Ever wanted to get into or improve your aerobatics?

[Peter Jenkins]

Thank you for the kind words Ron and Jonathan.

[Jonathan M]

That's a pleasure Peter.  Wanted to add that I think your's is a very welcome initiative, especially as there's virtually nothing else in print to guide improvers moving from casual flying and aeros to the more exacting stuff.

[Ron Gray]

Might buy a first edition and get you to sign it Peter ?

[Peter Jenkins]

Happy to oblige Ron!

[Peter Jenkins]

Thank you to all of you who have bought a copy of my book.  Today, sales reached 50!  That consists of 22 Kindle versions and 28 paperbacks.  Most sold in the UK, then the USA then 1 each in Spain and Germany.

 

I hope you are finding it useful but if there is anything that you are struggling with or feel is missing please let me know.

 

Peter

[Gary Manuel]

Ye'll no be having a sale will ye?

[Peter Jenkins]

Hi Gary

I can offer you,  and any other UK-forumites, a deal.  £14.99 including first class post and packing.  That's versus £19.99 plus p&p from Amazon.  If you want to take up the offer please PM me with your address and I will send you payment details.

 

[Gary Manuel]

It would be rude not to, now that you've offered.

Thanks Peter.

 

PM on its way.

[Jeffrey Cottrell 2]

Me too, please

PM sent

Jeff

[Peter Jenkins]

Sorry folks, made an error adding up the P&P.  I've now taken my socks off and so the calculation is now correct.  The price rises to £15.50.  I'll stick with the earlier price to the two who have paid.

 

 

[Ace]

Im in too please Peter.

Pm sent.

[Peter Jenkins]

Last year, I decided to give fitting a key chain camera my aircraft to check on whether I actually had wings level both when upright and inverted and whether my point rolls really hit the points.  As I fly from an old WW2 airfield I could also use the features to check the distance out that I was flying.  It proved a revelation!  A lot of the time (most!) I had the nearer wing tilted in towards me.  This meant that when I pulled up, or pushed if inverted, the flight path deviated and required a bit of rudder to correct at a time when I should have been focusing on getting to the correct vertical angle, either 90 deg or 45 deg.

 

This is the camera I am currently using.  It is a similar shape to the first one I tried but this one gives a wider field of view and has an HD camera.

 

I have a canalyser on my aircraft and the camera is mounted on a ply plate, retained by a tywrap, and the ply plate is bolted to the canalyser using the rear bolt.  For my biplane I use a similar arrangment using the top wing retaining bolt.  For a monoplane without a canalyser you would need to drill a small hole to bolt the camera mount to the fuselage.  As I fly electrics, there is no problem with vibration but sitting the camera on a suitable piece of foam rubber might be OK for IC - I don't know though.  The camera looks to the rear and gives a view of the fin and tail plane which is ideal for measuring how close, or far, you are from wings level of points on a roll.

 

The camera needs a micro SD card. I use a 32 Gb card.  Each of my flights is around 8 mins, usually 7.5 mins, and this takes about 1.7 Gb storage so there is plenty of room on the card.  

 

So, what does it look like?  The result is here.  I have to say I was surprised at just how good the results were!  

 

A word about the flight.  This is the FAI P21 schedule where there are 17 manoeuvres excluding take off and positioning, and positioning and landing after the last manoeuvre.  As you can imagine, I'm moderately pleased with the flying so feel happy to post it!  From take off, there is a 180 deg turn and once well past centred a half square loop to enter the sequence inverted at about 450 ft.  (Just to point out the aircraft MTOW is 5 Kg so there are no height restrictions.  The highest I reached on this flight was 870 ft.)

 

The manoeuvre are:

1. Vertical 8 -  1/2 roll to upright and immediate push into a bunt followed by a loop, immediate 1/2 roll to inverted.
2. Stall turn - push to vertical, stall turn, 2 x 1/4 roll, pull to horizontal
3. Square loop at 45 deg - 1/8 loop, 1/4 loop with 1/2 roll, 1/4 loop, 1/4 loop with 1/2 roll, 1/8 loop to horizontal
4. Figure 9 - 1/4 loop to vertical, 2 x half rolls reversed (must be immediate), push 3/4 loop to inverted
5. Knife edge - 1/4 roll followed immediately by 1/2 roll to KE, 1/2 roll followed by immediate 1/2 roll to upright
6. Split S - 1/2 bunt followed by 2 x 1/2 roll in same direction
7. Golf Ball - push through 1/8 loop to 45 deg line, perform 3/4 bunt/loop with 1/2 roll integrated over the top, 1/8 loop to horizontal
8. Sharks Fin - 1/4 loop to vertical, 1/8 loop to 45 deg downline, 2 x 1/4 roll, 1/8 loop to horizontal
9.  Double Immelman - 1/2 roll to inverted followed by immediate half outside loop, immediate 4/8 point roll, 1/2 loop followed by immediate 1/2 roll to inverted
10. Humpty Bump - 1/4 bunt to vertical, 1/2 roll, push 1/2 bunt to vertical downline, 1/2 bunt exit inverted
11. Combination rolls - 1/2 roll, immediate roll in opp direction, immediate 1/2 roll in opp direction
12. Top Hat Spin - push 1/4 loop to vertical, 1/2 roll, pull 1/4 loop to horizontal, perform 2 1/2 turn inverted spin, 1/4 loop to horizontal
13. Fig Z - 3/8 loop to 45 deg upline, full roll, 3/8 bunt to upright
14. Comet - 1/8 bunt to 45 deg downline, 2 x 1/4 roll reversed, 5/8 loop, 1/2 roll, 1/8 loop to horizontal
15. 4 Point Roll - as it says!
16. Half Square loop on its side - 1/8 loop, 1/4 roll, Knife edge 1/4 loop, 1/4 roll to inverted, 1/8 loop to level inverted
17. Avalanche - Loop with snap roll at the bottom.

 

 

[Peter Jenkins]

Forgot to say, the action starts at 15:06:16 as shown on the time at bottom left of the picture as I have to walk back to the pilots' box having turned on the camera!  It was a cold day!

[Peter Jenkins]

All 5 books ordered yesterday (Messers Manuel/Calvert/Cottrell/Baker/Bertram) went into the post either this morning or early afternoon.  So, you should all get them tomorrow - it sez 'ere!  Stands to reason, as it's first class post!

 

For those contemplating splashing the cash, this book covers techniques for new A Certificate holders, potential and actual B Certificate Holders and Aerobatic C Certificate holders. 

 

If you hold an Aerobatic C don't forget that flying a turnaround schedule is a step up from flying centre manoeuvres only with time to realign position between manoeuvres.  A turnaround schedule has a manoeuvre at each end as well as in the middle.  If you get out of shape on one manoeuvre you don't have much time to sort the aircraft out before the next one is on you!  

[Ace]

Thanks Peter (and PO) book arrived this morning ?

A quick flick through and it looks well written with nice clear illustrations, even the wife a non flyer commented that it looked good so looking forward to an informative read - thank you.   

[Peter Jenkins]

Thanks for the kind words Ace.  Happy reading but more importantly, hope it helps you to improve with your aerobatics.

 

Peter

[David Foley]

Congrats on your book. PM sent

[Jonathan W]

I ordered Peter's book through Amazon, so unfortunately missed his nice discount offer. It's an excellent effort by Peter, well worth the price. Very clearly written and organised. I'm sure that I will learn from it, even if I probably do not enter any competitions.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

I love to read, but maybe later, moneys a bit tight at present.

Good luck with the sales Peter, no mean achievement writing a book. ?

[Peter Jenkins]

Sorry Jonathan!  Thanks John.

 

As it happens, I've just sold the last 2 books in my stock so there will be a slight delay while I re-stock!  Amazing what a discount did for sales!  Don't let that stop you ordering them though!

 

Peter

 

[Nigel Grant 1]

From New Zealand I had a look at the book on Amazon. Although they're offering "free delivery" the purchase price is 40pound! I have a niece in the UK. I might see if I can get her to buy it and post it to me.

[Peter Jenkins]

That's a bit steep Nigel.  I see that there isn't an Amazon NZ.  Have you tried Amazon Australia?  They are quoting $45.55 (I presume AUS $) but that equates to GBP 25.05.  Didn't get the delivery costs though.  If you PM me, I'll give you my email address and she can contact me to get a copy at £15.50 posted to her.  Alternatively, I can get a price to post to NZ.

[Peter Jenkins]

As I mentioned above, I am replenishing my stock of books as you lot have bought me out!

 

However, Bondaero is also able to supply the book at a discount and he has stock.  Feel free to contact Chris Bond to place an order.  My next stock is due in between 3-5 June.  I will still be taking orders though.

 

Peter

[Dale Bradly]

Peter & Nigel, I'd be keen on a copy too (also in NZ)  I'd happily pay half the UK-NZ freight cost.

As an aside, it could be worthwhile getting a few copies in via YouShop.

[Peter Jenkins]

Just looked up YouShop and entered in the parcel details.  They quoted $23.82 NZD for air freight from UK to NZ.  Not sure how this works though.