- Spin: A major crash factor
- Dimitrios Katsoulis
- October 7, 2017
- No Comments
Spin is one of the most frequent and deadly crash factors along with ill construction, maintenance and electronics or hardware failure, which contribute to our fleet’s renewal! 
How a model goes into a spin? It’s fairly simple! The airplane comes for landing. The throttle is cut back, the airspeed is getting low and height is decreased. At some point it turns for the final approach. On the turn the model tilts and begins naturally to dive faster. The pilot pulls UP, the model loses its lift, stalls and goes into a SPIN. Another way to guaranteed go into a SPIN is to PULL hard on AILERONS and ELEVATOR during TAKE-OFF. Of course the above mentioned methods are not the appropriate ones as is the follow: The maneuver begins from a safe altitude. The throttle is cut back and the airspeed lets to drop keeping the aircraft’s nose UP by applying UP ELEVATOR. When STALL speed is achieved then RUDDER and maybe AILERON to the same direction is applied always keeping the ELEVATOR UP. If the model has a lot of stability or the airspeed hasn’t been decreased enough, the result will most probably be a spiral dive. To keep the model spinning, UP ELEVATOR should be kept applied to prevent the aircraft from gaining speed and RUDDER to maintain its rotation. If during SPIN the throttle is advanced, then most probably the rate of SPIN will increase than to achieve to exit from it. Exit from SPIN is achieved by increasing the airspeed in order the airplane to exit from the STALL by applying ELEVATOR DOWN and stoppage of the rotation moving the RUDDER to the center. Some models may require the appliance of RUDDER to the opposite direction. Nevertheless the key point is the increase of the air speed. Even if the ground is rising fast, only by applying ELEVATOR DOWN the model exits from the STALL and regains speed. The instinctive movement to PULL UP won’t be of any use and it will keep the model into STALL and uncontrolled. Also attention must be given (when the control is ours again) not to overreact, because the model has relatively slow forward speed and a sudden PULL UP will put it into STALL again. Except from the aerobatic Rc pilots with their especially designed models who perform such maneuvers in a safe altitude, SPIN is always a dangerous situation for any kind of aircraft, either a model or a real one. Especially prone to SPIN are the scale models, small size wingtips models, heavy models and of course multi-engine models after the loss of an engine. Naturally, combination of any of the above simply makes things worst. Summary
How a model goes into a spin? It’s fairly simple! The airplane comes for landing. The throttle is cut back, the airspeed is getting low and height is decreased. At some point it turns for the final approach. On the turn the model tilts and begins naturally to dive faster. The pilot pulls UP, the model loses its lift, stalls and goes into a SPIN. 
Another way to guaranteed go into a SPIN is to PULL hard on AILERONS and ELEVATOR during TAKE-OFF. 
Of course the above mentioned methods are not the appropriate ones as is the follow: The maneuver begins from a safe altitude. The throttle is cut back and the airspeed lets to drop keeping the aircraft’s nose UP by applying UP ELEVATOR. When STALL speed is achieved then RUDDER and maybe AILERON to the same direction is applied always keeping the ELEVATOR UP. If the model has a lot of stability or the airspeed hasn’t been decreased enough, the result will most probably be a spiral dive. To keep the model spinning, UP ELEVATOR should be kept applied to prevent the aircraft from gaining speed and RUDDER to maintain its rotation. 
If during SPIN the throttle is advanced, then most probably the rate of SPIN will increase than to achieve to exit from it. 
Exit from SPIN is achieved by increasing the airspeed in order the airplane to exit from the STALL by applying ELEVATOR DOWN and stoppage of the rotation moving the RUDDER to the center. Some models may require the appliance of RUDDER to the opposite direction. 
Nevertheless the key point is the increase of the air speed. Even if the ground is rising fast, only by applying ELEVATOR DOWN the model exits from the STALL and regains speed. The instinctive movement to PULL UP won’t be of any use and it will keep the model into STALL and uncontrolled. Also attention must be given (when the control is ours again) not to overreact, because the model has relatively slow forward speed and a sudden PULL UP will put it into STALL again. Except from the aerobatic Rc pilots with their especially designed models who perform such maneuvers in a safe altitude, SPIN is always a dangerous situation for any kind of aircraft, either a model or a real one. 
Especially prone to SPIN are the scale models, small size wingtips models, heavy models and of course multi-engine models after the loss of an engine. 
Naturally, combination of any of the above simply makes things worst. Summary- Never try to SPIN at a low altitude. If unwittingly occurs then
- Apply DOWN ELEVATOR
- Keep RUDDER and AILERON at NEUTRAL
- Put ENGINE/ES in IDLE
- When airspeed picks up most models will recover, but if not then apply some RUDDER
- When sufficient air speed is gained, slowly apply UP ELEVATOR
- With the model again in horizontal flight, pass the radio to someone else to calm yourself!!!
