Back in my day, I did experiment with zero G flight.
If you push forward on the yoke, you can take a pencil out and float it in front of you and use it like an attitude indicator.
The way to attain zero G flight is to dive down, pick up a lot of airspeed then pull the nose straight up and push over in a parabolic arc.
On one of my attempts, while I had the nose straight up I ran out of airspeed. No, the plane did not stall. With no demand for lift, you can’t stall. Even though you have an unusual attitude with respect the the earth, you have almost no angle of attack.
Anyway, I looked at my instruments and the altimeter was unwinding and the vertical velocity indicator was indicating about 100 feet per minute rate of descent.
It took about two seconds to figure out what was happening. I was flying backwards! I was falling, tail first, towards the ground.
I figured that all the flight controls would work in reverse, so I opted to use the rudder. I pushed in and the plane flipped over on its side and I was now pointing nose first straight at the ground. This was a situation that was normal for me.
I had discovered the hammerhead stall. It’s a great way to reverse course in very little airspace.
I also experimented with straight and level inverted flight. This is accomplished by rolling inverted and pushing one negative G. It’s like flying while hanging upside down. (Hint: make sure the shoulder harnesses are snug).
It’s also an effective way of picking up anything that might have dropped on the floor as it is now on the canopy.
You can’t do this for long because fuel lines and such, usually depend on gravity.
Also, when you get back expect people to say, “Man you must have really tied one on last night.” Your eyeballs will look like someone drew tree branches on them in red ink.
Like fuel lines and such, the body is designed to work in gravity. Veins have valves to hold the blood in place against gravity. It sort of works like a rachet. Now imagine trying to loosen a bolt with a rachet set to tighten it.
At negative one G, blood fills your head. Normally, blood flow to the brain is a good thing, but too much is too much.
If I live to be 100 years old, the miracle will not be living past a century, it will be living past 30.
sirbadger 1 day ago
It makes him feel more like a comet.
Imagine 1 day ago
He could go an a swing.
Devils Knight 1 day ago
I’m just amazed that Peter knows what a Parabola is
dflak 1 day ago
Back in my day, I did experiment with zero G flight.
If you push forward on the yoke, you can take a pencil out and float it in front of you and use it like an attitude indicator.
The way to attain zero G flight is to dive down, pick up a lot of airspeed then pull the nose straight up and push over in a parabolic arc.
On one of my attempts, while I had the nose straight up I ran out of airspeed. No, the plane did not stall. With no demand for lift, you can’t stall. Even though you have an unusual attitude with respect the the earth, you have almost no angle of attack.
Anyway, I looked at my instruments and the altimeter was unwinding and the vertical velocity indicator was indicating about 100 feet per minute rate of descent.
It took about two seconds to figure out what was happening. I was flying backwards! I was falling, tail first, towards the ground.
I figured that all the flight controls would work in reverse, so I opted to use the rudder. I pushed in and the plane flipped over on its side and I was now pointing nose first straight at the ground. This was a situation that was normal for me.
I had discovered the hammerhead stall. It’s a great way to reverse course in very little airspace.
dflak 1 day ago
I also experimented with straight and level inverted flight. This is accomplished by rolling inverted and pushing one negative G. It’s like flying while hanging upside down. (Hint: make sure the shoulder harnesses are snug).
It’s also an effective way of picking up anything that might have dropped on the floor as it is now on the canopy.
You can’t do this for long because fuel lines and such, usually depend on gravity.
Also, when you get back expect people to say, “Man you must have really tied one on last night.” Your eyeballs will look like someone drew tree branches on them in red ink.
Like fuel lines and such, the body is designed to work in gravity. Veins have valves to hold the blood in place against gravity. It sort of works like a rachet. Now imagine trying to loosen a bolt with a rachet set to tighten it.
At negative one G, blood fills your head. Normally, blood flow to the brain is a good thing, but too much is too much.
If I live to be 100 years old, the miracle will not be living past a century, it will be living past 30.
SquidGamerGal 1 day ago
Ha! Do you know what your parents would say… OVER OUR DEAD BODIES! JUST TRY TO RIP OUR BANK CARDS FROM OUR COLD DEAD HANDS!!
aerotica69 about 24 hours ago
“Walking in parabolas” just doesn’t have the same je nais se quois as “Walking on Sunshine”…….and that is the earworm for today (you’re welcome!)
paranormal about 23 hours ago
It’s Pac-Man head!!!
gammaguy about 22 hours ago
He should get a pair a’ bolas and learn how to use them.
AStarofDestiny about 21 hours ago
Ministry of Silly Walks: Astronaut Edition?
hooglah about 21 hours ago
Throw him off the roof….that’ll work!
RabbitDad about 20 hours ago
On the other hand, walking lunges are a great leg workout.
mindjob about 19 hours ago
I think David Byrne copied these dance moves