Introduction

I'm sure that every simmer has at least once tried to do acrobatics in the simulator. Some of them use a Cessnaa 172, others use an Extra S300 and there are even some who want to check out whether or not a fully loaded Boeing 747-400 can do a giant looping! Well, it's no doubt that aerobatics (acrobatics in aircraft) are great fun, but the majority of people mislabel them as "not serious flying" or even "the wrong way of flying". In fact, doing correct aerobatics require a good amount of theory and another good amount of practice - most of the time, it's much harder than setting up an FMC and pressing the autopilot buttons... oh, and did I mention it's way more fun?!

Preparing your flight: choosing the right aircraft!

Each of the aerobatics presented on this guide were successfully simulated using the default Extra S300 aircraft. Despite the Microsoft Flight Simulator flaws in this area, we are still able to simulate many aerobatics with a good degree of realism. If you are getting serious in the aerobatics, I highly recommend that you purchase one of the RealAir Simulations products - they are not only visually amazing, but they also have great flight dynamics that will allow you to perform aerobatics with the maximum possible realism!

Before you get started with the aerobatics, take some time to familiarize yourself with the aircraft. Perform a couple of turns, take-offs, landings... compare the aircraft behavior in high speeds to the behavior in low speeds, test the stall speed, etc. I want you to be completely familiarized with the aircraft before attempting an aerobatic. I also want you to fly in the virtual cockpit whenever able - it provides a much better situation awareness that should help you a lot on performing the aerobatics presented on this guide. Another important point is the smoothness of the simulation: you will need a high-FPS environment in order to perform the stunts correctly!

Let's get started: The aerobatics!

1. Rolls

A roll is a 360° revolution about the longitudinal axis. We have basically four types of roll: 1. Aileron roll, 2. Slow roll, 3. Barrel roll and 4. Snap roll - they are all flyable in the simulator and will be discussed in details now.

1.1 Aileron roll [ Difficulty:]

The aileron roll is the most simple and easy to perform type of roll. You have probably performed one of these without knowing its name! Basically, you need to complete a 360º revolution while flying in a straight line. First of all, make sure the wings are level; then pull the nose up to about 20 degrees above the horizon and let go of the flight controls. Deflect the ailerons fully to the left/right (depends on the side you want to roll) until the roll is completed. Don't use the elevator to compensate loss of attitude, the nose attitude should be around zero when the roll is complete. To recover, simply use opposite aileron and up elevator to fly straight and level again.

1.2 Slow roll [ Difficulty:]

The slow roll is basically the same as the aileron roll, but this time we need to keep the nose always pointed to a specific point in the horizon. You will need to use the rudder and the elevator to compensate the aircraft's nose down attitude, caused by the constant changes in lift during the roll. Once again, you should be able to fly in a perfectly straight line while rolling the aircraft at a constant rate. Make sure the aircraft is straight and level; then deflect the ailerons in order to start rolling. You'll soon notice that the nose will "fall" - use opposite rudder and a little elevator to maintain the nose pointed always at the same place. As the aircraft approaches inverted flight, continue using rudder and down elevator to maintain a constant altitude and heading. The key in a slow roll is to coordinate the use of rudder and elevator so that the aircraft is always at the same altitude/heading while rolling at a constant rate. That sure takes lots of practice!

1.3 Barrel roll [ Difficulty:]

The barrel roll combines a loop and a roll - its flightpath has the shape of a horizontal cork screw. In this aerobatic, you are expected to complete a loop at the same time you complete a roll. To enter a barrel roll, pull the nose up to about 10 degrees and start rolling to the left/right - the point here is to reach level flight (maximum altitude) exactly at the same time you reach inverted flight (half roll). That means the initial 10º attitude should drop to zero exactly at the same time you reach inverted flight. Continue to roll with a constant rate; the aircraft's nose will start to get down, but you should only apply up elevator to reach level flight when past 3/4 (270º) of the roll. You don't have to worry too much about the altitude here, the flightpath will indeed look like a corkscrew! Things start to get more complicated now... it's very important that you practice each aerobatic several times!

1.4 Snap roll [ Difficulty:]

The snap roll is certainly the most tricky of the roll aerobatics. It's an autorotation with a wing stalled, which means that we'll have to stall only one of the wings in order to perform it. A stalled maneuver usually creates a violent gyration and it all happens extremely fast... you'd better not try this one if you have a weak stomach! Unlike a "normal stall", if you want to stall only one wing you need to be in a fast speed (usually 90~100 knots in the Extra S300). To do that, quickly apply full up elevator, full left/right aileron and full left/right rudder - the aircraft will then roll really fast. Be ready to let go of all flight controls when the first roll is completed! It's usually tricky to recover exactly when the aircraft is in level flight, but it's a good practice to try that. Return to the normal flightpath using the elevator and ailerons. In a more difficult variation, you should enter the stall while in inverted flight (negative G forces).

We're finally done with the roll aerobatics. Note that every type of roll consists of performing a complete roll (360º) about the longitudinal axis, but using different techniques (ailerons or rudder). I'd like to suggest you to extensively practice these four types of roll before trying the other aerobatics. The slow roll concept is extremely important as it is used in many other different aerobatics.

2. Loops [ Difficulty:]

Loops are one of the most basic and well known maneuvers, but it's not easy to perform them perfectly. The loop must be perfectly round and the exit and entry altitudes must be the same. To enter a loop, make sure the wings are level and you have a good speed so that you don't stall while climbing. Apply full thrust and then pull the nose up so that you can enter the first quarter of the loop. As you approach inverted flight, ease off the elevator a little in order to make the loop round. When the first half of the loop is completed (inverted flight), put the throttle back to idle to keep the engine from gaining too much RPM and apply more up elevator as you descend. As you finally approach entry altitude again, ease off the elevator and maintain straight and level flight. A good tip is to turn the smoke system on (I key) and replay the loop, this time watching from the outside (spot or tower view) - you'll be able to see in details where you need to improve. Many other aerobatics use loops or half-loops as part of the procedure, so it's recommended that you practice loops before continuing!

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