Of all maneuvers that can be done with an airplane, the tailspin is probably most widely known, but misunderstood. It is classed as an aerobatic movement, can be very dangerous when carelessly and unwittingly entered near the ground. At sufficient altitude a pilot can deliberately and with precision, do a tailspin, with no harm to himself or to the airplane.

The tailspin is a violent movement that a plane makes when it is stalled under certain conditions. Generally speaking most light airplanes are "spin-resistant". That is, they will not spin of their own accord, unless the pilot holds the controls in a spinning or full-stall position. They will come out of a spin as soon as the pressure on the controls is released by the pilot. As a rule, the heavier the airplane, the easier it enters a spin and the harder it is to stop the spinning motion.

Precision or controlled spins are a part of the examination for a private pilot's certificate. In other words, your pilot was required to be able to recognize the nearness of a spin, stop it; then actually enter a spin at a given point and pull out of it at a predetermined spot.

 

Let's do a spin in a light airplane. We'll put on a parachute, for they must be worn during any aerobatic maneuvers. This gives us confidence and a fine feeling of security, too. We'll climb to about 5,000 feet above the earth and stay away from airports, towns or open-air assemblies of persons. (C.A.A. regulations).

Now at 5,000, the air is cooler, slightly thinner. We can usually notice a slight blue haze all around us, which gives the horizon an "indefinite" sort of look. We'll gently bank the airplane and do a 360-degree turn, a complete circle. This is to "clear" the area. That is, make certain that no other airplane is near us when we start our maneuver.

We generally head the airplane down a road, to give us a bearing marker. Pull on a little carburetor heat so the intake to the carburetor won't frost over. Pull the stick back, start climbing. Reduce engine speed. (How much varies with the airplane or whether we are doing a power-on or power-off stall to enter the spin). In the case of our light plane, we will keep the motor turning over about 1,500 revolutions per minute. The nose goes up, the horizon sinks out of sight. Up, up, keep pulling back on the stick. Hold it straight up with the rudders until it's ready.

Now we feel the ship begin to shudder. It's pulling hard, trying to fly. Like a car bogging down in the mud. Now you sense it, the wings take on a useless feeling, you can tell the ship is stalling, the nose starts to drop. Pulling back on the stick is no longer effective, so pull it all the way back, hard. Hold it there.

Now! It's in a full stall. Jam hard right or left rudder. The nose swings in an arc, let's say to the right, and downward. Hold hard right rudder, keep the stick clear back. The nose drops to about an angle of 45 degrees with the vertical and the plane begins to gyrate violently around and around and around to the right We can see the flat earth, way beneath us, whirling, whirling with it's neat pattern of fields, fence rows and roads, going around and around and around.

We are now losing altitude very rapidly. Our ears pop a little and we swallow hard. The wind begins to whistle 'round the struts. The entire airplane is shuddering, fighting this foreign movement which it was not made to do. The plexiglass windows pop and rattle, until we wonder what holds 'em in, for the ship is striking the air broadside as it spins, 'round and 'round, nose down and tail up. This is a tailspin and we can lose around 400 feet per turn in one.

Now the road we started in on is coming past. Next time around we'll stop this thing. Enough is enough. Here comes the road. Now, release the pressure on the stick, let come forward. In a heavy airplane, you throw it violently forward. Shove opposite rudder. Get your controls centered just before the road arrives under the nose. No you aren't spinning anymore. The plane is diving at the road. Start easing the stick back. Get the ship straight and level and open the throttle to cruising speed. Turn off your carburetor heat.

That is a tailspin. Easy to enter. Easy to stop. All you need is altitude!. Why call it a tailspin? I don't know.

How different the tailspin was from average plane ride. It parallels the fate of the unfortunate atom. This wonderful little fellow is the basic unit of all matter. It has hidden power and potential benefits to all mankind. Make it do something it doesn't want to do, turn it into a weapon of war--and what happens? We wish we had never seen an atom.

So with an airplane. It is capable of great benefits. It can give you a ride so smooth and silky, you wonder why you didn't do it before and more often. It can get you there fast, without any sensation of speed. Truly it is a wonderful instrument, this airplane I love so much! Just don't do things with it that it was never created to do.

Warsaw Daily Times Fri. Feb. 27, 1948

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