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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2006 21:27:56 -0400
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Subject: AOA
Thread-Topic: lml Digest #1587
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From: "Halle, John" <JJHALLE@stoel.com>

Skip writes:

<<This Naval aviator totally disagrees with your assessment of the worth =
of AOA.  In addition to carrier approaches, I used it when dogfighting =
when I needed to extract optimum lift from the wing (like in rolling =
scissors, for example), and for idle cruise descents to save fuel around =
the boat during blue water ops (that means no divert field for non-Navy =
guys).  In my ES, it gives me an aural warning when I'm approacking a =
stall which is a GOOD thing to know.  If I ever lose my engine, I can =
also use it to establish an optimum glide for any given weight.>>

OK, I buy AOA to determine optimum lift and I can see it in a rolling =
scissors (where you were probably not right at the edge of stall) but I =
bet you didn't look at it mutch when you were going for max turn in =
close or in a straight scissors with the target hidden under your nose.  =
Since we don't do ACM (do we?) in Lancairs, the need to determine =
optimum lift is probably limited to the example you cite and I agree =
that AOA would be something I would kick myself for not having if I was =
engine out and needed max glide (a condition that should be avoided =
wherever possible by prudent flight planning, with or without AOA.)  =
What I don't buy is that it should be used as the primary way to =
determine if you are about to stall.  Another response to my post says =
that experimentals give little stall warning.  That perception results =
from the standard civilian training that stall warning consists of =
buffet.  But long before you get to buffet, there are all kinds of other =
warnings (at least at anything under 2g.)  The stick gets mushy, control =
in all three axes takes a lot more input and response slows down and =
becomes less predictable.  Even at high g, there are a number of warning =
signs before the airplane turns into a manhole cover and, as you know, =
at high g, you can instantaneously solve the problem by easing off on =
the g.  Each airplane is different but I never flew one that didn't have =
the signs.  I am all for AOAs UNLESS they are relied on as a substitute =
for knowing how your airplane behaves within 5 kts. of a stall in =
various configurations, which I think is an essential element of =
training.