Looping night

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The Loopingacht is a figure in aerobatics . It was shown for the first time involuntarily by pilot Leonard James Povey in 1936 when he failed an avalanche. When asked by the judges, he spontaneously called the figure a Cuban eight . (Povey was an American, but from 1934–1938 he lived in Cuba and built the air force there on Batista's order.).

The figure consists of two partial loops and two half rolls . The aircraft goes from level flight into a 5/8 loop upwards until it flies 45 degrees downwards on its back against the original flight direction. Now half a roll follows, followed by another partial loop at the height of the first one, until the aircraft flies 45 degrees downwards in the original flight direction. Now another half roll follows.

After a failed eight loop, the pilot, Captain Chris Stricklin, saved himself 0.8 seconds before the F-16C Falcon hit the ground with an ejector seat .


figure description Aresti symbol
Cuban eight
  1. 5/8 loop, inverted flight, nose pointing 45 ° downwards.
  2. 1/2 roll, upright flight, nose pointing 45 ° downwards.
  3. 3/4 loop, inverted flight, nose points 45 ° downwards.
  4. 1/2 roll, upright flight, nose pointing 45 ° downwards.
  5. 1/8 loop, normal flight.
Cuban eight
half cuban eight
  1. 5/8 loop, inverted flight, nose pointing 45 ° downwards.
  2. 1/2 roll, upright flight, nose pointing 45 ° downwards.
  3. Pull up in straight flight.
half cuban eight
raised roller
turn (English reverse half cuban)
  1. Pull up 45 ° from straight flight.
  2. 1/2 roll, inverted flight, nose pointing 45 ° upwards.
  3. 5/8 loop in straight flight.
raised roller turn

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Guide to the Leonard J. Povey Papers 1904-1984 ( Memento June 7, 2010 in the Internet Archive )