Aerobatics Made Easy - Flying The Cobra With Half-Rolls

Upright and inverted flight in a triangle

- John Glezellis

For something a bit out of the ordinary but not overly demanding, I would like to cover an aerobatic maneuver called the “Cobra with half-rolls.” If you are interested in full-scale aerobatics, another maneuver goes by a similar name: the “Pugachev Cobra.”

The Cobra with half-rolls shows poststall maneuvering as it displays an abrupt pitch change and a high angle of attack. The move is similar to the wall, a common 3D maneuver where the model will transition abruptly from horizontal upright level flight to a vertical situation instantly with a hard pull on the elevator control surface. Unlike the Cobra with half-rolls, however, the model will not return back to upright level flight after performing the wall. Three-dimensional aerobatics are exciting to both watch and perform; however, I always like to stress the importance of practicing maneuvers that will prepare the pilot for more advanced flight. So in a nutshell, this month’s topic will do the trick.

FIRST THINGS FIRST