Steep Turns

[aloft]

Thanks merit, I'll have to try that...

[surreal1221]

Thanks merit. Will have to try that out in a few days. Now in the left bank, right rudder should be used. . . while in the right bank, left rudder should be used. Correct? Opposite of the turn, otherwise using the same side rudder will just speed up the outside wing and eventually a stall (of the slow wing) and then a spin will occur. . . correct?

How's my spin awareness?

[meritflyer]

I may have said that wrong - my bad..

What I meant was -

Lead the turn with the rudder (atleast in the Seminole) once you're coming back around after you've already done your first 360. Said another way, if we turn first to the left keep it coordinated once we're getting to roll out and turn to the right, I'd step right with rudder and lead the turn to the right with right rudder.

Yeah, all that stuff about stalls and spins? Umm... no, none of that will happen. As long as you keep your airspeed up in the steep turn, dont worry about spinning.

You a new pilot?

[surreal1221]

Yes, 9.6hrs, w/ a solo endorsement.

[meritflyer]

Just keep the airplane coordinated during your steep turns. Dont worry at this point about fancy rudder inputs. Just keep it coordinated and look outside and you'll be fine. Dont worry about spinning the airplane in a steep turn also.

Just because one wing is traveling at a slower rate doesnt mean it'll stall as in a turn.

You'll learn more about it as you go on. Dont be hesitant in steep turns. Nothing to worry about at all.

[surreal1221]

I know. Thanks for the confidence boost. I know I can do them. It's just odd being the only one in the plane. . .

And the 1.5g's (go ahead, call me a whimp).

[meritflyer]

I think you may be worried about a spin and/or stall. Just remember that spins and stalls occur usually at very slow airpseeds and uncoordinated flight.

Keep the ball centered.

Make sure you keep your eyes out of the cockpit and on the outside horizon during your turns.

[nosehair]

P-Factor. That's what does it. Anytime you have to add back pressure, you have to add right rudder. It is especially noticable in the steep turn to the right. As you add back pressure goung past 30 or so degrees, you have to add right rudder, and hold it, while you add elevator back pressure to hold the nose up. This added right rudder will increase the overbanking tendency and you will have to hold left aileron. This is always the case in a steep turn to the right. If you are not holding a little right rudder in a right steep turn while holding the nose up, then the ball will be about a half ball out to the right. Try it.

Left turns are not so noticable, and really depends on how true the airplane is rigged. Theroetically, you should need a small amount of right rudder in the left turn because you still have P-Factor, but it isn't so noticable, but it is definitely noticable in a steep turn to the right.

The underlying fundamental control input is that you should know that anytime you pull back on the elevator, you have to push on the right rudder, regardless of your attitude.

[tgrayson]

Originally Posted by FOD

Why do you have to keep the rudder pressure in? and why the opposite aileron (imagine its cause the overbanking tendicies)?

An aircraft in a steady turn is rotating about two axes: it's pitching and yawing. In a turn to the left, the aircraft is yawing at whatever rate is necessary to keep it aligned with the relative wind. However, the yaw rate creates its own relative wind due to the rotation of the aircraft. In a left turn, the yaw is counter-clockwise looking down from the top. This motion tends to dampen the vertical stabilizer's ability to keep the aircraft pointed into the wind. You need rudder to help it a bit.