Dead loop - the figure of aerobatics

The dead loop is a figure of aerobatics, which became the embodiment of the technical progress of aircraft engineering and the skill of pilots. September 9, 2013 this trick was exactly one hundred years old. The first person who successfully completed the loop is the pilot of the Russian Empire PN Nesterov. The dead loop in his performance was the first successful implementation of this trick. At the same time, attempts to successfully maneuver were undertaken long before that. Its name came from a series of failed samples that led to a fatal outcome.

Occurrence of maneuver

So, for example, an American Huxay on an airplane designed by the Wright brothers tried to make a vertical loop. However, the power of the engine was very weak in order to keep the aircraft at the top. After that, several attempts were made to perform the loop, but the absolute majority of them ended tragically. The design of the aircraft of that time did not allow to withstand such loads, due to which when the vertical ascent or at the top point the plane began to simply crumble. It should be said that at that time there were even special regulations that forbade the pilots to make sharp turns and roll because of the high fragility of the aircraft. For a while, it was even thought that a complete revolution in the vertical plane was simply impossible.

After a number of unsuccessful attempts, the aviation engineers realized that for a normal flight with the wheels up and the aircraft returning to the starting point, it is necessary to create an absolutely stable mechanism. That is, the aircraft must be well balanced, and the point of aerodynamic resistance and the point of driving forces should be as close as possible to each other (ideally - coincide).

Features of the modern Nesterov loop

The dead loop at the dawn of aviation was a kind of challenge to the skill of pilots and engineering. To date, this aerobatics figure is widely used as an element of the air show, and also as a means of training young pilots. This is due to the fact that doing the trick requires working out skills to manage the aircraft in conditions of varying loads, pitch, altitude and speed. Only fully experiencing the capabilities of his aircraft, you can begin to perform the trick. In addition, the dead loop laid the foundation for performing a number of other aerobatics figures, which are used both for the purpose of training skills, and during a real battle.

The loop is considered correct if all the points of the trajectory of the aircraft are in the same vertical plane, while the overload remains positive throughout the maneuver and does not exceed the limit, in which the plane breaks into a tailspin.

The first half of the loop is performed due to the thrust of the power plant and the speed dialed, the second - due to the weight of the aircraft and its attraction to the ground, as well as the thrust of the engines.

The loop of Nesterov by helicopter

The first helicopter to carry out this maneuver was the Ka-50. The design of the machine allows you to perform a full loop for 360 degrees. However, such a maneuver is rather risky in view of the fact that the bearing blades of the apparatus can clash. Therefore, the so-called "slanting loop" is performed at the air show. In this case, the helicopter trajectory lies not in the vertical plane, but slightly inclined with respect to the horizon.

Ground dead loop

The Nesterov loop can also be performed on the ground. So, in order for the car to perform a 360-degree turn in the vertical plane, it is necessary to build a special track. At a sufficient speed, the machine easily passes the highest point of the ring. The same goes for motorcycles. Such tricks are often found in various circus and entertaining motor shows.

Thus, the plane makes the dead loop the most refined and beautiful. Observe the implementation of this maneuver is really exciting.