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Ground loop (aviation)

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tendency at this low speed, the upwind wingtip will contact the ground and initiate a ground loop; the glider pilot must release the tow rope to abandon the takeoff. Gliders with a large main wheel and a tail wheel or tail skid are particularly susceptible to this form of ground looping during cross-wind takeoffs because of the large angle of attack on the wing. Gliders with a nose wheel or nose skid cause the wing to present a lower angle of attack at the commencement of the take off roll and are much less susceptible to this form of ground looping. Tow plane pilots are taught to delay applying full power until the glider is moving fast enough that its tail is off the ground, reducing the angle of attack on the wing.
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commencing a takeoff behind a tow plane are vulnerable to ground looping during cross-wind conditions because the slipstream from the propeller of the tow plane generates more lift on the downwind wing of the glider than on the upwind wing. If the flight controls are unable to overcome the rolling
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Ground loops may occur when landing on muddy ground, wet pavement, or frozen surfaces, especially if there are puddles or patches. They may also occur when an aircraft departs a paved surface: for example, after an engine failure in multi-engine airplanes produces asymmetric thrust. Another common
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rotates the aircraft's heading even further from its direction of motion. This increases the force and the process reinforces itself. To avoid a ground loop, the pilot must respond to any turning tendency quickly, while sufficient control authority is available to counteract it. Once the aircraft
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to rise, which may then cause the other wingtip to touch the ground. In severe cases (particularly if the ground surface is soft), the inside wing can dig in, causing the aircraft to swing violently or even cartwheel. In their early gliding experiments, the
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The Schleicher ASK 23 is a single-seat glider suitable for new pilots. It has a nose-wheel, and its main wheel is behind the centre of gravity. This avoids the risk of ground-looping at commencement of takeoff in a crosswind behind a tow
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If the aircraft heading is different from the aircraft's direction of motion, a sideways force is exerted on the wheels. If this force is in front of the centre of gravity, the resulting
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cause is failure of a tire or wheel brake, causing a loss of directional control. A controlled ground loop may also be used as a rudimentary form of emergency braking while landing.
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Pilots may decide to execute a ground loop deliberately, usually as a last resort before hitting an immovable object, as in the case of
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This article is about the uncontrolled rotation of an aircraft during ground movement. For the electrical mis-configuration, see
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replica in a ground loop caused by a failure of the right-hand wheel brake. The right main undercarriage is collapsing.
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In powered aeroplanes, the ground loop phenomenon is predominantly associated with aircraft that have
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and wingtips of an aircraft. Several extreme incidents of ground loop have resulted in fatalities.
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rotates beyond this point, there is nothing the pilot can do to stop it from rotating further.
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Ground loops occur when the aircraft is moving on the ground—either
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if excessive load is applied to the nosewheel, a condition known as
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being positioned behind the main wheels. It may also occur with
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Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying
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Index

Ground loop (electricity)

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8
aviation
rotation
fixed-wing aircraft
horizontal plane
yawing
Aerodynamic
wing
Wright Brothers
conventional landing gear
centre of gravity
tricycle landing gear
wheel-barrowing
moment
taxiing
landing
takeoff
undercarriage
Pan Am Flight 121

Gliders
China Airlines Flight 605
Better Takeoffs & Landings
75–76
ISBN
0-07-038805-9
Captain
ISBN

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