Question for RL pilots, in-cockpit field of view during roll and similar manouvers

[Kenan]

When doing a 'simple' roll, with all the movement inside the cockpit (due to G-Forces), how hard is it to keep your eye on the HUD i.e. do you, under such circumstances, keep looking at the HUD as a 'guideline' on when to roll out or do the G-Forces make it too difficult and one has to focus on the 'general view' outside the HUD area in order to 'feel' the timing for a rollout or simply changing the course of a manouver?

 

 

In case my question is not clear (which is very likely I guess), I am referring to this (and similar) manouvers:

 

 

(In case the link doesn't show the right timeline, it starts from 9:45)

[Deano87]

Well during a roll you shouldn't be feeling much in the way of G-force, apart from normal 1G of gravity rotating around you, which can be weird to begin with. At the relatively moderate roll rates that most Jets roll at its quite easy to look around the cockpit as you normally would, so looking at the HUD, or anywhere else outside if you should want to, especially if you are flying the aircraft at the time so you're commanding the roll and can control how fast the roll rate ramps up and down at the beginning and end of the manoeuvre.

 

The only time you'd use the HUD exclusively to judge when to end a roll would be if you couldn't see the horizon. Otherwise you can get a very good feeling of when your level again purely from the horizon coming back round to where it should be in your vision/peripheral vision.

 

Unlimited aerobatic aircraft that can produce roll rates up to 420 degrees a second like the Extra 330 etc can actually produce interesting centripetal forces on your head of around -2G+ purely from the speed of the rotation and your head wanting to be thrown out through the canopy. Quite a strange feeling. They can also start and stop rolls instantly which especially when not flying the aircraft (passenger) can be quite jarring.

Edited December 8, 2018 by Deano87

[Stal2k]

Dude I ended up binging almost this entire series, thanks haha.

[Emmy]

Much depends on the aircraft and the type of roll and your personal tolerance.

 

As stated above, a loaded roll isn’t usually much of a thing. However, a very tight, axial roll can be very uncomfortable if you’re in something where you sit above the centerline. I had an opportunity a few years ago to fly some simple figures in a T-6G Texan. Loops were awesome. Steep turns were fun. Barrel rolls were a blast. But burying the stick hard over and doing a very “tight” roll hurt like hell because it’s an outside maneuver in that aircraft given that you sit quite high. I’ve done similar in a T-34 Mentor and it’s not as bad. Sitting down in a Pitts and it’s practically a non-issue except your brain gets scrambled watching the horizon spin like a top.

 

Only time I’ve ever been truly “knock it off” air sick was after that axial roll in the Texan. Started to reach for the bag. Even mock air combat where we were pulling 6 Gs in a Nanchang never made me feel that bad!

[Steve Davies]

You can get some sense of the lateral g forces during rolls in this video:

 

 

Go to about 30 seconds for the start of the manoeuvring.

Edited December 8, 2018 by Steve Davies

[Sharkku]

Dude I ended up binging almost this entire series, thanks haha.

 

Haha, me too! :D Thanks!

[Kenan]

^^ You're welcome guys! :D