie/Zurakowski.htm</a>

[spekesoftly]

Excellent website. Also see 'Aeroplane' March 2002, page 62, for the third and final part of Jan's biography.

[foxmoth]

This seems to support my earlier claim that the Zurakowski roll or cartwheel was first done on the Hornet - "not possible in horizontal flight, only from vertical.". . I would question the claim though that the falling leaf was a NEW manouver, thought this had been performed for many years before Jan did it on the CF100, though he probably WAS the first to do it on a Jet.

[henry crun]

Foxmoth, the detail on the link does not make it clear but I am fairly sure he tried it vertically in the Hornet and failed.

I cannot offer any evidence for this but I did read of it a long time ago. . .It was not until that Meteor was loaded with the outboard rockets that the cartwheel became possible.

I am intrigued as to why you call it a roll when any rolling motion would make it a completely different manoeuvre.

[spekesoftly]

According to the write up in 'Aeroplane' (Feb 2002, page 24) - Jan failed to 'cartwheel' the Hornet in the horizontal plane, even with one engine at full power, and the other throttle closed. However, when he tried the same thing in the vertical plane, he could get a full rotation of the aircraft. Thus the 'Zurabatic Cartwheel' was born - but not yet perfected.

[henry crun]

spekesoftly, I stand corrected , thank you.

Thats the problem with relying on an imperfect memory, and it's not improving as I get older. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

I look forward to that edition of Aeroplane reaching my part of the world.

[spekesoftly]

Henry, glad to have been of some help <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

speke

[foxmoth]

The reason I used the term 'roll', is this is the name I first heard for the manouver, it is probably TOTALLY wrong but wondered if anyone else might comment on the term.