AFH Chapter 4-28 Weight and Balance Requirements Related to Spins

Weight and Balance Requirements Related to Spins

In airplanes that are approved for spins, compliance with weight and balance requirements is important for safe performance and recovery from the spin maneuver.

 

Pilots must be aware that even minor weight or balance changes can affect the airplane’s spin recovery characteristics.

 

Such changes can either degrade or enhance the spin maneuver and/or recovery characteristics.

 

For example, the addition of weight in the aft baggage compartment, or additional fuel, may still permit the airplane to be operated within CG, but could seriously affect the spin and recovery characteristics.

 

An airplane that may be difficult to spin intentionally in the utility category (restricted aft CG and reduced weight) could have less resistance to spin entry in the normal category (less restricted aft CG and increased weight).

 

This situation arises from the airplane’s ability to generate a higher AOA.

 

An airplane that is approved for spins in the utility category but loaded in accordance with the normal category may not recover from a spin that is allowed to progress beyond one turn.

 

Common Errors

Common errors in the performance of intentional spins are:

 

• Failure to apply full rudder pressure (to the stops) in the desired spin direction during spin entry

 

• Failure to apply and maintain full up-elevator pressure during spin entry, resulting in a spiral

 

• Failure to achieve a fully-stalled condition prior to spin entry

 

• Failure to apply full rudder (to the stops) briskly against the spin during recovery

 

• Failure to apply sufficient forward-elevator during recovery

 

• Waiting for rotation to stop before applying forward elevator

 

• Failure to neutralize the rudder after rotation stops, possibly resulting in a secondary spin

 

• Slow and overly cautious control movements during recovery

 

• Excessive back elevator pressure after rotation stops, possibly resulting in secondary stall

 

• Insufficient back elevator pressure during recovery resulting in excessive airspeed