As the world Spins

[Nathan K. Hammond]

The weather finally turned nice for a change, although it was 95'F , so I though I'd go practice some much needed air work. Up at altitude, we (the airplane and me) did some slow flight, 8's, chandelles, stalls and then spins to finish it off. Slow flight was quite impressive, I could haul the nose up and plow around at 30mph indicated, right on the verge of the buffet. No replacement for displacement, you know.

Stalls were fun, but I think the CG is a little more forward than what it use to be. Seems like I was running out of stick sooner than I remember (the last time I did honest stall practice in the champ was a year ago before the motor swap.) Of course MY CG has certainly changed of last year! But anyway, the reaction of the Champ after the stall was still the same as before, so I felt good spinning. Now I knew that things would probably seem a little different, most likely the recovery would be easier with a heavier nose.

With that in mind, off comes the power slowly and up comes the nose. As the speed bleeds off, left rudder is fed in to lead the spin. Now here's where things kinda changed from pre-engine swap spins. I didn't have on a headset or have earplugs so I could hear everything during the flight. Through 40mph, the engine at idle, I can hear the wind blowing by, the nose pointing up about 15 degrees and starting to fall off to the left and I'm getting light in the seat. Listening and watching for all the common cue's that tell me it's gonna spin and not spiral..... I hear it. NOTHING!

I mean I can't hear anything. Not the engine or the scariest part, I can't hear the wind anymore. That was spooky, hearing the wind whistle and then stop! If a buzzard flying by had farted, I could have heard it! That’s how quiet it was, almost peaceful in that 'calm before the storm' kind of way. So here I am, hanging damn near upside down, without a sound in the world, and the nose is pointing towards terra ferma.

Now remember I said it felt like the CG was a little forward and the nose was heavy? Well here’s where that really comes into play. The rotation starts normal, but as I am waiting for the nose to rise up to a normal attitude of about 60’degrees nose down and watch the world turn, I get my lesson in aerodynamics for the day. See, if you lower the angle of attack when rotating around the longitudal axis, like when spinning or doing a snap roll, the rotation speeds up. And it can speed up fast, Real FAST! Back to the spin….

So the nose doesn’t rise up like I expect, instead it’s at about a 75’ or 80’ degree nose down, and the world it spinning like the dial on a bathroom scale! (At least when I step on it. ) After what I think is a turn and a half I release stick and rudder pressure. To my surprise, that’s all it takes to stop the spin and I can see straight again, normally it takes opposite rudder to slow the rotation for the breakout.

Well THAT was fun, I think to myself. Lets go do it again! Subsequently, we go around to the right, then the left, and one more to the left

Now, does this story have a purpose? Well kind of, but not really, I just thought I give Joe something to read. We all know how he gets ancie if no one post for a couple days. But.... any of you other big engine drivers notice a little faster spin?

Now if only I can get that video camera secured some how……. Hmmmmmmmmm

nkh

[joea]

Joe also gets antsie when he hears people doing things like this without a parachute on, which I am sure you were wearing and forgot to mention!

Remember that some of the tubing in the fuselage in these old gals is 60+ years old. I am almost 60 years old and know how I feel some days!

Joe

[Ron Babos]

Nathan: Experienced the same thing last year with mine. Have spun it before and seemed normal. On this particular one that I did I must have relaxed the back pressure somewhat during the first rotation and it did what you described. One scarey ass high speed rotation with what seem to be with the nose straight down. Opposite rudder and some forward stopped it almost immediately. Just don't seem natural to push a stick forward when it appears to be straight down already, does it ? Never could imagine how violent my little Champ could get. Even at that , the airspeed at recovery was only around 100 mph or so. Spins are not hard on the airplane, but I usually feel like crap after the first one.
Ron

[nowlen]

ron want to really feel like crap ? try an inverted spin

[Captgrumps]

But, not in a 7AC--you won't remember it.

Doug

[gusc]

Nathan,

I remember the thing I noticed most in my first Champ; (I haven't flown the new one since I got it home), it ran out of elevator at low stall entry speeds before I could get the nose high enough to stall the wing, just like my training glider.

It is not supposed to be noisy during a spin because you are in a stall. If you aren't stalled you aren't spinning, you're in a spiral.

You can't overstress an airframe in a spin because it is stalled. The spin recovery is where the stress can come in so the leveling off should be gentle. There should be no large increase in airspeed during recovery. If there is then the recovery has taken too long or you're in a spiral. Even with the nose pitch straight down a Champ will not gain speed rapidly from a spin but it sure will in a spiral.

A spiral is another thing altogether and can cause large pieces to depart the airframe.