Spencer Suderman Will Make Another Attempt At Inverted  Flat Spin Record

Professional aerobatic pilot Spencer Suderman is gearing up to set a new world record for the most inverted flat spins in an aircraft. This will be Suderman’s second shot at the record after he was forced to abort an attempt in February.

“I entered the spin and the plane went around faster than expected at altitude, so fast that the transverse G-loads were far greater than I was prepared for, which made it hard to breath. That coupled with the negative G-loads from being inverted made the situation intolerable.”

Worried he would lose consciousness, Suderman pulled the plug at 14,000 feet with about 54 spins under his belt. Suderman will fly an experimental Pitts Special S-1c, with a goal of 120+ rotations. The aircraft is a different version of the one he used in 2016 to set the current world record of 98 spins. It is lighter, has a flat bottom wing, and a more powerful engine with extreme modifications for the attempt.

Suderman will flip the Pitts onto its back and send it into a series of controlled spins at around 27,000 feet. A special oxygen mask should address any breathing issue, but how Suderman will overcome the transverse G-forces remains an unknown going into the attempt.

Despite the uncertainty, Suderman’s confidence is high. “Lessons were learned that have led to a change in the approach that makes success seem likely. This is the time to hit the gas and get across the finish line.”

(Source: Spencer Suderman Airshows news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.spencersuderman.com|