I spoke this afternoon with an accomplished pilot who’d had a chance to fly an SR20 for the first time this week. He said when he was up there and feeling how responsive the thing felt to the little sidestick – especially in roll axis, “like a fighter” he said – he couldn’t help thinking: What if I rolled it? How would it perform?
He did the responsible thing (since various officials were with him), and did not try any aerobatics in the plane. But this is Seattle – place where in 1955 the the famous Boeing test pilot Tex Johnston put a 707 prototype through a barrel roll when flying over the ‘Seafair’ festival on Lake Washington. And so he felt tempted to keep wondering: how would it do in a roll? Anyone have a theory, based on specs or experience? JimF
I spoke this afternoon with an accomplished pilot who’d had a chance to fly an SR20 for the first time this week. He said when he was up there and feeling how responsive the thing felt to the little sidestick – especially in roll axis, “like a fighter” he said – he couldn’t help thinking: What if I rolled it? How would it perform?
He did the responsible thing (since various officials were with him), and did not try any aerobatics in the plane. But this is Seattle – place where in 1955 the the famous Boeing test pilot Tex Johnston put a 707 prototype through a barrel roll when flying over the ‘Seafair’ festival on Lake Washington. And so he felt tempted to keep wondering: how would it do in a roll? Anyone have a theory, based on specs or experience? JimF
The SR20 should roll just fine as do most GA aircraft. A properly executed barrel though illegal is easily performed in just about every airplane Including Boeings 707. The problem is when untrained pilots attempt stupid maneuvers and end up overloading the airframe. All single engine Cessna and Pipers perform barrel and aileron rolls very nicely so the SR20 shouldn’t be any different. Get training and go have your fun in a properly certified aircraft though. We don’t need any more bad media attention then we already get!
Get training and go have your fun in a properly certified aircraft though. We don’t need any more bad media attention then we already get!<
Agree on both points, of course. I have been doing spin, loop, and roll training in a little 152 Aerobat (which makes even a 172 seem to have palatial interior dimensions – especially considering the parachute you have to wear in the Aerobat during these maneuvers). Just was curious as a theoretical matter whether GA planes were built to handle rolls. Thanks for your guidance, jf
Get training and go have your fun in a properly certified aircraft though. We don’t need any more bad media attention then we already get!<
Agree on both points, of course. I have been doing spin, loop, and roll training in a little 152 Aerobat (which makes even a 172 seem to have palatial interior dimensions – especially considering the parachute you have to wear in the Aerobat during these maneuvers). Just was curious as a theoretical matter whether GA planes were built to handle rolls. Thanks for your guidance, jf
All GA aircraft are designed for full control deflection at Va. As long as you stay within that limit structurally the aircraft is designed to take it. Slow rolls and point rolls will take a little more work because of the lack of inverted fuel and oil systems.
I bet that if anybody from CD is reading this they are saying NO, NO, NO, Don’t do it or even discuss it!
All of the Grunman aircraft, AA1-AA5 roll really nice by the way.