We had a lengthy debate at the recent OCMA contest regarding the F-17 Barrel Roll.

The debate centered around whether or not the rolling portion of the maneuver was to be performed around a horizontal line or on an upward 45 degree line. I interpreted the descriptions and the powerpoint to show that the plane pulls to a 45 and begins to roll. The roll is around a horizontal line and the plane ends up at the same altitude at which it started.

The opposing view was that it pulls to a 45 and stays on a 45 upward line as it rolls.

According to Michael Ramel (I pulled this from the F3A Germany Facebook page), my interpretation is correct. I am curious as to what the rest of the world thinks the orientation of the roll to be:

Clarification for F-17.07 "Barrel Roll" by Michael Ramel:
"At first, please recall the manoeuvre description as in the Sporting Code:
F-17.07 Barrel-Roll
From upright, pull through a 1/8 loop into a 45° upline, perform a barrel-roll with 45° spiral pitch, perform a 45° upline, push through a 1/8 loop, exit upright.
You first pull into a 45° upline, then at mid level you start to perform a full roll with the flight path going around a horizontal cylinder in a spiral (as the thread of a screw in a 45° pitch).
Assumed you fly from right to left performing the barrel roll into right direction:
From low level, the aircraft pulls upright in a 45° upline first, then will be in a knife-edge (right wing down) position after the first 1/4 of the roll heading away from you in a 45° angle seen from above, then it is inverted on a 45° downline after the second 1/4 of the roll, then in a knife-edge position (right wing up) after the third 1/4 of the roll heading towards you in a 45° angle seen from above, finally it is upright again in a 45° upline after the fourth 1/4 of the roll as to finish the manoeuvre on high level.
You have seen this barrel roll many times in show flight performances when ie. one aircraft is flying on a level line, while another aircraft spirals around it in one or more barrel rolls. However, for F3A this manoeuvre is precisely described and brakes down to the various geometric reference points."










I hope we interpret it the way the rest of the world interprets it.