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IAC Known Sequences for 2019

ronschreck

Well Known Member
When you are through with the eggnog and ready to get back in the cockpit you might like to try out the IAC KNOWN SEQUENCES for 2019. Final approval by the IAC Executive Committee is expected soon after the holidays but these sequences are the latest proposals by the Known Sequence Committee and I expect they will be approved without changes.

Below is the Sportsman Known. The only change from the original proposal was to change figure 8 from a reverse wedge to a forward wedge.

2019 Proposed Sportsman Known



Below is the Intermediate Known. The snap on a 45-degree up line was removed and an avalanche was added. There was some discussion about removing snap rolls from the Intermediate sequences but the Known Sequence Committee rejected that and opted to keep snaps in Intermediate.

2019 Proposed Intermediate Known



Rule proposal 29-2019 was approved by the Board so K-values for all categories are increased. This means that the free programs you may have used last year may need to be revised and signed off by a judge again. This might be a good time to develop a free sequence if you didn't have one or re-design your old free sequence.

2019 K Value Changes



I flew the Intermediate Known sequence a few times this morning and was surprised to find that it is an altitude GAINER! I like it!

I will be tracking RV pilots again in 2019 and will be publishing contest results here on VAF. You need to fly at least two contests in 2019 to qualify for a place in the standings.

Here's wishing you a very happy holiday season. I hope Santa brings you all the RV related goodies you hope for. Merry Christmas!
 
Thanks for posting these Ron! Hey, I feel a little dumb for asking, but I can't find these on the IAC website. Can you give me a link to the sequences, either proposed or final for 2019?
 
Thanks for posting these Ron! Hey, I feel a little dumb for asking, but I can't find these on the IAC website. Can you give me a link to the sequences, either proposed or final for 2019?

Gash,

For the original proposals: Sign in to the IAC web site. Go to the Archives Tab, Governance Docs, Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, Fall Board Meeting Agenda, Agenda 13b. Simple. :rolleyes:

https://www.iac.org/files/minutes/Agend Item 13.b Known Proposals to Board 2019.pdf

For a listing of sequences (known, free, unknown) from as far back as 1995 go to the Archives tab, Sequences. I go here and randomly pick sequences to practice for Unknown sequences. Also a great resource if you are looking for Free sequence ideas.

BTW, we will vote on the revised proposals for the 2019 Known sequences on December 29th. I'll post the results here.

BTW Gash, there are no dumb questions. Just dumb answers and I have lots of those! :D
 
Like it, mostly

I like the new (expected) known sportsman sequence. I especially like that it eliminates a spin. Spins are so very different from airplane to airplane that they do not make a good completion figure. Kudos to the IAC for eliminating spins from the known.

I dislike the inclusion of snap rolls in the intermediate sequence. RV type aircraft do not snap well or easily. And, frankly, it's just **** hard on the airplane. I love competing in my airplane but I don't want to destroy it either. Snaps should be for advanced and above. That would encourage more proficient sportsman category participants to move up a level. I will never move up to Intermediate if I have to snap roll my airplane - period.

Nice job Ron and IAC on the new sequences. I'd like to think that the RV communities support of Ron as a Director has contributed significantly to making entrance into and participation in the IAC a more attractive thing for RV owners!
Best regards,
Randy
 
Knowns

And then . . .

I looked at the Primary sequence on the IAC website and saw it starts, typically, with a 1 1/2 spin! So we put our newest competitors in the position of executing one of the most competitive judging specific figures. Go figure!

Oh well, progress however slight . . .
 
I like the new (expected) known sportsman sequence. I especially like that it eliminates a spin. Spins are so very different from airplane to airplane that they do not make a good completion figure. Kudos to the IAC for eliminating spins from the known.

Randy, the lack of spin in the Known is not really a strategic trend beginning this year. The Known changes every year, and sometimes they simply don't have a spin. This has happened before. Regarding different flight characteristics of various aircraft, that's what makes this sport interesting. It's also what forces pilots to really learn what's required to produce good results in their aircraft. Not every airplane has to spin exactly like another airplane to make the spin a suitable competition figure. It's all about technique and practice. I only recall one or two airplanes (both warbirds) in my ten years in the sport, including judging, that physically could not be coerced into a decent looking spin. But these planes were being flown purely for laughs and you can bet the pilot and everyone else on the ground were having fun and not caring about the airplane's spin qualities. :) 99.9% of the time, spin presentation problems are pilot issues, RVs included.

I dislike the inclusion of snap rolls in the intermediate sequence. RV type aircraft do not snap well or easily. And, frankly, it's just **** hard on the airplane. I love competing in my airplane but I don't want to destroy it either. Snaps should be for advanced and above. That would encourage more proficient sportsman category participants to move up a level. I will never move up to Intermediate if I have to snap roll my airplane - period.

I understand the RV-centric perspective on this, but the counterpoint here is that there are maybe two RV pilots in the whole country currently whose participation in Intermediate may be influenced by the snap roll issue. I'd love to see more RVs at contests, but the snap issue is definitely not what is holding back the RV population from giving the sport a try. The basic level snap is a rather fundamental acro figure, and 95% of IAC pilots who are willing to fly Intermediate are also flying aircraft perfectly capable of snapping. The snap and the occasional roller are practically the only new maneuvers that actually differentiate Intermediate from Sportsman. Eliminating it would significantly change the building block nature of the category structure, and make it a lot less interesting watching newbie Intermediate pilots work on them.

I looked at the Primary sequence on the IAC website and saw it starts, typically, with a 1 1/2 spin! So we put our newest competitors in the position of executing one of the most competitive judging specific figures. Go figure!

This is nothing new either, and the 1.5 spin is actually the easiest spin to fly and score well. Easier than the 1 turn. You'll of course never see the 1 1/4 in Primary.
 
And then . . .

I looked at the Primary sequence on the IAC website and saw it starts, typically, with a 1 1/2 spin! So we put our newest competitors in the position of executing one of the most competitive judging specific figures. Go figure!

Oh well, progress however slight . . .

Go figure, is right. Spin is eliminated in Sportsman but remains in Primary. The spin is an intimidating figure for beginners, and the RV will find it difficult to score well (Unless you have 30 pounds of lead shot in your tail)
 
I will actually miss the spin. Always liked them. Oh well might finally force me to get my act together and get the free I have been talking about all year .... ,

Haven?t flown the sequence yet ( waiting for a new alternator) but sportsman figure 5-6-7 seems interesting for an RV. You either keep the power in but then you will have to much speed for a spli-s or you don?t and get a slow roll like this year. In particular if you don?t have the breaking power of a constant speed prop.

Will make it interesting.

Thx Ron for representing RV?s at the IAC you are doing a great job. Looking forward to flying this.

Oliver
 
Go figure, is right. Spin is eliminated in Sportsman but remains in Primary. The spin is an intimidating figure for beginners, and the RV will find it difficult to score well (Unless you have 30 pounds of lead shot in your tail)

Not quit sure why you say that. Only made one contest this year but my spin average was 8.8 in both flights and I have no weight in my tail. Never had an issue with spin entry.

Oliver
 
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I noticed the snaproll in the Intermediate Sequence is at the top of a loop.
This has got to be the most gentle snap roll. Low airspeed, minimal positive G.
I don't see this as a high stress maneuver for an RV.
However, a more vigorous snaproll could be included in the 'Unknown'?
Additionally, unknown sequences tend to have more pilot errors, so a poorly flown snap done at a higher speed could occur in the 'Unknown'.
I would lobby for restricting those instead of the Avalanche in the 'Known Sequence'.
 
Not quit sure why you say that. Only made one contest this year but my spin average was 8.8 in both flights and I have no weight in my tail. Never had an issue with spin entry.

Unfortunately, misinformation about the suitability of RVs for competition acro has largely come from those within the RV community itself who have little or no experience with it. Fortunately folks like you, Ron, Bill, Jerry, and a modest growing number of others produce results that speak for themselves. :)
 
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I dislike the inclusion of snap rolls in the intermediate sequence. RV type aircraft do not snap well or easily. And, frankly, it's just **** hard on the airplane. I love competing in my airplane but I don't want to destroy it either. Snaps should be for advanced and above. That would encourage more proficient sportsman category participants to move up a level. I will never move up to Intermediate if I have to snap roll my airplane - period.


Best regards,
Randy

Randy,

I would hate to see you stuck in Sportsman for the rest of your life just because you won't do snaps. Snaps CAN be hard on the airplane if done improperly which means done at too high airspeed. I find the sweet spot for snaps is 100-110 knots which is well below the 122 knot maneuvering speed. I never see more that 3.5 Gs on my snaps and with the CG about 1.25 inches forward of the aft aerobatic CG limit the snaps seem to score well and feel very comfortable. Van has weighed in on snaps in his article in the August 2016 Sport Aviation magazine:


"SNAP ROLL MANEUVERS
RVs are capable of performing snap rolls, but
these tend to be less crisp and of a lower roll
rate than many other aerobatic aircraft. Also,
I found that when trying to improve their
crispness by performing them at near
maneuvering speed limits, more than 4g was
experienced. Since this was a higher level
than I was comfortable with, I saw this as
one more deterrent to competition flying. I
did not include snaps in my air show routines
other than when done at low speeds,
such as at the tops of loops. I feel safe saying
that regardless of pilot skills, RVs cannot
perform crisp snap rolls like those routinely
exhibited by new aerobatic designs. That
said, some competition aerobatic pilots have
shown that RVs can do snap rolls satisfactorily
for requirements of the Intermediate
class."


(Note: That last sentence was referring to Bill McLean and myself.)

Randy, I have been doing snaps for years and have seen no damage attributable to that activity. I think you will see that snaps in the Intermediate category are such that they need not be performed at high speed. The only snaps allowed are on 45-degree up lines, level lines and avalanches. Learning snaps can be frustrating but once mastered they can be fun to perform and do no harm to the RV. Give 'em a try! :D

 
Snap Rolls

Hi Ron,
You're right, as usual. I think my problem with not getting a consistently repeatable snap roll is that my CG isn't far enough aft. I've been working on that. I need one of your lead shot tanks!
Thanks!
Randy
 
I think my problem with not getting a consistently repeatable snap roll is that my CG isn't far enough aft.

Randy, have you had quality coaching/critiquing on snap technique from someone truly able to dispense it? That can go a long way. Really good, repeatable snaps are a high art form and take a whole lot of work. Unless you've done a million of them, really studied, analyzed and experimented with technique down to the tiny fraction of a second differences in timing the multiple inputs, and made them automatic without thinking about them, there is likely a good bit of room for technique improvement. I say this from watching, judging, and flying a million competition snaps. Snaps are amazingly responsive to extremely small variations in timing and technique. Not at all the simple yank and stomp maneuver that lots of pilots think of them as. No two pilots snap an airplane exactly the same. They are like pilot fingerprints. At a certain point, lots of folks can do rolls, loops, lines, hammers, and spins nearly equally well. To me, the differentiator and individual style and skill is in the snaps. It's one of the most interesting things about watching competition flights.
 
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Hello everyone! Sorry I?m late to the party here. Christmas, family, and work prevented me from joining this thread sooner. Everything I was going to say has already been said by others. I will just add my personal experience.

I wholeheartedly agree with Eric, Ron and Oliver concerning spins and snaps. Done properly, I do not feel that a snap stresses the airplane any more than a slightly accelerated spin. I?m moving up to Intermediate this season and plan on getting proficient in snaps and rolling turns. While I have yet to do snaps and rollers in competition, I have practiced the snaps a bit since September. But I have only experimented with speeds below 90 knots. I have yet to do them in the 100-110 knot range that Ron suggests as the sweet spot. Even at speeds below 90, I feel that I?ve been able to execute some really sweet snaps. Time will tell when I do them in front of a judge, but I can tell it just feels nice, kind of like a good golf swing or ?swish? with a basketball. I love doing them!. The key with doing snaps on other than an Avalanche will be to monitor your energy and practice getting your energy where you want it. If you?re too fast, take a break and try again. The only time I have felt funny about the stress on the airplane has been when the airplane popped out of the snap prematurely in an effort to accelerate the snap. It?s only then, when I felt some side loading on the plane. Again, these were done at speeds well below maneuvering speed.

Regarding the spin, I view this as a basic, essential aerobatic maneuver. It and it?s variations should be a requirement of any basic aerobatic course. A basic aerobatic course should also include stalls in all attitudes and at various speeds, and unusual attitude recovery training. The spin, being a basic essential maneuver, should be included in Primary and Sportsman sequences. Building blocks like Eric said. It was for this reason that the board decided on retaining snaps in Intermediate. Is it difficult to score well? Sure it is. But a lot of figures are difficult to score well, including the dreaded loop and my nemesis, the Cuban 8! But with practice and diligence, the spin can be flown rather successfully. One should not be intimidated by spins if considering doing aerobatics, much less competition aerobatics. If intimidated by spins, one should get the appropriate training and get proficient.

In any case, I?m really looking forward to the 2019 season. I?m really excited about the Intermediate Known and look forward to burning a lot of AVGAS in an effort to perfect it. So what?s the maneuver I feel that is going to give me the most trouble? The roller of course! In addition, the full roll after the half loop up in Figure 5. may pose a challenge. It takes a lot pot stirring and foot dancing to make low speed roll in an RV look good, but it can be done!
 
snap rolls RVs

When I first tried to snap roll my modified RV-4, I couldn?t get it to snap using the stick pull force and rudder input I had used in a S2-B Pitts and a CAP 10. I had told Ron that the -4 just didn?t have enough rudder. Ron had been routinely snapping his RV-8, but the rudder is bigger with a horn. I finally got my -4 to snap at 100 knots by jerking the stick with both hands and stomping the left rudder. What an ugly figure and unacceptable technique.:eek: The 2017 Known for Intermediate had a ? snap on an up 45 line of a 31 K figure, so I eventually after much practice and coaching was able average about a 6 score in three contests for this figure. Going through the IAC archives of unknown sequences to learn all the different figures and snap rolls at the Intermediate level, I tried UNK-320 from 2016. The ? snap in figure 3 was on an up 45 line following a push humpty with a ? roll on the down line. At the top of the humpty I pulled the throttle to idle and stayed there about 3/4 through the box to bleed off the speed before the snap roll. After the sequence, I checked my G meter in my GT-50, and it was significantly over the RV positive G limits. That really got my attention, and I checked to make sure the wings and tail were still attached. The mathematic equation to determine the number of Gs pulled with a snap roll is the square root of the air speed divided by the stall speed. For example, at 100 knots with a stall speed of 50 knots, the calculated Gs would be 4. (AS/Stall speed) ^2.
For a better understanding of the Gs, initiation and recovery of the snap rolls for my aircraft, I began a series of test flights recording Gs and AS. I?ll post the data and graphs on Ron?s RV yahoo website for those interested, with some other issues of concerns. As Eric and others have mentioned, every airplane and pilot techniques are a little different.
Bill McLean
RV-4 slider
Lower AL
 
It's official....

The IAC Board met via teleconference this evening and voted unanimously to accept the Known sequences as revised by the Known Sequence Committee.
The sequences as shown in post #1 of this thread are the official Known sequences for 2019. Start practicing!
 
That?s fantastic! The Intermediate looks like a great sequence. I?m looking forward to flying it. I will need some serious practice on a couple individual figures first, the snap and roller of course. Thanks for letting us know Ron.
 
Thanks Ron! It looks like a fun sequence. Can't wait to try it out this weekend! I kinda like the reverse wedge better (more fun), but I understand that it's more difficult without inverted systems - although I don't have any problems with mine. I just want to keep the negative stuff to 3 seconds or less in duration b/c I'm worried about oil starvation for the engine. Fuel-wise, no problem.

I totally agree with Bill on the snaps. I've recently got some dual time in a Pitts S2B and done about half a dozen of them, but cannot seem to do a decent one in my -4. I just can't get it to break cleanly no matter how hard/ briskly I pull on the stick. I'm sure it's technique, and I haven't figure it out yet. Maybe I can get some input from you guys. I know snaps are not in the Sportsman sequence, but I like to learn new stuff and just have fun (besides flying competition sequences).
 
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I totally agree with Bill on the snaps. I've recently got some dual time in a Pitts S2B and done about half a dozen of them, but cannot seem to do a decent one in my -4. I just can't get it to break cleanly no matter how hard/ briskly I pull on the stick. I'm sure it's technique, and I haven't figure it out yet. Maybe I can get some input from you guys. I know snaps are not in the Sportsman sequence, but I like to learn new stuff and just have fun (besides flying competition sequences).

Well, look at you! One contest in Primary and you are already practicing Intermediate figures. :) I'm going to keep my eye on you!

Your -4 is a different beast than my -8 so what works for me may be different in subtle ways. Generally speaking, a snap roll works when one wing is stalled just when the yaw motion is introduced. The sweet spot for my -8 is 100-110 knots upon entry. I suspect it might be lower for the -4 and maybe Bill McLean can chime in here. Snaps work best at a high power setting with plenty of prop wash over the tail so it would be best to slow slightly below your ideal entry speed, add full power and initiate the snap as you get to entry speed. Apply rapid aft elevator to pitch up about 10 to 15 degrees. You should feel about 3.5 Gs in this pitch up. (Full aft stick is NOT required.) Add rudder just as you add back stick. Full rudder position should be reached at the same time the Gs peak at 3.5. This is the point where one wing stalls and the other at high alpha induces a rapid roll into the stalled wing. As soon as this happens you should release the back stick pressure as you don't want both wings to stall. It's OK to add just a bit of aileron into the snap as well. To recover, lead the stop point and apply full opposite rudder as you jab the control stick slightly forward of neutral. The point where you lead the stop point will vary with aircraft so that will come with practice.
More than any other maneuver, the snap procedure is very dependent upon aircraft type, trim, speed and pilot inputs. You may do a hundred before you find the right combination. You will know when you find it. There is no doubt when the inside wing stalls and rapid rotation occurs. You will feel it and hear it and the RV grin is evidence that it really happened!
 
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Well, look at you! One contest in Primary and you are already practicing Intermediate figures. :) I'm going to keep my eye on you!

Your -4 is a different beast than my -8 so what works for me may be different in subtle ways. Generally speaking, a snap roll works when one wing is stalled just when the yaw motion is introduced. The sweet spot for my -8 is 100-110 knots upon entry. I suspect it might be lower for the -4 and maybe Bill McLean can chime in here. Snaps work best at a high power setting with plenty of prop wash over the tail so it would be best to slow slightly below your ideal entry speed, add full power and initiate the snap as you get to entry speed. Apply rapid aft elevator to pitch up about 10 to 15 degrees. You should feel about 3.5 Gs in this pitch up. (Full aft stick is NOT required.) Add rudder just as you add back stick. Full rudder position should be reached at the same time the Gs peak at 3.5. This is the point where one wing stalls and the other at high alpha induces a rapid roll into the stalled wing. As soon as this happens you should release the back stick pressure as you don't want both wings to stall. It's OK to add just a bit of aileron into the snap as well. To recover, lead the stop point and apply full opposite rudder as you jab the control stick slightly forward of neutral. The point where you lead the stop point will vary with aircraft so that will come with practice.
More than any other maneuver, the snap procedure is very dependent upon aircraft type, trim, speed and pilot inputs. You may do a hundred before you find the right combination. You will know when you find it. There is no doubt when the inside wing stalls and rapid rotation occurs. You will feel it and hear it and the RV grin is evidence that it really happened!

It doesn't mean much that I'm practicing snaps - just having some fun! And I have a lot of experience - a whole TWO contests under my belt, not just one! (sarcasm) :p

I'll give your suggestions on the snaps a try. Perhaps what I was doing wrong was waiting for the stall to happen BEFORE applying rudder. From what you're saying, it sounds like I should apply rudder right as I reach about 3.5G's on the pull. Let me try again next time I'm out. Thanks!
 
Hi Brian,

A fellow competitor gave me a good tip that seems to work. He told me to lead with the rudder a bit before pulling the bulk of the g. It seems to give the airplane some direction before stalling the wing. And I agree... you don?t have to go to the stop with the stick, but it does have to be an aggressive pull. Good luck!
 
One more tip...

Brian,

Another way to "cheat" is to hold a little right rudder (yawing to the right) just before entering a left snap. The air flow pushes the vertical stabilizer to the right as you reverse the rudder and the additional swing of the tail gives it a bit more momentum.
 
Perhaps what I was doing wrong was waiting for the stall to happen BEFORE applying rudder. From what you're saying, it sounds like I should apply rudder right as I reach about 3.5G's on the pull. Let me try again next time I'm out. Thanks!

IMO those who often call snaps "horizontal spins" do a huge disservice to the understanding of proper snap technique. As you've discovered, pulling to the stall or buffet before applying rudder doesn't work. In fact, for good snaps in most airplanes you don't pull to the stall or buffet at all. You pull just enough so that the rudder application will THEN stall a wing. Excess elevator degrades the snap quality and kills more energy. The timing of the stick pull and rudder application has a huge effect on the "snappiness" of the snap. I'm talking small fraction of a second differences. Most folks tend to pull too much and delay the rudder application too much. They also do not unload soon enough and far enough at the proper time as the snap breaks to really accelerate the rotation to its full potential. Again, small fractional second differences between all the inputs has a huge effect. Since your hand generally moves faster than your foot, for all practical purposes, think of the two inputs being made simultaneously. Most likely even so, you will be leading slightly with the elevator, which is proper. Just be careful to avoid showing any yaw before the pitch change. IAC rules on snaps will nail you for that. Observing simultaneous pitch/yaw change is OK.
 
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IMO those who often call snaps "horizontal spins" do a huge disservice to the understanding of proper snap technique. As you've discovered, pulling to the stall or buffet before applying rudder doesn't work. In fact, for good snaps in most airplanes you don't pull to the stall or buffet at all. You pull just enough so that the rudder application will THEN stall a wing. Excess elevator degrades the snap quality and kills more energy. The timing of the stick pull and rudder application has a huge effect on the "snappiness" of the snap. I'm talking small fraction of a second differences. Most folks tend to pull too much and delay the rudder application too much. They also do not unload soon enough and far enough at the proper time as the snap breaks to really accelerate the rotation to its full potential. Again, small fractional second differences between all the inputs has a huge effect. Since your hand generally moves faster than your foot, for all practical purposes, think of the two inputs being made simultaneously. Most likely even so, you will be leading slightly with the elevator, which is proper. Just be careful to avoid showing any yaw before the pitch change. IAC rules on snaps will nail you for that. Observing simultaneous pitch/yaw change is OK.

That was very helpful! Thanks Eric. I have a better understanding of what I was doing wrong now. Now lets see if I can put all this good information to use tomorrow. =)
 
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