Serious Question

[UA-RESURRECTED]

An aircraft is maintaining altitude and flying at a very, very slow speed....not even 1 knot above stalling.

The pilot takes the yoke and quickly snaps it over to the right. Will the left wing immediately stall? Will the aircraft roll over to the left? Will it enter a spin?

...or are there simply too many factors such as the design of the wing structure to answer this question?

 

[MauleSkinner]

An aircraft is maintaining altitude and flying at a very, very slow speed....not even 1 knot above stalling.

The pilot takes the yoke and quickly snaps it over to the right. Will the left wing immediately stall? Will the aircraft roll over to the left? Will it enter a spin?

...or are there simply too many factors such as the design of the wing structure to answer this question?

I'd pick the last answer

some airplanes have enough washout so that "not even 1 knot above stalling" leaves substantially more margin in the area of the aileron. Otherwise, any of the answers plus "will it roll to the right?" would be possibilities.

Fly safe!

David

 

[Bandit60]

Try it and let me know how it works out

 

[EMB Skillz]

Idiot! The wing will not stall until you add back pressure and increase the angle of attack. Why don't you go try it.


Moderator reviewed

 

[dragland]

I would tend to think the airplane will roll right as you have commanded it. The stall starts at the wing root and moves outward so you will still have some aileron effectiveness in a typical trainer even in the stall, although at reduced amount. The plane shouldn’t enter a spin unless you are in an uncoordinated condition (ball not centered), but that is characteristic of the airplane. Two different airplanes of the same year and model may have slightly different characteristics. At my flight school we have two 152 II’s and one breaks hard to the left and the other is pretty much neutral, I think it has to do with rigging, maybe not, but I am not a self proclaimed “expert”.
I would tend to think the plane in your example will enter a stall, due to the loss of lift since you are changing the all of the vertical component of lift to some vertical lift and some horizontal lift (since you started a turn) but as long as your coordinated you should not enter a spin.
As far as the plane not stalling until you add backpressure, I would say that is true, UNTIL you increase the load factor (which is what you are doing when you turn). My advice would be to have an instructor show you some cross-controlled stalls, which might help you see and understand the forces at work. And no, you’re NOT an idiot for asking a question such as this, and I agree, go and do some (with an instructor), your mileage may vary. If anyone else has any better or clearer information that proves me right or wrong please share it, I, as everyone else, am still learning.
Be careful,
dragland

 

[Metro752]

An aircraft is maintaining altitude and flying at a very, very slow speed....not even 1 knot above stalling.

The pilot takes the yoke and quickly snaps it over to the right. Will the left wing immediately stall? Will the aircraft roll over to the left? Will it enter a spin?

...or are there simply too many factors such as the design of the wing structure to answer this question?

if a tree falls in the middle of the woods and nobody is around to hear it, will it still make noise?

 

[tomgoodman]

An aircraft is maintaining altitude and flying at a very, very slow speed....not even 1 knot above stalling.

The pilot takes the yoke and quickly snaps it over to the right. Will the left wing immediately stall? Will the aircraft roll over to the left? Will it enter a spin?

...or are there simply too many factors such as the design of the wing structure to answer this question?

In swept-wing airplanes, expect a drag-induced yaw, immediately followed by a yaw-induced roll, a "departure", and possibly an unrecoverable flat spin, with engine flameout to boot. Altitude loss can be spectacular.

 

[mhcasey]

Hey Tom, who did you fly for? My Dad's been flying 75/767's for ~5 years.

 

[tomgoodman]

USAF, then Delta.

 

[Fugawe]

Idiot! The wing will not stall until you add back pressure and increase the angle of attack. Why don't you go try it.

Wow. I'd really love to have you as an instructor.

Fugawe