Spin characteristics

DTaylor N1210Y's picture

Forums: 

I have a new (to me!) G-200 that I am planning on taking out today for a spin familiarization.  Anything in particular I should be aware of in terms of how the plane acts in spin environments?  I am planning on going through the Beggs curriculum, which includes upright - normal, flat, & accelerated (nose-down elevator, in-spin aileron, out-spin aileron, and adding power). Then inverted, using the same progression.  Then Cross-over spins, spin reversals.  And practicing the Emergency Spin Recovery - Throttle-OFF, Stick - HANDS OFF, Rudder - FULL OPPOSITE to spin direction (look over cowl to determine), When rotation stops - NEUTRAL RUDDER, RECOVER TO LEVEL FLIGHT.

sorry mate, we are a slack

sorry mate, we are a slack lot...hope you got through it all OK.?   I've found all competition  type spins to be no problem.   Cross over spins aren't the problem they are on a Pitts.   Only the inverted right foot can hang on a bit and need to be sure all the opposite rudder is used, not just apply pressure (my aircraft does not have the rudder horn).   I haven't done extended power on flat spins, tried some but lost an engine mount bolt, so stopped!   No doubt you are aware by now of what an awesome little aircraft they are!   Enjoy.

Upright Spin Characteristics - flight #1 results

DTaylor N1210Y's picture

I've been having an email exchange with Allan Franko which included discussion about spins, and we decided there wasn't much (findable) information regarding Giles spin characteristics, so I went out recently and did a little experimenting.  I put my results into a spreadsheet, which I've pasted below.  Regarding configuration, I'm flying a G-200, and during the spins, the CG was close to 26.5-27% MAC (limits 17-30%).

Lessons learned:

1. In terms of altitude loss, it's definitely helpful to positively place the stick to neutral during recovery.  It seems to reduce the nose-down attitude when plane stops yaw, which reduces the altitude loss during pull out by several hundred feet. (I need to see to test another recovery type - 4. FEET - off, STICK - positively neutral, and see if that affects the yaw break altitude.)  And I located a visual reference on the instrument panel that I can put the top of the stick at that is very close to neutral.  In unintentional spins, which are by their very nature disorienting, I think it's hard to accurately "know" where center stick is, either muscle memory or by "feel", so having a spot on the panel to move the stick to will be helpful.  It wasn't a cosmic research project, nothing more than just noticing where the stick appeared to be, relative to the panel, when I was flying at my 1g level airspeed, which for my fixed-position trim tab is 170mph.

2.Anti-spin rudder helped recover faster than HANDS and FEET - off procedure by 600-800 feet, which is significant.  It will be interesting to see how it works when I try recovery type 4 above.

3.  Stick positively neutral helps a little, versus HANDs - OFF, by 100-200 feet.  I think it's the difference from being 60 degrees down vice 80-90 degrees down starting the recovery pull.

4. I was surprised that I got into the "death" spirals near the end - the left spins didn't want to break like the right spins did.  I will try and recreate them on a subsequent flight, but that was not expected.  (Note to self - I did not look at my airspeed, but will next time - if I'm above 100mph, then I'm definitely not spinning!)

I'm also going to try recovery type 5: HANDS - neutralize stick, FEET - neutralize Rudder (vice opposite rudder).

Dave T.

Hi Dave,

Hi Dave,

thanks for publishing your results.

Since this topic is about the spin characteristic I have a question to the G202 pilots. Is it the same for all Giles 202 that they tend to briefly drop the right wing just prior to the erect stall? I tried it in two G202 and they showed the same characteristic.

-Marco