Suspicious Americans

[Palimino]

The Red Bull aerobatic world champs is held every year. The American are very, very good. **Suspiciously so.** At that level of competition the planes are similar and so are the pilots. The Americans were not winning the events by split-seconds, but by margins ranging from 5 to 8 seconds! They have an edge. What is their secret weapon?

I have two theories:

#1 I they are gaining time by cutting corners on the turns. They are already pulling 10 to 11 g’s and they are only meters above the ground (water). It’s not like a fighter pilot who can afford to ‘grey out’ in a tight turn – they have thousands of feet below them in which to recover. A momentary loss in concentration by the Red Bull racers will see them crash. The Americans have found a way to tolerate higher g forces. High G underpants? Watch those Americans closely.

#2 It could be luck but American spelling mitigates against this. Lucky red sox – insipid, weak American luck. Lucky red socks – powerful mojo indeed. Only one problem – socks wear out.

Imagine pushing your luck beyond the limits of the mojo. Your mangled corpse being dragged from the wreckage of your plane. When they remove your shoes to put the tag on your big toe, it sticks out from one of the many holes. How embarrassing.

A ritual for pilots whose socks (or other item of apparel) are wearing-out (for superior European luck), is as follows. It’s your superstition, so you can influence the element of the great Cosmic Consciousness, which governs the distribution of luck. In case the Cosmic Consciousness is in any doubt, you must specify out loud that as long as the socks are in your immediate vicinity, it isn’t necessary that they be worn. Then tuck them into a little-used zipper pocket high on the left arm (all flight suits have these). The mojo should still work.

While performing the ritual, liquid refreshment is an important part. American refreshment is OK (I used Jack Daniels). This must be sucked on at appropriate points.

 

[Just_Ice]

Maybe they are just that good?

 

[Palimino]

Maybe they are just that good?

Possible, but highly improbable. At that level of competition the planes are similar and so are the pilots. Hungary, UK, and other countries? With national ‘face’ at stake? Besides, the American pilot training curriculum is biased towards knowing how to play with all the electronic toys in the modern plane’s cockpit. They are not big on the traditional seat-of-the-pants flying which aerobatics consists of (they have even removed spins from the curriculum, for Crise sake!). Other countries should prepare themselves for a thrashing - I believe SA is a recent entrant but it’s not diplomatic to beat everyone as a newbie. They are been gracious and courteous (a SA trait). Give it a few years.

 

[Palimino]

I have another theory about the American secret weapon but an MD should review it to see whether it’s plausible. Consider:

A momentary loss in concentration by the Red Bull racers will see them crash. The Americans have found a way to tolerate higher g forces. The ‘greying out’ with high G forces is due to lack of oxygen to the brain. I have seen advertising on the TV claiming to ‘oxygenate’ the blood & relieve stress etc. bla, bla (I don’t know if this is hype). It occurred to me that by OD’ing on these oxygen pills before the race, you would saturate brain tissue with oxygen and the brain could function for longer under high g without a blood supply (longer is relative – split seconds or maybe even a full second). The brain works for longer under high g, greater risks can be taken and more g tolerated – a winning formula.

Aside: If this is plausible, expect this kind of ‘doping’ in the Olympics. It can’t be detected (its oxygen [the pills are a health supplement]). It’s probably better than training at altitude or having a blood transfusion. Undetectable.

 

[Palimino]

I have another theory about the American secret weapon but an MD should review it to see whether it’s plausible.

My other theory about the American secret weapon involves ‘cheat sheets’. When you are pulling massive g (as in a competition) the brain ‘greys-out’ through lack of oxygen. You drop massive IQ. While the pilot is suffering from the temporary ‘stupids’ and all the resources of the brain are directed towards clinging-on to consciousness, pilots use these ‘cheat sheets’ to get through high g manoeuvres. This involves developing a simple ‘rote’ mechanical procedure that can be followed without too much [thinking] effort. You may not even be able to process ‘symbolic’ notation (reading) so drawing is better. For example, “When that butte lines-up with this scratch on my canopy, start pulling-up”. The ‘scratch on the canopy’ can be enhanced with a whiteboard marker – quite complicated ‘cheat sheets’ can be developed.

IMO the American’s may have cracked this.

 

[remybfg10k]

tinfoil hats anyone?

 

[Palimino]

My other theory about the American secret weapon involves ‘cheat sheets’....

And another theory about the perfidious American secret weapon.


Throwing around a race aircraft, there are bound to be momentary unbalanced forces on the propeller. In the experimental aircraft arena (which I am familiar with) it wasn’t unusual to receive a slightly unbalanced prop. It was dynamically balanced by a (homemade) gizmo comprising a circular, thick walled loop of clear plastic tubing with some glycerine (measured in grams) in it, fixed around the prop hub. The heavy glycerine liquid would balance the prop by moving within the tube (when the prop spun) to an appropriate position thus compensating for blade imbalance. Glycerine is too viscous and slow moving for a race aircraft but I was thinking something like mercury (administered via hypodermic through the walls of the tube for fine tuning). Suitably heavy and fast moving. It can be concealed in the propeller spinner (like it was made for it) to keep it secret from prying eyes.

Combined with:
If you look at a graph of engine performance you will note that maximum grunt is delivered before the RPM red line. If the prop pitch is tuned to this grunt it should enable the pilot to pull more G (in a loop say) by relieving him of the intellectual burden of having to fiddle with throttle RPM to prevent engine over revving off the back of the loop, by giving the engine more latitude to rev. The time in engine red line is minimised and the pilot can concentrate on flying the plane while he is recovering from G.

Combined with:
The propeller is a spinning mass that has properties of gyroscopic inertia. This can be ignored on a regular aircraft but may have significance in a race aircraft where the plane of rotation is being constantly changed. The lighter this spinning mass is, the less the inertia. The prop is not big so the more expensive space-age materials may be worth considering. Light and strong.

Add all my theories together and maybe it is the American secret weapon.

 

[JK8]

And another theory about the perfidious American secret weapon.


Throwing around a race aircraft, there are bound to be momentary unbalanced forces on the propeller. In the experimental aircraft arena (which I am familiar with) it wasn’t unusual to receive a slightly unbalanced prop. It was dynamically balanced by a (homemade) gizmo comprising a circular, thick walled loop of clear plastic tubing with some glycerine (measured in grams) in it, fixed around the prop hub. The heavy glycerine liquid would balance the prop by moving within the tube (when the prop spun) to an appropriate position thus compensating for blade imbalance. Glycerine is too viscous and slow moving for a race aircraft but I was thinking something like mercury (administered via hypodermic through the walls of the tube for fine tuning). Suitably heavy and fast moving. It can be concealed in the propeller spinner (like it was made for it) to keep it secret from prying eyes.

Combined with:
If you look at a graph of engine performance you will note that maximum grunt is delivered before the RPM red line. If the prop pitch is tuned to this grunt it should enable the pilot to pull more G (in a loop say) by relieving him of the intellectual burden of having to fiddle with throttle RPM to prevent engine over revving off the back of the loop, by giving the engine more latitude to rev. The time in engine red line is minimised and the pilot can concentrate on flying the plane while he is recovering from G.

Combined with:
The propeller is a spinning mass that has properties of gyroscopic inertia. This can be ignored on a regular aircraft but may have significance in a race aircraft where the plane of rotation is being constantly changed. The lighter this spinning mass is, the less the inertia. The prop is not big so the more expensive space-age materials may be worth considering. Light and strong.

Add all my theories together and maybe it is the American secret weapon.

I think im in the wrong class
What is gyroscopic inertia? Its a little more than that feeling you get when a bus stops quickly... right?

 

[Sackboy]

No, a gyroscope is different. It can be anything spinning and will try and retain it's position in space. A bicycle is a gyro.

It also has other properties like rigidity and precession, which I won't go into.

 

[Ou grote]

The aircraft aren't all the same, they're modified.

Here's one vid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KACihiLNYaI

 

[EchoZA]

You all got it wrong the American planes are "fly by wire" the "pilot" is safe at ground level and is a 13 year old Korean What you see on the "in plane camera" is a simulant

 

[Palimino]

The aircraft aren't all the same, they're modified.

Here's one vid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KACihiLNYaI

They are the same basic model. A process of selection (survival of the fittest). If you keep winning, maybe it’s because your a/c is superior? Other pilots note this. I think the Zlin (Eastern European) is the current flavour-of- the-month. They are modified on top of that.

 

[Arthur]

Of course it's impossible that they're just superior pilots, eh!

 

[Palimino]

Of course it's impossible that they're just superior pilots, eh!

Nothing is impossible, but it’s very unlikely. At that level of competition the planes are similar and so are the pilots. The Americans are not winning the events by split-seconds, but by margins ranging from 5 to 8 seconds! National ‘face’ is at stake – it’s a world championship (these are not 2nd rate aerobatic wannabes). In addition, the American pilot training curriculum is biased towards knowing how to play with all the electronic toys in the modern plane’s cockpit. They are not big on the traditional seat-of-the-pants flying which aerobatics consists of (they have even removed spins from the curriculum, for Crise sake!). This goes towards them thinking they are some kind of wonderful when they compete against home grown pilots trained according to the American flying gospel. The quality of their completion at home is inferior.

Given all this I am dubious about them winning with such big margins.

 

[rbarryza]

Do they have drug tests?

 

[Ou grote]

Nothing is impossible, but it’s very unlikely. At that level of competition the planes are similar and so are the pilots. The Americans are not winning the events by split-seconds, but by margins ranging from 5 to 8 seconds! National ‘face’ is at stake – it’s a world championship (these are not 2nd rate aerobatic wannabes). In addition, the American pilot training curriculum is biased towards knowing how to play with all the electronic toys in the modern plane’s cockpit. They are not big on the traditional seat-of-the-pants flying which aerobatics consists of (they have even removed spins from the curriculum, for Crise sake!). This goes towards them thinking they are some kind of wonderful when they compete against home grown pilots trained according to the American flying gospel. The quality of their completion at home is inferior.

Given all this I am dubious about them winning with such big margins.

I did spins in my SA ppl, I'm sure the yanks do it.

 

[Palimino]

I did spins in my SA ppl, I'm sure the yanks do it.

Nope. They don’t. Check it out. Silly, IMO.

 

[Palimino]

Do they have drug tests?

Probably. There are not many pilots competing so expense is not a factor. Drugged-up pilots would need to use something undetectable.

I have another theory about the American secret weapon but an MD should review it to see whether it’s plausible. Consider:

A momentary loss in concentration by the Red Bull racers will see them crash. The Americans have found a way to tolerate higher g forces. The ‘greying out’ with high G forces is due to lack of oxygen to the brain. I have seen advertising on the TV claiming to ‘oxygenate’ the blood & relieve stress etc. bla, bla (I don’t know if this is hype). It occurred to me that by OD’ing on these oxygen pills before the race, you would saturate brain tissue with oxygen and the brain could function for longer under high g without a blood supply (longer is relative – split seconds or maybe even a full second). The brain works for longer under high g, greater risks can be taken and more g tolerated – a winning formula.

Aside: If this is plausible, expect this kind of ‘doping’ in the Olympics. It can’t be detected (its oxygen [the pills are a health supplement]). It’s probably better than training at altitude or having a blood transfusion. Undetectable.

Personally, I would want to keep all my wits about me when travelling so fast near the ground, under competitive pressure. Besides, the pilots know they would be tested. Unless it’s undetectable, it’s too risky. I think drug testing is more a matter of form than a serious expectation that something may be found.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Are you sure you don't need to go and do some fact checking before jumping on the conspiracy train there Palimino?

2008 World Championship
POS PILOT NAT POINTS
1 Hannes Arch AUT 61
2 Paul Bonhomme GBR 54
3 Kirby Chambliss USA 46
4 Mike Mangold USA 44

And the Highest I can find an American finishing this year so far is 3rd, and he was 2seconds off the winner....

And in 2008, an American only won twice out of 8 races... Once with a 3second advantage, and the other with a less then 0.5 second advantage

FAIL for you I think....

 

[Palimino]

Are you sure you don't need to go and do some fact checking before jumping on the conspiracy train there Palimino?

I was watching spotty SABC 3 coverage in 2008. Maybe it was for 2007. I was talking about the heats held in various countries. Once one of the Americans messed-up big time (Chambliss?). He still came in 3rd for that heat because his times were so good. The American’s blew it massively in the finals. They just stuffed-up (they must be suicidal), they weren’t out flown. Their initial times were suspicious, they moderated the ridiculously favourable times they were turning-in. They must have realised it was a dead give-away.