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13 Answers

T-37 Spin Recovery

Asked by: 11121 views , , ,
Aerodynamics, Flight Instructor, General Aviation

T-37 is a multi engine aircraft with b/a ratio less than 1.3. We apply standard rudder recovery by applying opposite rudder for 3 sec and then moving stick full forward position. As rotation stops neutralize the rudders. My question is that is there any other technique for recovering this aircraft from spin. 

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13 Answers



  1. Sam Dawson on Feb 13, 2013

    The standard for spin recovery is, for the most part, PARED.
    P- Power to idle. Not sure how much of an effect this would have on the T-37.
    A- Ailerons neutral.
    R- Rudder opposite the spin.
    E- Elevator forward. In some airplanes this may be nothing more than relaxing the back pressure, while in others it may require brisk forward stick to break the stall.
    D- Dive recovery. Level the wings, neutralize the rudders and pull out while staying below the G limits.

    Not sure with the T-37 how this would work.

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  2. Dave on Feb 13, 2013

    The T-37 was designed to stabilize in a spin. The prototype spun so violently that the aircraft had to undergo modification to pass its AF flight tests. There were spin strakes added at the front of the nose to keep the spin stable at approximately 45 degrees nose low. An improvement from the previous 60 degrees nose low. The fuselage was lenghtened several feet. I can’t remember the exact dimension. The recovery as taught in Undergraduate pilot training was:
    Throttles: Idle
    Rudder and Airlerons: Neutral
    Stick full aft and Hold: This kept the nose up as much as possible reducing the rotation rate to a managable rate
    Determine Direction of rotation
    Abruptly apply full rudder opposite the direction of of rotation
    Stick Abruptly full forward one turn after applying rudder: This actually pitched the aircraft nose down very rapidly but “broke” the spin
    Recover from the ensuing dive.

    If you held the stick forward too long, the aircraft would enter and inverted spin. From that position the recovery technique above would transition you into an upright spin for a proper recovery.

    Dave Stanicar T-37 Instructor Pilot with over 1000 student sorties

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  3. rizwan on Feb 14, 2013

    Thanks Dave . Can you please tell me how these strakes modify the airflow that they don’t allow nose to go in the steep dive of 60 deg. I am also T-37 instructor so was just curious that can we use some other technique to recover from spin other than this standard recovery?

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  4. waqas zeb on Feb 14, 2013

    hi Rizwan

    i m in too…i overheard that T-37 recovers even if you dont apply the recovery but to experience it you need patience and guts coz aircraft recovers after several rotations. another thing is the stick recovery which was taught in Turkish T-37 training. what exactly is it is a mystery for me.

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  5. Dave on Feb 14, 2013

    The strakes actually create a pocket of air under them keeping the nose from dropping. Be very careful of easing the stick forward when in a spin, That will induce a nose drop to about 60 degrees nose low and it will wrap up to a rotation rate that will pin you to the side of the cockpit. That’s actually a blast. As soon as you move the stick full aft, the nose will come back up. We used to call the above procedure “The Single Spin Recovery” because it works for any spin condition. Wish I could get a flight in the Tweet again.

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  6. rizwan on Feb 14, 2013

    well indeed it is such a beautiful aircraft to fly. Just wondering why Turkish Academy has some sort of other recovery procedure for this aircraft

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  7. Dave on Feb 14, 2013

    We also taught a spin prevention that worked up to the point that the plane was stabilized in the spin. Up to about 1 1/2 turns you could just neutrallize the stick and it would recover. Zero g force, zero lift — therefore no stall. No stall, no spin. Just let it float over until you regain control. Hope tjhis all helps.

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  8. Brian on Feb 14, 2013

    “There were spin strakes added at the front of the nose to keep the spin stable at approximately 45 degrees nose low. An improvement from the previous 60 degrees nose low.”

    Interesting Dave. Do you happen to know why the goal was to stabilize in a higher nose position?

    Typically the lower the nose position the faster the spin, yes. But also, and more importantly from most design standpoints, the less effective the rudder due to the blanketing from the horizontal stab. We’ve all heard how dangerous flat spins are for this reason.

    Nose down –> flat spin can be viewed as a spectrum for rudder effectiveness being lost as you progress toward the flat spin side of the spectrum. It sounds peculiar to me that this design goes against that idea. Any light you could shed would be appreciated.

    Much thanks,

    Brian

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  9. Dave on Feb 14, 2013

    The rotation rate at 60 degrees nose low is spectacular. The rudder was incapable of producing enough moment to stop the rotation. Even after it was lenghened the rotation was almost uncontrollable. I don’t think there was any stretch left in the fuselage to add moment to the rudder. The plane is dropping at over 11,000 feet per min in the more upright stabilized spin. I don’t know how fast it is coming down in the accelerated spin mode. 45 degrees nose low is still far from a flat spin condition and probably a best compromise between rotation rate and rudder effectiveness. Have you spun it and what are your feelings? I can remember the entry was about 30 degrees nose up, full stall, full rudder and hang on through several oscillations above and below the horizon before it stabilized nose low. Relaxing back pressure during the oscillations would recover the plane. You almost had to force it to spin but once it started, hang on. There’s a good book called “Cessna Warbirds” available on Amazon.com that describes the aerodynamics fairly well.

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  10. Brian on Feb 15, 2013

    “Have you spun it and what are your feelings?”

    I have not, I’m asking just out of curiosity. My background is as a puddle jumper instructor enjoys aerodynamic study at leisure. I do happen to know the gentlemen who wrote the POH for that aircraft and sent him an e-mail. Though I’ve not heard from him in years, so I’m not holding my breath.

    Thank you for the book suggestion, I’ll pick that up. Usually the more nose up the more there is a loss of rudder effectiveness, which is why this case interests me. From the picture you paint it sounds like the increased need for rudder at 60 degrees outweighed a likely smaller benefit gained in rudder effectiveness.

    Also, noting the horizontal stabilizer is in the middle of the rudder, the issues I’m talking about may not exist. Typically my readings apply to a conventional tailed aircraft.

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  11. Bat Bateman on Mar 29, 2013

    As a former T-37 instructor at Webb AFB when the T-37 was new to us, I offer the following:
    When the wing tanks are empty, the T-37 will recover using the “normal” spin recovery, (referred to as “PARED”). However with fuel in the wings that can slosh outboard, the “Wham! Bam! Thank you ma’am!” procedure will give a more positive recovery.
    I believe it was Harry Zahn, a fellow instructor who experienced a loss of rudder during a spin recovery check ride. He completed a stick only recovery, but had to land at a nearby commercial airport due to existing crosswinds at Webb.
    I can also testify that the T-37 can be recovered from a spin with no canopy, although I can not say that I recommend it.
    Bat Bateman

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  12. Don Dickinson on Nov 21, 2014

    Both my fellow Flight Examiner/Spin Instructor and I at Sheppard found ourselves in situations of doing an occasional full pro rudder recovery when we had a max fuel load for spin demonstrations. When we queried Cessna about this, they came back that the Tweet’s primary spin recovery control (with strakes etc.) was the elevator. If you could force the nose down, it could gain enough airspeed to overcome the pro rudder. However, the only sure recovery procedure was the standard rudder against the spin procedure. Answer to the situation was to weight to do the pro spin rudder recovery attempt until after the fuel load was burned off preventing the ability to force the nose down.

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  13. Don Dickinson on Nov 21, 2014

    As a Flight Examiner/Spin Instructor at Sheppard, we found that an occasional pro spin rudder recovery was possible when the plane was at max fuel load for spin demos. When Cessna test pilots were queried, they responded that the Tweet’s primary recovery control (as configured w/strakes) was the elevator, not the rudder. The trick was being able to force the nose down enough to gain enough airspeed to overcome the effect of the pro spin rudder. However (and this was a big however), the only certain recovery procedure was the one used in the Dash-1 with anti-spin rudder. Solution to the problem was to never do a heavy weight pro spin recovery attempt demo. Wait until you were light enough that the nose would stay up.

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