Hammerhead...

[RSCherry]

Time to try something new. How do I properly execute a hammerhead?

Bob

[Mitch G]

Fly straight and level, get up a good head of steam if necessary, pull back on the stick so the plane is flying straight up, as it reaches it's highest point, yank on the rudder stick so the nose yaws over to one side and fly straight down and pull to straight and level in the opposite direction you entered the maneuver.

Also, for learning the maneuver, it is easier if you do a quarter turn once you enter the straight-up part of the move so you are looking at the top of the plane and not the side. Then when you yaw the nose over, you'll be able to see it happening better.


Mitch

[gregg f]

one tip.
as you apply rudder, blip the throttle. makes a big difference. hold a very small amount of rudder as you start the down line. keeps the tail from giving a wiggle............gregg

[RSCherry]

Do I reduce throttle on the up line?

[gregg f]

Originally posted by RSCherry
Do I reduce throttle on the up line?

yes. how much depends on speed, power to weight. at the top, you should have almost zero airspeed. ..........gregg

[Sabrejock]

A true hammerhead is acomplished after vertical flight ceases and gravity initiates a short tailslide. The nose of the aircraft then whips forward and down in what is really a "swapping ends" type of manouver. Very hard on engine mounts in full scale machines, in fact it is listed as prohibited in many flight manuals.

Lately the term hammerhead has been given to what used to be called called a stall turn, a zero speed rotation about the vertical axis after upward motion has ceased. Because the aircraft is at zero "G" and zero airspeed it is not stalled. Maybe that's why some people chose to re-name it. Tex.