r4y30n wrote:So a couple weeks ago I posted in the P-51 forum asking about a crazy maneuver I heard of a pilot doing near the end of the war, Dudley said it looked to him like a modified hammerhead, seems to me like this is more the place for such a discussion. Basically, the P-51 was chasing/being chased by a 109 and they were more or less on opposite sides of a circle going round and round. To break out the pilot mentions pulling hard onto the edge of stall, releasing pressure on the controls and kicking the rudder. The plane then spun around giving him a half decent firing solution on the 109.
Here's the clip where they talk about/illustrate the maneuver:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdCm5z2RpI8
So, my question here is about the precise technique involved to try to do something like that in either the P-40, Spitfire or P-51. I've been trying all day on the P-51 but I always end up provoking a spin rather than yawing hard over like I saw, was I going too fast? Too much power? Typically I've been starting the maneuver around 250-275 indicated with 50" and 3000 RPM and end up pulling around 6 Gs before the spin. Also, I had around 70% fuel in the wing tanks, no aft tank, no pylons or wing payload.
-Dave
It is really a simple twist on the control serfaces.....
You cut power to just before stall....Ease up on stick.....and kick the rudder in the direction of the fall....This kicks the plane around like it was doing a sideways hammerhead....
Once into the proceedure kick the engines back to full throttle, and you are out and away.....
You can see this same menouver in the movie Redtails.....
Done right and you turn the tables on the other pilot....
