< PreviousKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 63 30 Aerobatics Immelmann Turn Also known as ‘a roll off the top’, this is probably the most basic and easy-to-visualise turn-around manoeuvre. If only it was that easy to fly! A full loop has the aircraft pitching through 360 degrees and finishing in the same direction it started - it follows that a loop which is only half-completed will result in the aircraft flying in the opposite direction, albeit upside-down. In order to correct this uncomfortable turn of events, a half roll is skillfully inserted at the completion of the half-loop and thus the aircraft has returned to straight-and-level flight. You need at-least the normal looping entry speed for your aircraft to perform an Immelmann, but another 10-20 knots will make it easier and safer. Rookie mistakes? A poorly flown half-loop - not enough g at the start - will result in less speed at the top of the loop to fly the half-roll. Pulling back on the stick through the roll will pull the nose off-line, and possibly stall the wing. Pushing forward will have the same effect, but in a ‘inverted’ sense. Add to that poor rudder control whilst rolling and you have the recipe for a spin entry (but at least you should be up high). Not judging the correct time to commence the roll will result in either a climbing or descending flightpath out of the manoeuvre. All-in-all, plenty to go wrong and evidence that good dual instruction and plenty of practice at altitude is required for this seemingly simple manoeuvre. In terms of keeping within The Box and changing EVERYTHING about the aircraft’s velocity, the Immelmann is a winner - you have made a 180 degree direction change, plus climbed and slowed down dramatically, which would be great if your next manoeuvre was, for example, a spin. But what if you need plenty of speed for your next manoeuvre? The Half-Cuban Eight fits the bill nicely. The Half-Cuban Eight Named for no other reason than it was first flown by an American barnstormer in front of the Cuban Airforce during the early 1930s, the Half-Cuban Eight is closely related to the Immelmann, and could even be seen to be a very poorly flown example of the Immelmann. It contains two elements – a 5/8ths loop, and a half-roll on the 45 degree down-line that follows the looping segment. Flying the Half-Cuban Eight commences from horizontal flight, at the appropriate looping speed (or higher) for your aircraft type. You pull back on the stick to perform the loop in your usual manner until such time as you perceive you are about to reach the 45 degree inverted attitude. You must now push the stick forward a tad to briefly maintain this attitude - cue momentarily ‘hanging in your straps’ and other engine/fuel/oil anomalies! A half-roll to upright - but still on the 45 degree down-line - is now commenced, and because the aircraft is pointing downhill and the airspeed is increasing this is relatively easy to complete. Just don’t let the nose drop too much or use too much elevator and ‘pull’ the nose off line. Ideally, if you look over the spinner as you commence the roll, the spinner (and the plane following it) should neatly roll around a point on the ground. Once the roll has been completed, a short pause is required, so that a 45 degree line of equal length to that at the completion of the 5/8th loop, but before the commencement of the roll, can be displayed for the judges. Typical errors seen by the judges are pinched/egg-shaped looping segments, incorrect 45 degree lines, ‘pitching’ rolls (that look like barrel rolls) and differing line-lengths before and/or after the roll. Shark’s Tooth They sound dangerous, but the family of Shark’s Tooth manoeuvres are essentially a Half-Cuban Eight flown with a vertical line inserted within the looping segment. The arresti symbol shows this quite clearly, however it also shows what appear to be nigh-impossible sharp corners to fly. Don’t be fooled into thinking you have to pull your wings off to make your flight path match the symbol - the tightness of the corners is not the judging criteria for this manoeuvre as these are merely looping segments and must only be a constant radius, as mentioned above, and don’t even have to be the same radius as each other within the manoeuvres. Apart from the usual errors made with constant radius looping segments, the 45 degree line and roll-centring, the most common error with this manoeuvre is pilots holding the vertical line for too long and running out of Ardmore Airfield, Papakura. Phone: (09) 298 9207 Email: office@nzwarbirds.org.nz www.nzwarbirds.org.nz N EW Z EALAND W ARBIRDS Join New Zealand’s most colourful aviation fraternity Membership includes free access to the Visitor Centre and weekly email ‘Ops Orders’ newsletter. 31 2019 #3 energy/speed and thus elevator control to ‘fly’ the top looping segment - the top of the Sharks Tooth can look (and feel) like a fall or collapse back down to the 45 line. Humpty-Bump Don’t ask me the origins of this name, however it is another manoeuvre that is not flown ‘as-drawn’ - you don’t have to pull the wings off to make the corners square. A bit like how a poorly flown Immelmann becomes a Half- Cuban Eight, if you fly a loop really REALLY badly, i.e. with a vertical up and down line, you end up with a Humpty-Bump. To make it work in this conversation about turn-around manoeuvres, we must add to it a half-roll on the vertical down-line, which isn’t particularly difficult with an increasing airspeed although it can use up a bit of altitude. Like the Sharks Tooth and Half-Cuban eight, you should finish this manoeuvre with plenty of speed. Goldfish Closely related, the Goldfish (or Three-quarter Loop) is really just an extension of the Half-Cuban Eight, but instead leaves you high-and-slow, which may suit your energy needs for your next manoeuvre. In this example of the Goldfish, you must pitch up to the 45 degree line, complete the half-roll of that line, then hold the inverted line briefly (cough, splutter!) before ‘pulling’ through F K the loop. A Half-Cuban flown in this manner works too, and is called a Reverse Half-Cuban. In both cases, this has the potential to go wrong if you don’t pull up steeply enough before commencing the roll, or let the nose drop toward the horizon through/after the roll, or don’t extend the inverted 45 degree line long enough, or don’t pull hard enough approaching the bottom of the loop, or all of the above. Starting high and knowing your ‘gates’ is important - it would be wise to have an entry gate of 4000 ft and a ‘pull over the top’ gate of 4500 ft in the early days of practicing these potentially dangerous manoeuvres. Other variations What has been described in this article are the basic foundations of each of these manoeuvres - there are many more variations which serve to reverse the entry and/or exit speed/ heights and thus the energy of the aircraft. Getting to know the basic manoeuvres - their shape, what they should look like from the judge-line, what they will feel like from inside the cockpit, where to put your eyes/head at various times, and where they can go wrong - will give you with a large repertoire of potential turn-around manoeuvres to keep your show front- and-centre for your chosen audience. Grant BennsThe Hornet and the Avenger Jason Easthope in an RAAF F/A-18A Hornet near Omaka with Cape Campbell in the background. We were very fortunate to have a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet putting on a solo display at the recent One of the highlights of the Classic Fighters Air Show at Omaka over Easter, was the appearance of RAAF F/A- 18A Hornets flying out of Woodbourne for the event. Not one to miss such an opportunity, Gavin Conroy worked hard to coordinate an air-to-air photo shoot. Here’s how that came together: KiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 63 32 contributed by Gavin Conroy Classic Fighters Air Show. The Hornets that came for the show are based at RAAF Williamtown in Australia and operated by 77 Squadron. Their Commanding Officer is Wing Commander Jason Easthope, a former RNZAF pilot who flew Skyhawks and has an intimate knowledge of RNZAF Base Woodbourne from his time flying Skyhawks in and out of there. Some landing trials were completed in the Hornet flight simulator, calculators came out, and the numbers crunched successfully. At the beginning of 2019 we learnt the Hornets would operate from Woodbourne for the duration of the show. This was pretty exciting for the locals. It would be the first (and most likely the last) time Hornets had ever operated from Woodbourne. As Omaka is only 2.5 nautical miles from Woodbourne transit times would be minimal! Three Hornets arrived on April 17 th . With more fuel onboard than planned they flew a few circuits to burn off excess, then landed with plenty of runway to RAAF F/A-18A Hornet overhead Omaka. Two aircraft with naval heritage from different eras: A rare combination flypast. 33 2019 #3 spare. Wing Commander Easthope (better known as Easty) said later, “The Hornet was designed for aircraft carrier use. The undercarriage is strong. You can basically point it where you want it to land, and if the landing is hard it doesn’t matter. It has good brakes and they didn’t get that hot landing here, so it was easy really.” On the Friday and Saturday of Classic Fighters Easty put on a display like few in the crowd had ever seen. It was the best Hornet display I have ever seen anywhere. I had followed Easty’s career for Geoff Soper imageGavin Conroy image KiwiFlyer Featureseveral years after being told by other RNZAF pilots that he was one of the very best fighter pilots to fly the Skyhawk, something I’ve heard from several senior pilots. Another RAAF pilot told me, “Easty is one of those few guys who has the natural gift. If we are flying against him, we have to be at our very best to have any chance of taking him out, and if we don’t, he will. He never has a bad day. When flying the Hornet it’s not just the flying that the pilot needs to do well, they also need to be able to take in all of the information coming from the aircraft, from controllers and other pilots, make sense of it and apply it to the fight. Easty does this very well.” With the Hornets here for the show and operating from Woodbourne I thought I should make the most of the opportunity, and endeavour to take some air to air photos of one of them. I had also read that the RAAF are retiring the A model Hornets and moving to F-35s. 2019 would see the Hornets’ last air show performances, and Classic Fighters could well be the last time we see this type in New Zealand skies. I went through the approvals process and ten days before the show we got the green light for some photography on the Friday afternoon while the Hornet was in the air for its display at Omaka. It was a thrill to find out that Easty would be flying the Hornet for this flight. We had a face to face meeting at Omaka on the Friday afternoon where I showed him several examples of the type of shots I was after. We briefed the flight with camera ship pilot Sean Perrett, who would be flying Brendon Deere’s Avenger. This aircraft is normally flown by Jim Rankin but as he is the RNZAF Display Director he had to be in the tower for the duration of the military displays (including for the RAAF Hornet). There were two main reasons for using the Avenger: one the Avenger could fly at just under 200 kts which made things a bit easier for Easty, and secondly, we could photograph the Hornet head on which always makes for more dynamic images. Although Jim could not fly he was instrumental in making what I had in mind turn into reality. I wanted to stage a Heritage Flight style join up and pass over Omaka to the area where we would photograph the Hornet. It made a whole lot of sense due to the naval pedigree of both aircraft. It also meant we could get a photo of the crowd with the Hornet in view, plus it let the audience see a rare formation together as we passed overhead. We were not part of the flying display but were transitioning to where we needed to go to get the photos. At 1545 hrs on the practice day we started up and trundled out to the runway at Omaka. We were in the air bang on time, as was Easty. We were to join overhead the Vernon Works in a right hand turn, fly over Omaka to the west, take the photos and then Easty would display the Hornet for the crowd. We planned it that way so that by the time the photography was finished the Hornet would be as light as possible for his display. Our cue to land was the Hornet’s last pass where Easty would make a fast pass and go vertical to 12,000 ft! Unfortunately, the Avenger had a technical issue soon after take-off so we returned to Omaka and that was that. It was not all bad as I got to see the fabulous Hornet display from the ground and was amazed. Although it was disappointing it was by no means the first flight I have had cancelled. When it comes to safety there is nothing more important. Once the KiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 63 34 Hornet and Avenger www.avcraft.co.nz Avcraft Engineering NZ Ltd. Feilding Aerodrome 06 212 0920 mat@avcraft.co.nz From a 50 hour inspection on a Cessna 150, to a KingAir Phase Inspection or a Pilatus PC-12 Annual, our experienced engineers have the skills, knowledge and tooling to assist you with all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance requirements. Plus: Aircraft recoveries, Insurance repairs, Rebuilds, Sheet metal work, Corrosion repairs, Paint refinishing, Fabric work, Maintenance Control, and Avionics.35 2019 #3 dust settled, on the Friday evening, I asked Jim Rankin if he could check to see if we could have another go on the Saturday. Jim phoned Easty and he agreed. This time it went like clockwork. Again, we were in the air bang on time, the join was perfect, as was the pass over Omaka. Then we headed west for a few photos. Easty informed us how much time we had to run every few minutes and that allowed me to move the Hornet around to suit the backgrounds and make the most of the time we had. At the two-minute mark I asked for a few break-aways and then that was it. Easty blasted away back to Omaka and we were done. The Avenger is a fabulous aircraft to fly in. I have used them a few times for photo flights and while Easty was tearing up the sky over Omaka, I had a few minutes to enjoy the ride and look through some images. Down the back it is dark, hot and very noisy. Photos are taken through a small hole in the Perspex while lying on the wooden floor, but boy it works well. When we returned to Omaka we started getting a response I hadn’t expected. Several people said that one formation pass was the highlight of the show as it was so different. Even a lot of Aussies commented on the rarity of what they’d seen. It felt good, as not only did we get some good photos, many people got to see a formation that they may never see again. Sadly, we didn’t get a Hornet display on the Sunday due to weather. A few days later the Hornets flew out of Woodbourne one last time and met an RAAF tanker over the Golden Bay area before heading home. I would like to thank the RAAF and RNZAF for making this flight possible but in particular Brendon Deere, Sean Perrett, Jim Rankin, Jo Deere, as well as Jason Easthope and the RAAF ground crew. Gavin Conroy Jason Easthope at work. Gavin’s office for the day. Jason Easthope beside a Skyhawk at Omaka. F K View the whole Lightspeed range at www.lightspeedheadsets.nz 0800 116 741 phil@lightspeedheadsets.nz SPECIAL DEAL on ZULU.3 and TANGOs for instructors and professional pilots CONVERT your ZULU.2 to ZULU.3 TRADE IN your old set See Website for details PILOT FLIGHT BAGS SPECIAL DEALS Meet Zulu.3 New Durable Kevlar Core Cabling Modified Ear Seals for Better Comfort & Performance 7 Year Warranty Plus ANR, Bluetooth, and stunning Front Row Centre Audio Gavin and daughter (and trainee aviation enthusiast) Leah debrief the Hornet flight alongside the Avenger.KiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 63 36 Spitfires making a low pass; Doug Brooker led in the TR 9, Sean Perrett in Brendon Deere’s Mk IX, and Liz Needham in the Chariots of Fire Fighter Collection’s Mk XIV. With a theme of ‘Saluting Women in Aviation’, the biennial Classic Fighters Air Show at Omaka held over Easter weekend included the usual extravaganza of aircraft from all eras. Plenty of KiwiFlyer contributors were there to help share the event with our readers. Words are from Jill McCaw. Gavin Conroy, Paul and Jared Le Roy, and Geoff Soper sent the images. RAAF F/A-18A Hornet was a star attraction and certainly impressed. Visitors to Classic Fighters this year enjoyed a very full and frequently exciting programme, even though the TVAL collection of WWI aircraft was unable to attend. By far the loudest and fastest star of the show was the RAAF’s F/A- 18 Hornet. The F/A-18 gave a great Classic Fighters 2019 Images from Omaka tight display, turning on an impressive dime over the flight line before climbing straight up. We know the pilot is dialling back the power and only alluding to what the aircraft can do, and yet it is still so impressive. Sqn Ldr Kate Bint, commentating for the NZ Defence Force display which followed said it was really hard to talk up the Texan’s tight turns after that. There was so much to enjoy; three Spitfires, the Mk IX two-seat trainer and the Mk XIV made a lovely sight (and sound) flying together alongside and against the FW 190. The ‘Roaring Forties’ Harvard display looked great and sounded fantastic as always, and the Yak-52 Formation Aerobatic team, again as always, was equally polished and a treat to watch. The Catalina and Avro Anson showed that larger old aircraft are exciting too and the two DC3s were busy flying passengers the entire weekend. There were so many other aircraft, fighters and civilian, old and new and the reenactors who created wonderful scenarios and pyrotechnics to go with the ‘fight’ scenes. A real crowd pleaser was something that didn’t even get off the ground. The huge semi-restored Bristol Freighter made a lumbering taxi run in front of the crowd to great applause. Imagine if it flew. Sadly, the Sunday show was rained out but there had been plenty of action on the Friday and Saturday and everyone went home quite happy. Jill McCaw Great weather, warbirds & the Hornet drew big crowds. F K Jared Le Roy imageGCEvent Report contributed by Jared Le Roy (text) and Gavin Conroy (images) 37 2019 #3 W www.redfortgroup.com E operations@redfortgroup.com F facebook.com/redfortfreightlogistics I instagram.com/redfortgroup P 09 445 9883 Recharge with us at the AIA Conference, August 2019 Sopwith Scout leading a Nieuport 11 and Nieuport 16. Gavin Conroy image Jared Le Roy image Jared Le Roy imageKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 63 38 RNZAF T-6C Texan II. RNZAF Kiwi Blue Parachute Team De Havilland D.H. 104 Devon lifting off. The Hornet was based at Woodbourne for the event, transiting the 2.5 nm to Omaka in a matter of seconds. A winching demonstration from the RNZN SH-2G Seasprite. RNZAF C-130H Hercules NZ7002 on approach. RNZAF NH90. Gavin Conroy image Geoff Soper image Geoff Soper image JLR JLR PLR PLR39 2019 #3 Classic Fighters 2019 - Images from Omaka Contact Martin Henton 0273 324 415 martin@andersonaviation.co.nz Facebook: Bristell Aircraft NZ l LSA or Microlight l Dual Garmin G3X Touch Screens l G3X Auto Pilot with GMC 307 Control Panel l Dual Coms, Garmin GTR200 and GTR20 l ADS-B out using Garmin GPS20A Position Source l Kannad ELT l Monroy Traffic Alert l FITI inflight adjustable prop l Leather seats and interior l Available with tricycle or taildragger undercarriage l Demo flights available based in Gordonton www.andersonaviation.co.nz Taildragger options of Alaskan Bush Kit or Beringer Tundra tyres and tail wheel Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina.Chariots of Fire Fighters together. Mk XIV Spitfire in pursuit of Focke-Wulf Fw190. John Luff put on a superb DH 112 Venom display, a rare machine to see anywhere.Ryan Southam shows off the Anson. In the right seat was owner Bill Reid. Graham Bethell’s opening pass in his P-51D Mustang.And then the Fw190 was pursued by Graeme Frew’s Yak-3. Geoff Soper image Paul Le Roy imageGavin Conroy image Gavin Conroy imageGavin Conroy image Paul Le Roy imageNext >