Judging Snaps

[Andre Bouchard]

I tend to agree.

In some cases it seems the amount of break is being judged--too little an it is a zero.  The break can be very slight or considerable and the snap can be a true snap in either case.  It depends on the airplane set-up, design, attitude (level, upline or downline snap), and entry speed.

The snap is the maneuver most open to interpretation by the judge. While it is up to the pilot to demonstrate the elements of a maneuver, the pilot should not be obligated to fly to the judges interpretation of the maneuver (i.e., someone's interpretation of "noticeable break"--define noticeable, please).

Andre 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David Flynt 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2005 8:04 PM
  Subject: Judging Snaps


  I have always judged snaps with a simple rule -- if it is not a barrel role, and if the tail describes a helix or cone, then the plane must be stalled, and therefore it is a snap.  I have never downgraded because the plane is set up with a lot of aileron, so long as the tail wags, and so long as the nose and tail describe opposing helixes.  I don't see any reference to how fast or slow the plane rolls with regard to downgrades.  To me, a pilot is free (and smart) to set up their plane such that it loses as little heading as possible in a snap.  

  Am I completely mistaken on this?  A barrel roll is easy to detect.  An axial roll is easy to detect.  If it is not a barrel roll, and not an axial roll, then it must be a valid snap, even if it is subtle and the plane is not buried deeply in a snap.  At least that is my current understanding.

  I'll admit that I don't really understand the degree at which the plane must "break" in the direction of  snap.  Who came up with that idea?  What really does that mean, and how do you measure it?  "the nose of the fuselage should show a definite break in the direction of the snap".  Ok, what is definite?  At what point exactly must the aircraft become stalled?  It takes time for the control surfaces to deflect.  It does not happen instantaneously.  

  I think the maneuver is over described and over analyzed.  Its a "rapid autorotation in the pitch, yaw, and roll axes of flight in a stalled wing attitude."  That should be good enough to judge it.  If not, maybe use my definition of judging it.  Until I know what a "definite break" is, that's what I am going to do.

  David  
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