| 4th Cuirassier | 11 Dec 2023 5:36 a.m. PST |
Found this on Wikipedia and it's rather well done, but is it accurate? Did Stukas invert before diving?
edit: it's on this page if the link doesn't work link |
Frederick  | 11 Dec 2023 6:17 a.m. PST |
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| 79thPA | 11 Dec 2023 7:32 a.m. PST |
Good question. I assume that it would be within the capability of the aircraft. |
 ColCampbell | 11 Dec 2023 7:51 a.m. PST |
From the description of the diving procedure in the referenced article, it would appear to be accurate -- rolling 180 degrees (i.e., upside down) before nosing into a dive. Jim |
 Saber6  | 11 Dec 2023 8:58 a.m. PST |
I can see a case for improving observation of the target area |
| Martin Rapier | 11 Dec 2023 9:38 a.m. PST |
Rolling before diving (steeply) was quite common in lots of WW2 aircraft. |
| 79thPA | 11 Dec 2023 10:28 a.m. PST |
Sabre, I was thinking that as well. Better and longer target observation if I had to guess. |
| John G | 11 Dec 2023 10:35 a.m. PST |
Yes the roll was in all the old war films. If it wasn't accurate, I think there would have been complaints from the old pilots in the audience. |
| mjkerner | 11 Dec 2023 10:36 a.m. PST |
That is absolutely the correct procedure and for the reason Sabre6 stated. For all era dive bombers. If you've ever played a realistic WWII flight sim, or watched several tons of WWII documentaries for 65 years or so, you'd know it is. ;-) |
| BillyNM | 11 Dec 2023 10:48 a.m. PST |
A roll is fine but I don't believe they would roll fully inverted and dive back 180 degrees from the original direction of travel. |
| 4th Cuirassier | 11 Dec 2023 10:54 a.m. PST |
@ BillyNM Well, yes, that was what I thought was a bit weird. The Stuka inverts then pulls the nose downward through 100 degrees to enter what looks like an 80-degree dive. It seems a bit performative. Why not circle and bank into the dive? How is looking straight down from inverted a good viewing angle? If it's what they did it's what they did. |
| Frederick | 11 Dec 2023 1:52 p.m. PST |
Now that makes sense! Never thought of the visual but it would certainly help line things up |
| UshCha | 12 Dec 2023 3:46 a.m. PST |
I suspect if you are going to make a rappid change of direction like a steep dive, you need positive G, you gan stay concious longer in as high positive g before you black out. In negative G leading to a "redout" you lose conciousnes sooner. I believe the Stuka had an automatic pull out system at the bottome of the dive as a precaution in case the pilot blacked out pulling out. |
| Wolfhag | 12 Dec 2023 6:33 a.m. PST |
Good explanation of the entire process:
YouTube link I have seen pictures of a Stuka formation rolling into a dive too. Maybe they can do it both ways? Wolfhag |
| Martin Rapier | 12 Dec 2023 12:29 p.m. PST |
Later in the war Luftwaffe fighter pilots often engaged US bomber formations inverted so they could rapidly dive out of trouble. If you've flown any half realistic flight sims you'll understand why. |
 Wolfshanza | 18 Dec 2023 11:09 p.m. PST |
Modern aircraft do the same in ground attack role. They invert to see the target then go for it. At least they did while ah was still in :) |
| HairiYetie | 12 Jan 2024 3:49 a.m. PST |
Hi Cuirassier, my response is a bit late but that manoeuvre is a split-S which is the most energy economical 180 degree change of direction. It's part of setting up the attack run IF you are approaching head on with your target and want to attack from the rear. Attacking from the rear allows you to make finer corrections during an attack dive. The split-S is not peculiar to dive bombers, it was (is?) used by any aircraft wanting to change direction 180 degrees without bleeding off too much airspeed which could be deadly if facing opposition. |
