Author Topic: Question for all the real-world F/A-18 drivers  (Read 2458 times)

PhantomTweak

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Question for all the real-world F/A-18 drivers
« on: June 16, 2015, 08:12:31 pm »
Can someone please explain to me the "Pirouette" maneuver? I know it's a post-stall maneuver, but I'm not sure of the plane of motion(s) involved. IE: is it vertical, similar to a hammerhead stall? Horizontal, like a very very tight turn? I'm trying to practice it, but can't seem to figure it out.

Any help would be hugely appreciated! Thank you in advance.
Pat☺

cmpbllsjc

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Re: Question for all the real-world F/A-18 drivers
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2015, 12:55:15 am »
From Google

http://www.ausairpower.net/SuperBug.html

2.4 Flying the Pirouette

The pirouette manoeuvre was developed at the request of operational pilots, as a high alpha low speed reversal, akin in its purpose to the classical yo-yo. In a high yo-yo, the pilot unloads in a tight turn, climbing and decelerating, then rolls 90 degrees and pulls through 180 degrees to reverse direction, leaving the aircraft pointing at the target with an altitude advantage. The pirouette is an in-plane reversal manoeuvre which resembles a conventional stall turn or hammerhead in a piston aircraft. 

To execute the pirouette at low speed, the aircraft is placed into a high alpha attitude, and as airspeed drops to around 100-200 KIAS and full back-stick is held in, full lateral stick and rudder are applied into the direction of the reversal. 

The stick and rudder force for the pirouette entry are light, compared to the aft stick force, and the aircraft very smoothly slices around in-plane, wings level, to point in the opposite direction. The stick and pedal inputs are in effect the same as for a snap roll, but the FCS software senses the attitude and control inputs and executes the pirouette. Without the FCS code designed to do this, most fighters would depart and possibly do so in a direction other than that intended by the pilot. 

To demonstrate the pirouette, Dave asked me to take the controls and apply progressively more aft stick to bleed off airspeed. As we hit 155 KIAS, 20 degrees alpha at 1.9G load factor, I followed his instructions and applied full right rudder and stick. The aircraft pivoted around, slowing to 80 KIAS over the top and with controls neutralised accelerated quickly to 215 KIAS coming out of the manoeuvre. 

The pirouette is almost ridiculously easy to fly, and the aircraft does so very smoothly, at no point does the pilot feel an impending departure or other loss of controllability. 

Having played through the key radar modes and worked through the basic high alpha manoeuvres, Dave was unable to tempt me into the inverted stall and pull through manoeuvre which I had a mere one hour ago looked forward to trying. My lack of currency had been catching up with me, and we agreed it was time to exercise the aircraft through a couple of touch and goes and then call it a day. We departed at a leisurely pace from the Hornet box for some circuits at Avalon. 


Also this -> https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi%3Farticle%3D3738%26context%3Dutk_gradthes&ved=0CDoQFjAJahUKEwiGs7bcppXGAhUJYK0KHVTqABw&usg=AFQjCNEJPzF7w8d28yLDbbiZQOehd_lGcw&sig2=YQusXVrh0NknC9zyNp5lqw

PhantomTweak

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Re: Question for all the real-world F/A-18 drivers
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2015, 07:43:04 pm »
Thank you!!

That's just what I was looking for. I just wasn't using the right search parameters, obviously.
Thank you again!
Pat☺