What does High -Alpha flying mean? I've seen this term a few times in the FF forum, I might even be doing it and don't even know...thanks ...Gator

I'm going to guess because I too have read it here and try to imagine it in my head. By the word I mentally see it as flying with the nose really high. Just a guess. Lets see how I did.

High-Alpha flying means flying below stalling speed...(or flying near stalling speed) ...Poweful engines & huge control surfaces help the plane to do high alpha flying at that low speed...

to follow up the nose is usually held high in high alpha, as in high alfa knife edge, it is half way between hover and a knife edge

I believe the alpha in high alpha refers to angle of attack (usually denoted by the greek symbol alpha in textbooks). I always took this term to mean maneuvering at or near the critical angle of attack (stall).

I ran with a buch of "high alphas" in college. I knew a bunch of drunk Deltas as well!

>>>I'm sorry. I had to post that. I would have felt bad if I hadn't.

So far as I know, your all right. The term means all of these.

Foamguy

I think Billy is the only one right here!
Just kidding - Yes, as Foamguy stated, you're all correct. High Alpha is flying at the threshold of stall speed with the nose high. Actually a Harrier could be considered a High Alpha manuver. Putting an aircraft in a knife edge manuver, with the nose high, and just above a idle is a high alpha knife edge manuver.
Kevin

so then this would be HIGH ALPHA? that is if its right at stall speed?.....Gator

termigator has a good point, that pic may or may not show high alpha.

Angle of attack (alpha) is determined by the angle of the model to the "relative wind", not the orientation to level flight. Using an Elevator maneuver as an example. The model is in a level attude but descending nearly vertically. Therefore the angle the wing "sees" is actually very high, even though it appears externally that it's flying at a low angle.

Also, keep in mind that a wing can stall at ANY speed. The determining factor is the angle of attack.

Well said Karl.

...

Here's my OS 25 powered PBF in High Alpha forward flight.

Just out flying with a buddy of mine yesterday ha ha.
DKjens

Dave, seeing your picture reminded me to ask you how does your PBF handle in reverse alpha flight? My Stamp has quite different characteristics with nose high reverse flight than it has for forward. James

James,
Upright high alpha flight with the PBF requires some right rudder input to keep it going straight. But inverted high alpha flight with the PBF seems to require some LEFT rudder stick. I guess this is because of the P-factor effect, since the spiral slipstream from the propeller should have required right rudder for both upright and inverted flight. Is your experience similar?

Dave,

Forward high alpha flight with most of the Stamps requires very little if any right rudder, they just seem to float around, unless a cross wing is around and then it may require a lot more rudder. Reverse alpha is another story. I would like to be able to fly the Stamp in a straight line, nose up walking pace about two feet off the ground, and instantly back track in that same straight line reverse nose up attitude without doing a turn around. When I do the reverse I usually loose it and have to do a turn around anyway. I haven’t figured out exactly why the Stamp acts that way, but its inverted flight is not as stable as its upright flight. I may try one with an extended fin below the wing and see if that helps.