Is a negative snap while inverted (maneuver #10 in Advanced) initiated by a push or pull on the elevator (i.e. does negative always mean 'push' or does it mean the aircraft stalls 'nose down'?)

Thanks!

Scott

down elevator, opposite rudder and aileron.

You need not be inverted when the maneuver starts...Its just means its a snap with the pitch direction defined as down elevator.

Also referred to as a Outside Snap....The control inputs are down elevator and opposite aileron and rudder....

An inside or positive snap is up elevator and gets same direction aileron and rudder.

These positive and negative snaps can start and stop in different orientations...Example is a 1.5 positive from upright...Will be upright at the start and finish inverted....These can also be on up and down lines...at the tops of loops, bottom of loops, or just about any place you can think of. They can also end on knife or start on knife edge as well.

The rules are if its not defined in orientation like in an avalanche..the snap can be positive or negative...

But in the case of certain defined maneuvers like a 45 down positive 1.5 snap...the elevator direction is defined...a negative snap in this maneuver should score zero......in most cases but not all the entry attitude (upright or inverted) will determine the orientation of the snap)

Example if you are upright coming into the maneuver chances are its going to be a positive or inside snap. This is not always the case but usually holds true.

The direction of the snaps are rarely defined like right or left direction...but in many cases on partial snaps like 1.25 or 3/4 snaps the direction you rotate will matter so that you exit the maneuver in the proper orientation and direction described by the maneuver.

Example enter from the left...Pull up to a stall turn 1/4 on the upline.....say you roll right so you see the top of the model...on the downline you have to perform a 3/4 positive snap to exit the maneuver to the right and upright...you need to snap 3/4 to the right to leave going the right way and in the right attitude for the next maneuver.

If you snap left the 3/4 of a rotation it will be an inverted exit to the right which will score zero, or you will exit going to the left upright which will score zero....So there can be some tricky things that happen and it requires concentration and quick thinking by the pilot. This is one reason snaps are difficult in the sequences and only the FAI ranks perform partial snaps in the 1/4's.....the AMA pattern classes all just do 1 or 1.5 snaps....IMAC sequences will get more fancy in the snap combos.


Hope this helps

Troy Newman

So if I understand...

Outside snap and negative snap are synonymous and require down elevator and cross control regardless of entry attitude.

Thanks for the replies guys and congrats Troy on a job well done last week.