Harvards
 

Just been to the Bol d'Or (motorcycle 24 hour endurance race at Magny Cours in France, for those non-bikers amongst us). It's a huge event in France, 100,000+ attend, first hour shown live on TV, big funfair and rock concert attached. Before the race starts they have all sorts of attractions, one of which this year was a stunt show involving 6 Harvards circling the start/finish straight and 'dive bombing' the crowd. Low and noisy - excellent. The pilot who rolled inverted at 500' or thereabouts and pulled out at about 250 was well impressive (and probably mad) but more exhilerating flying than I've seen at a UK airshow for a long time.

Top stuff. For the bikers here, if you want to know more about the race, have a look at www.Race24.com

I hope that Harvard pilot had a reasonably nose-high attitude before he rolled. Otherwise he is either impressively good or impressively .... uhm ... demented.

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It is much easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

I think he bolloxed it up - seemed to get a very high sink rate as he rolled it. Unfort. he vanished behind a bridge over the track (!) as he recovered so I couldn't see what he did, but when he came back into view he was right-sides-up. Brown trousers time if you ask me....

We use a 45 degree nose-up attitude for a slowish straight roll. Les than that and you lose altitude (lots of it).

I know that the clip wings and the T6G's are a bit more tolerant, because they roll faster and the engine doesn't cut with negative g.

Harvard aero's at low level = plenty pucker factor.

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It is much easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.