Pylon turn
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A pylon turn is a flight maneuver in which an aircraft banks into a circular turn, in such a way that an imaginary line projecting straight out the side of the aircraft (nominally the wing) points to a fixed point on the ground. The maneuver originated early in the 20th century in air racing.
Racing
The pylon turn was originally used in air racing, where courses were set up with pylons to mark a location on the ground, and the planes would have to turn around at that point before returning to the airstrip. Pylons are also used in triples to set up a triangular circuit for aviation races -- races in which all competitors must stay outside of the three pylons.
Delivery
In the film End of the Spear, this maneuver is depicted as a method to deliver messages or packages by plane without needing to land. The film depicts a former World War II pilot in 1955 using a bucket on a line to give gifts to the Huaorani people of Ecuador where there was no landing strip. He is shown to circle a spot near the village in such a way that the bucket would remain stationary on the ground, permitting transfer of material. Some mail services have used the same technique to deliver mail where there are no available landing strips.
Combat use
The first notable combat use of the pylon turn was in the Vietnam War in 1964,[1] with the development of the AC-47 Spooky gunship, which could fire miniguns mounted on the left side of the aircraft as the pilot circled the target. Later, the more advanced Lockheed AC-130 was used in the same way. Using this maneuver allowed pilots to continuously and efficiently fire at a stationary target for an extended period of time, without needing to make several passes. Another huge advantage of pylon turns was that the gunfire was accurate enough to be used even in close proximity to friendly troops, which had never before been possible in air power. Also, similar method is used by attack helicopters, which armament shoots frontward. In this case, the helicopter flies sideways, turning in same directions. This method improves the shooting accuracy, increasing hit chance.
References
- ^ Jack S. Ballard (1982). "Development and Employment of Fixed-Wing Gunships, 1962-1972" (PDF). Air Force Historical Studies Office. p. 9. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
See also
- Pylon
- Eights on pylons, an aerial maneuver
- Nate Saint
- Gunship, the category of military aircraft that employ this maneuver
- Circle strafing, a similar technique used in video games
External links