Looping. Should he do this [a steep dive], and should he, in addition, put his engine on full at the same time as he pulls back his stick to the limit, he will, in all probability, loop, although this is not by any means the safest or best method of performing this very simple but, at the same time, very effective maneuver. A pupil who wants to loop should select a machine that is known to loop easily such as an
Avro or B.E.2c [emphasis mine]. He then ascends to a height of 3000ft or 4000ft, gradually puts the nose of the machine down to a speed of 80mph or 85mph (75knots or 80 knots), attaining this maximum by a more gentle descent than would be possible if he attempted to nose dive to this speed. He then pulls the control lever as far back as it will go, in one firm, strong pull, the effect of which is to cause the machine to rear vertically upwards and over. When he is upside down, he will se the ground below him and must then cut off his engine and a few moments later ease the stick, gradually centering it. The engine can be switched on again when the steepness of the nose dive has been materially decreased. The first part of the pull-back should be slower than the latter, on account of the greater speed of the machine in the early stages of the loop. The control must be held back until the machine has completed the loop.
Before looping, the pilot should see that the machine is perfectly trued up and that all the wires are correctly adjusted. He should make sure that his belt is strong enough to hold him, in case he should make a bad loop or stall in a more or less upside-down position. If he did a correct loop there would be no need for him to wear a belt, as the centrifugal force of the maneuver would pin him to his seat.
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