What causes a tailspin?

I used to do spin rides for instructor training in the USAF. I still don’t know what a tail spin is. I don’t know what a flat spin is either...or how one might be “heading out to sea” while in said flat spin.

I think, but may be wrong, that these are just words to describe various spin parameters. Spin instructors would usually speak of impending, accelerated, developed, and stabilized...all of which describe a spin continuum. The boldface I posted above was THE ONLY way to recover a T-37 from a fully stabilized spin. Full opposite rudder and full forward stick on their own would only tip the nose down and result in an accelerated spin and ZERO recovery. Crazy stuff.

 

From what I remember doing spin recovery is just about what you said. Full forward stick, opposite aileron , and full opposite rudder. Stop rotation, get the nose down, wings level, and make a steady and gradual pullout. I saw a kid make a successful spin recovery but hauled back on the stick too fast and aggressively and put it in to a spin again and too low.

 

I’m not sure about aileron inputs...

 

I have heard this comment before but that is what I did, many times.

 

Old boldface for a departed F-111:

Stick full forward and centered, rudder neutral, roll damper off.

Last item was to cut down on roll/yaw coupling.

May or may not have worked in a fully developed spin, where the Dash-1 said descent rates could exceed 50,000 fpm (833 fps or about Mach 0.8 towards terra firma)

 

Damn! I forgot about the roll damper! That descent rate is unbelievable.

 

I'm not trying to sound like a know it all and I realize that there is new thinking about the physics of the spin. On my check ride I had to stop precisely on a predetermined point after a prescribed number of turns. Control inputs were immediate and aggressive to do what was ordered. The question about opposite aileron seems to be logical but it also brought down the higher faster moving wing and it never gave me any trouble doing that. Thanks for your input re opposite aileron because it prompted me to look it up.

 

That's cool. I've got no rooster in the fight. Every aircraft has subtle and sometimes not so subtle differences in how they spin. The effect of aileron on the retreating versus the advancing wing is one that may complicate things in some aircraft. Dropping one wing versus raising the other may change the way the nose and empennage engage the airstream while in the spin, in some cases generating lift on the nose or spoiling it on the tail and resulting in a pro-stall moment. It's also possible it does the opposite. I honestly never thought about it as I never really thought of ailerons as all that important in stalls or spins as they never really ever seemed to do anything helpful in recovering from either. It really is a great topic actually.

 

Taz, and anyone else,

Go to 25:59 in this video. Emphasis on 26:24.

 

Yesterday we had a fatal crash at a nearby Whidby Island air strip. A C-177 had engine trouble and failure near the runway. FAA said that the plane was approaching the field and MADE A SHARP TURN and stalled and spun in. Right next to the runway. Fatal to a 78 year old male and a 25 year old male.