Originally posted by Bax
Acually, there are several versions of the maneuver known as the "Barrel Roll".
One version, sometimes called the "Civilian" version, has the plane pull up, hold elevator while adding ailerons, and the exit heading is 90 degrees from the entry heading.
There's the "Navy" version, which has the plane follow a spiral path through the air, like the path of a stretched out spring. The exit heading is the same as the entry heading, but displaced to the side on a parallel track.
A third version, sometimes called the "Air Corps" or "Air Force" version has the airplane rolling about a point somewhere outboard of the wingtip. The entry and exit heading are the same, and the exit track would be an extension of the entry track.
The "Civilian" version is the easiest, but looks the worst.