What is the best technique to perform a rolling looping ?

Just do a slow roll, but with bigger throws on the rudder and elevator.

The up half is easy, the down half is terrorfying [&:]

(Still working onf the down half)

Have a beer and have at it! LOL No disregard that comment. Hehehehe like Sprink said the down part can be scary! Remember to bring the throttle down as she starts going into the down part because the plane will start going faster and obviously she will most of the time start rolling faster as well. Also rember to start bringing the throttle back again when you start heading towards horizontal again. Do not fuss too much with getting the rolls axial by using rudder on the first couple of attempts. I did my first one using only elevator, aileron and throttle. Like sprink said don't use a high rate for it in the beginning, try a lower rate for the ailerons so you can keep track of what's going on and then work the elevator timing. It will be good to practise rolling circuits and figure eights as well.

EDIT: And sorry but I didn't quite answer your original question. The best technique I can think of now is to use all three control surfaces as well as manage the throttle properly. In order to get a clean axial roll you will have to combine rudder and elevator inputs to get the manuver clean. Also you would want to exercise different aileron inputs when the plane enters different stages of the manuver to try and keep the roll rate the same throughout. Meaning you will have to sometimes reduce aileron input when the plane enters the down part of the manuver so a constant roll rate is achieved.

It is really the same thing as a rolling circle but on it's side! Your timing with the rudder and elevator are just turned 90 degrees from the norm for a rolling circle. Once you get a simple rolling loop down you can start working on a specific amount of rolls in the loop, then alternate directions or throw in snap between rolls or what ever. Once you get the rolling loop down pat then start working on your harrier rolling loops. And you can mix those up as well by alternating rolling direction and different entries and exits. The possibility is endless!

Jeff Pfeifer

Make sure you have a basic roll down, not saying you do not. But, there are lots of contributors to this site that want to do this advanced type flying and do not have the basics down cold. Once you have the roll down, start with some circles, then go to loops. I broke my loop down into sections. Start with the up portions, maybe do the first quarter, get it down cold then go to the second quarter of the loop and so on. Eventually you will get it, then add the extras like the guy in the above post mentioned with alternate directions, certain number of rolls in a section, snaps etc. It is a hard maneuver, mine do not always work out perfect but keep at it.
Jeff Williams

Excellently put! Make sure you have a strong base in your basic pure manuvers first. Perfect those basics first then move on I have a stong background in pattern type flying and that has helped my 3D more than any thing! Nothing looks better than 3D that is done precicely rather than just floppin around!

Not really, as gravity has an entirely different effect on the plane in a rolling loop. You will find that the control inputs for elev and rudd diminish as you approach the top of the loop, and throttle control will be more necessary to bring it over the apex. On the downside of the loop your control inputs to the tail will increase, exponentially until you bring it back to the starting point. Making a loop while rolling is the easy part...maintaining a constant roll rate throughout the loop is where real skill comes in, so keep practicing!

Well yea that is true I was just giving a generalized statement to the relation between the roll and the tail imputs. You still have to fly the airplane! Even when you are doing a rolling circle no two stick movements are exactly the same through the circle to keep the turn rate/ roll rate constant, same applies to the rolling loop. You will find that it does take less tail imput across the top of the loop as does the bottom, but that comes with practice and learning to feel the airplane and what it need through the maneuver. Practice make perfect.

Keep them posts coming guys! This is one of those important threads everyone's inputs are appreciated. I love reading them! I remember a routine Quiqui Somenzini did at a freestyle event not too long ago. It was in the last quarter of last year. Can anyone remember the event? I know he did a great rolling harrier vertical eight. There was also some great single roll horizontal eights and figure eights. Maybe you guys also have some videos which include the manuvers we all can watch? I am not too clued up with what each eight is called respectively but I did enjoy the way he executed them.

Well if you all have any other questions about manuvers how to do them, ect... just let me know

That was the 2004 masters, I believe. Check it out...

http://www.rocha-n-roll.com/2004_masters.htm

Thanks Bodyworks! That's the event yes. Loved that routine Quiqui did..I'm going to have a friend of mine who has ADSL download the rest of them for some entertainment tonight

Quique was awesome w\ his rolling figure 8 loops in high alpha. But my most favorite pilot ever is mark leseberg, whew, he looks like a blur in his routine!!!

Adam

Hah I forgot to get back to the thread. You are absolutely right Adam. I got a chance to watch Mark Leseburg's video as well and I have to agree with you. Regarding the topic of this thread Mark's vid is definitely something to watch. Just have a napkin handy, I had a hard time keeping the droole from dripping on the floor LOL.

Do you guys also get goose bumps when you watch these kinds of videos? I wish I could see the big boys in action live one day. Should be a great experience.

Well, I used to... I am still very appreciative of the demand for such aerobatics and enjoy watching them, but after seeing it you get used to it. For example, when Quique, essentially, introduced high alpha flying at, I believe, the '99 or '00 TOC, he started with the Elevator. The plane appeared to be just dropping straight down while maintaining a horizontal attitude and people FREAKED OUT!!! He then went into some harrier variations and into a torque roll and people LOST IT!!!! He continued torque rolling and brought the tail down to within, like 2 FEET of touching the ground and the crowd ROARED!!!!!
Well, now, 5 years later everybody and their sister is doing that stuff and people don't even turn their heads anymore, it seems. From an entertainment standpoint, watching 3D has lost its luster, IMO. But doing it is still just as exciting. I just don't see where else this hobby can go, except pitch changing props on giant scale aerobatics, maybe[X(]

I think a perfect rolling loop is a frequent routine in freestyle competition . It looks easy from outside, but to me is more difficult than torque roll or rolling harriers.