Wing Over Maneuver and Other Stunts
If you are visiting an airshow, you are bound to see several exciting aerial maneuvers. Rolls, loops, and spins are the standard, but sometimes these are all combined into one! How and when the aircraft performs these changes the name of the stunt. Today, we will explain the wing-over maneuver and other stunts you will see, so you know exactly what you are looking at.
What is a Wing Over Maneuver?
A wingover is a stunt that involves the aircraft starting from a level position and doing a steep vertical climb. The aircraft will fly almost straight up before listing onto its side in a vertical turn. When it is pointing straight down towards the earth, the aircraft will pull out of the dive and eventually fly in the opposite direction from where it started the maneuver.
When you see a wingover, you are actually witnessing a little piece of military flying. The aim of the wingover was to make a rapid turn in the opposite direction without losing any altitude (a key component in winning a dogfight)
The other advantage of the wingover is that the aircraft is never inverted at any point during the maneuver. This would allow military aviators the advantage of keeping their eyes on their opponent.
It looks something like this – watch this Wing Over Maneuver video.
What Other Maneuvers Could I See?
Aside from wingovers, there are plenty of other maneuvers that you will see at airshows. Here are some favorites to watch out for.
Inside Loops
When most people envisage a loop, this is what they imagine.
The aircraft starts off flying with wings level at high speed. The pilot will pull back on the stick, and the aircraft will begin a vertical climb.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Once the aircraft reaches vertical, the pilot will keep pulling until the airplane is on its back and continue to pull through until the airplane is all the way around the loop and flying in exactly the same direction as it was when the maneuver began.
Outside Loops
If you thought the inside loop sounded impressive, wait until you hear about the outside loop.
The maneuver begins in the same way as an inside loop but with one key difference.
The airplane is inverted!
Instead of ‘pulling’ up, the pilot will actually push the stick forward to make the aircraft fly nose down. However, because the airplane is upside down in the first place, the nose goes in the opposite direction. Creating an inverted inside loop!
Barrel Rolls
Barrel rolls are always great fun to watch. The airplane starts from a wings-level position and will fly in the same direction all the way through the maneuver.
The aircraft will roll inverted with a strong push on the stick to either the left or the right. The stick is then kept in the same position until the aircraft rolls wings level.
Normally stunt pilots will do more than one of these in a single maneuver. You can expect to see countless barrel rolls at once. Do you want to know the world record for the highest number performed as part of a consecutive maneuver? Nine hundred and eighty-seven!
Immelmann Roll
The Immelmann roll is another of those maneuvers that have its place in history. It is, in fact, a stunt that was devised when aviation was in its infancy in World War One! It has been perfected and practiced ever since.
In an Immelmann roll, the aircraft starts wings level and is pulled up into a loop. When the aircraft reaches the top of the loop, it will be inverted. The pilot will then roll the wings level to bring the aircraft the right way up and facing in the opposite direction. Essentially, you are seeing half a loop, followed by half a roll! That’s two stunts in one!
The wing over maneuver is considered the dogfighting alternative to the Immelmann roll.
Half Cuban
No, we aren’t talking about cigars. Again this is a maneuver that is actually a combination of a few different types of stunts.
The aircraft will start out making an inside loop. That is pulling up until they are ‘over the top’. When the aircraft is pointing down at a 45° angle, the pilot will roll the wings level.
Why is it called a ‘half’ Cuban?
Well, the usual tradition is to launch straight back into another half Cuban, so the aircraft is back to where it started. The resulting stunt (simply “a Cuban”) means that the aircraft has flown as figure 8 in the sky when viewed from the side!
A half Cuban is actually quite similar in concept to an Immelmann roll. The main difference is that the pilot doesn’t ‘pull out of the roll at the top and instead keeps going until diving towards the earth!
Tailslides
A tailslide is similar to a wingover, but a few key differences exist. Whereas in a wingover, the aircraft stays level and turns to one side. The airplane is held flying vertically in a tailslide until it runs out of energy completely and slides backward, flying tail first! (hence the name).
Both the aircraft and pilot are entirely weightless during this maneuver, just like in space!
Eventually, the aircraft will fall to one side as the airflow on the wings and tail takes effect again, leaving the pilot to figure out how to fly the airplane again. This is a really special stunt to watch. We might see airplanes flying every day, but it is rare that they simply ‘hang’ in the air.
At Wings, Over Camarillo, you’ll be able to see all of the above stunts, such as the wingover, other maneuvers, and more! In some cases, you can even see genuine vintage warbirds flying them! Meaning they are truly authentic. Visit our homepage to see when our next event is planned and the performers you can expect to see!
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