I've been having a bunch of fun lately doing tail slides with my Jetcat Titan powered Ultra Flash. Then it occurred to me that the backflow during the slide could be problematic. I must've done a dozen or more of them without a problem but I just wonder if the backflow could cause an engine problem.

once you peak out, add a little power as you start to slip back. I have been doing tail slides with all types of planes and engines and never had problems ... if you have smoke, that looks the best as you fall back through it


~V~

Mitch. As for the back flow, your big turbine will win every time.

Thanks for the input guys. I didn't suspect a problem but I'd sure hate to try to dead stick this bomb into my little grass field.

Years ago JC actually tested this by mounting a P80 on a board, strapping it to the top of a minivan pointed backwards (the engine that is) and driving down the road. It worked just fine so, have at it!

Dave

If it was a problem, you would never be able to taxi downwind.

The compressor on our model jet engines is centrifugal rather than axial. These are much less prone to compressor stall than an axial flow compressor, hence more accepting of the disturbed airflow into the intakes that is caused by tail sliding and the flip as the jet returns to forward flight, but that's not to say it will never happen. Personally, I don't like seeing jet models tail sliding - tail slides are for prop jobs, but each to his own. If you are going to do it, I recommend being high enough to do an AFL if it does flame out.

It truly is a matter of taste because I think it is just really cool to see what was an incredibility aerodynamic machine turn into a mindless mass of material falling to earth

If they're jet enough for Ali Machinchi, then they're jet enough for me :-)

My Boomer XL and the Jetcat therein handle slides with ease.