BLUES

[B.C. Mallam]

I was told that the Blues fly with down trim during their shows, anyone know
and if they do why?


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[Guy Alcala]

"B.C. Mallam" wrote:

> I was told that the Blues fly with down trim during their shows, anyone know
> and if they do why?

IIRR, it's so that they always have a slight back pressure on the stick, making
tight formation flight easier.

Guy

[Ed Rasimus]

On Mon, 08 May 2006 13:09:35 GMT, Guy Alcala
> wrote:

>"B.C. Mallam" wrote:
>
>> I was told that the Blues fly with down trim during their shows, anyone know
>> and if they do why?
>
>IIRR, it's so that they always have a slight back pressure on the stick, making
>tight formation flight easier.
>
>Guy

Correct. Loading the stick to be a bit nose-heavy means you're always
flying with a bit of back pressure rather than a neutral stick. It
eliminates the "slush" or neutral area in making pitch corrections.

Modern flight control systems and stab-aug have reduced this practice
considerably.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com

[John Carrier]

"Guy Alcala" > wrote in message
. ..
> "B.C. Mallam" wrote:
>
>> I was told that the Blues fly with down trim during their shows, anyone
>> know
>> and if they do why?
>
> IIRR, it's so that they always have a slight back pressure on the stick,
> making
> tight formation flight easier.

True. With the F-18, a spring bungie (sp?) is used to overcome auto-trim
which isn't great for the tight work they do.

R / John

[Guy Alcala]

John Carrier wrote:

> "Guy Alcala" > wrote in message
> . ..
> > "B.C. Mallam" wrote:
> >
> >> I was told that the Blues fly with down trim during their shows, anyone
> >> know
> >> and if they do why?
> >
> > IIRR, it's so that they always have a slight back pressure on the stick,
> > making
> > tight formation flight easier.
>
> True. With the F-18, a spring bungie (sp?) is used to overcome auto-trim
> which isn't great for the tight work they do.

Presumably the T-Birds don't use trim, because the F-16 stick barely moves at
all.

Guy

[W. D. Allen]

"...eliminates the "slush" or neutral area in making pitch corrections...."

Similar to trimming a tiny bit of rudder left and right wing down for cross
controlling to ease maintaining attitude and heading on those long boring
"enroute" flights.

WDA

end

"Ed Rasimus" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 08 May 2006 13:09:35 GMT, Guy Alcala
> > wrote:
>
>>"B.C. Mallam" wrote:
>>
>>> I was told that the Blues fly with down trim during their shows, anyone
>>> know
>>> and if they do why?
>>
>>IIRR, it's so that they always have a slight back pressure on the stick,
>>making
>>tight formation flight easier.
>>
>>Guy
>
> Correct. Loading the stick to be a bit nose-heavy means you're always
> flying with a bit of back pressure rather than a neutral stick. It
> eliminates the "slush" or neutral area in making pitch corrections.
>
> Modern flight control systems and stab-aug have reduced this practice
> considerably.
>
>
> Ed Rasimus
> Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
> "When Thunder Rolled"
> www.thunderchief.org
> www.thundertales.blogspot.com

[Paul Michael Brown]

> Similar to trimming a tiny bit of rudder left and right wing down for cross
> controlling to ease maintaining attitude and heading on those long boring
> "enroute" flights.

How is this beneficial during straight and level flight? Is it a technique
primarily used in tactical aircraft such as the F-4 or F-18? Or is it
something used by pilots of patrol or transport aircraft like the P-3 or
C-2?

[Ed Rasimus]

On Sat, 13 May 2006 15:46:33 -0400, (Paul Michael Brown)
wrote:

>> Similar to trimming a tiny bit of rudder left and right wing down for cross
>> controlling to ease maintaining attitude and heading on those long boring
>> "enroute" flights.
>
>How is this beneficial during straight and level flight? Is it a technique
>primarily used in tactical aircraft such as the F-4 or F-18? Or is it
>something used by pilots of patrol or transport aircraft like the P-3 or
>C-2?

I've never heard of such a practice. On long boring deployment flights
there is an autopilot with altitude hold.

We did use cross control in the F-105 when refueling and carrying a
centerline MER. The disrupted airflow over the bombs would blank out
the ventral fin under the tail cone and reduce stability just enough
that the airplane would start to oscillate left and right in
increasing swings until you could get slung off the boom. The solution
was to cock just a bit of wing down and straighten out with
rudder--flying cross-controlled took care of the situation.

Nothing similar in the F-4, at least in my experience.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com