F3A - snap roll query

[Gray E Fowler]

Dear James...
On the tail wiggle. The Advanced negative snap 45 down has a tendency to 
pick up speed and produced a very rapid snap (hey-somehow I think you know 
this but gotta go through it for those that do not know how famous you 
are). Anyway-as a result I see alot of what looks like what you describe 
as the rapid roll with a tail waggle (much more descriptive than wiggle 
which infers that it keeps going then fizzles out). So when I mentioned 
the famous line "That was not a snap" a person's response to me was, yes 
it was because with aileron alone the plane cannot roll that 
fast-therefore it is a snap- just very rapid.  Kinda made sense at the 
time....All the elements where there, just in a micro second.....Then I 
was told that the pilot must snap so that the judges can see it...so then 
that was a zero.....basically cuz it was too fats to discern all the 
elements.

So, me as a pilot., I am trying to make it as to be seen, but I also 
noticed that the guys with the fast aileron roll tail waggles never get 
ZEROs even at the NATS or even from me. And in a moment of mental panic 
that type of snap is my back-up (i.e. mechanical snap). What are your 
thoughts on this???? Please do not tell me to take up golf instead or 
stick to flying sport semi-scale P-51s.

Signed

Snap confused in Dallas........

Gray Fowler
Principal Chemical Engineer
Composites Engineering




Woodward James R Civ 412 TW/DRP <James.Woodward2 at edwards.af.mil>
Sent by: discussion-request at nsrca.org
11/05/2003 04:17 PM
Please respond to discussion

 
        To:     discussion at nsrca.org
        cc: 
        Subject:        RE: F3A - snap roll query


Visually, there is a range of snaps that look good and are OK.  There is a 
barrel-roll which obviously blows out, versus a tight snap.  Easiest zero 
to handout.  In the blink of an eye, easy to identify as barrel-roll and 
zero.  An impression is left instantly that says, "that is not a snap."
 
I think the problem judging is determining the difference between a tight 
fast snap, and an ultra fast aileron roll with a tail wiggle.  Not easy to 
determine.  This may sound simple, but if I have to think twice about 
weather it was a great looking tight snap, or a fast aileron tail wiggle, 
it gets a downgrade and not a zero.  The speed change is a big help to me. 
 If I can see a speed change, it helps to determine it a snap.  If the 
maneuver is flown through with no speed change, it is harder to call a 
snap. 
 
Jim W.
 
-----Original Message-----
From: mike mueller [mailto:mups1953 at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 2:06 PM
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Subject: Re: F3A - snap roll query
 
 Steve I agree with you. Now how do we get everyone on the same page? Even 
the judges at the Worlds disagreed on this. When I'm judging and flying I 
know a good snap from a bad one but I'll be damned if I can explain it. I 
just feel I know it. Mike

Patternrules at aol.com wrote: 
In a message dated 11/5/2003 3:47:17 PM US Eastern Standard Time, 
wgalligan at goodsonacura.com writes:
> Snaps - A Snap is a simultaneous, rapid autorotation in the pitch, yaw 
and
> roll axis of flight in a stalled wing attitude.  The following criteria
> apply:
>
>   1.. Since the maneuver is defined as a stall maneuver (initiated by a
> rapid stall of the wing induced by a change in pitch attitude), the nose
of
> the fuselage should show a definite break from the flight path in the
> direction of the snap (positive or negative
 
 
Steve Maxwell

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