Useful stuff I got from this thread (so far) --

I think I have to fly faster near the top, 10-2 o'clock. I think it might also help to start a little slower and hit the throttle as the plane get to vertical. I think I'm pulling a lot of G's in the first 1/4 loop and that portion should be slower and then I should up the throttle so I don't lose speed, it's more constant.


I really like the G calculation above. When I make loops reeeeeaaallly big, I find I do need a tad of down elevator over the top to keep from pinching the top.


Maybe ailerons reverse wasn't the right term but I still think something reverses when you go from positive to negative Gs. Consider a plane flying straight and level. Roll the plane 20degrees right. Pull on the elevator and the plane turns right and goes up. Push hard on the elevator, the plane goes left and down. Now think about the loop. Right wing is down 20degrees and you pull into the loop, the loop corkscrews to the right. But suppose you pull net G's at the top. A good was to think about it is a 1/2 loop to inverted flight. Enter the loop flying left to right with the right wing, the wing closet to you, 20 degrees down. During the 1/2 loop, the plane will cork screw closer to you. But then at the top entering the inverted flight, the right wing is now 20 degrees up with respect to the ground. In inverted flight the plane will now move away from you. That is the reversal I'm talking about.


Yeah, having a mentor would be great but no one else around my area flies pattern. Maybe I'll get to a Friday practice day sometime. The one contest I did get to this year had rain Friday.

-l2t