Copying a post from one of the aerobatic ompetitors:
Quote:
A shoulder roll is an extremely common airshow maneuver. It's basically an aileron roll with added rudder and elevator to give it a 3D look. The added rudder and elevator held drive the rotation a bit. It's basically a fake tumble. Sorta looks like a tumble, but is not really. And unlike a snap, you don't stall a wing. Done properly it is a very controllable maneuver just because the airplane is not stalled and 'out of control' as with a tumble. This is why airshow performers do them so often. A whole lot of Skip Stewart's routine is shoulder rolls. Sean Tucker does them at high speed and calls it the 'Centrifuge'.
They are easily done. Basically from medium to somewhat low airspeed...under max snap speed for most of us (unless you're Sean Tucker and rebuild your plane every year) you lead with the rudder and aileron, immediately followed by forward stick. Shoulder rolls are typically done with right aileron, right rudder, and forward stick. But you don't apply full forward stick - just enough to give the roll a 3D look and drive the rotation a bit. I probably use half elevator in the Pitts. Full aileron and full or near full rudder are typically used. Recovery is nearly instant with some opposite rudder, and neutral ailerons and elevator. Again, you don't want to stall the airplane. If you stall the airplane, the forward stick, power, right rudder, and right aileron are the exact inputs required for an inverted flat spin. Or as airspeed bleeds from the initial unrecovered shoulder roll, it could possibly decay into a spin, depending on the trajectory of the airplane. All that being said, I don't know the precise characteristics of Skybolts performing shoulder rolls or inverted flat spins.
Pitts S-2B shoulder roll at 1:49 -
Skip Stewart flying Pitts S-2B - Aerorock Pará de Minas -Brasil - YouTube 8
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