User Guide

Learning To Fly with Rod Machado

Figure 4

You’re starting out as shown in Figure 3. Your airspeed is 110 knots, your attitude is about 3 degrees

nose up and your MP is about 17 inches. As you do the steep turn pay attention to the airspeed and

attitude. Notice what happens to these. To make the first steep turn less complicated, you won’t add

any power.

I can’t fool you, can I? Oh well, you caught me. Yes, you’re doing an experiment again. So, Doc, get

that white lab coat on.

Here’s what I want you to do:

3. Press P to activate the simulation.

4. Note your present heading, using

the orange heading marker at the

top of the heading indicator as a

reference.

5. Enter a steep turn at 45 degrees of

bank (Figure 4).

Remember from Tutorial 2 that

you’re in a 45-degree bank when the

small orange wings are parallel to

the second white diagonal line in the

lower half of the attitude indicator.

6. While holding the bank steady, adjust the pitch on the attitude indicator until you find an attitude

that allows you to hold your altitude. To compensate for the increase in G-force, you’ll need to

increase the angle of attack by applying rearward pressure on the joystick.

7. When you’re established in the turn and the altitude and bank are steady, press P to pause the

simulation.

Don’t worry about technique right now. You want to examine the aerodynamics first, and then we’ll

talk about the art of making turns.

What This Means to You

You should see a panel similar to that shown in Figure

5. It appears that you need a 6-degree nose-up attitude

to hold your altitude in this turn. Since your angle of

attack increased, more of the wing’s underside is

exposed to the air stream. This creates more lift—but

also more drag. Thus, the airplane slows down a bit, as

shown on the airspeed indicator.

Figure 5