mhcasey
Well-Known Member
Texguy, you're not a Goat are you? (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, the answer's no).
Anyway, 51A is an aerobat, so you've got to pull 6 positive g's just to wear the thing down over time. From a book, "The limit load factors are the number of g's that can be imposed on an airplane without permanent deformation of structure occurring. The ultimate load factors (design load factors) are the number of g's that can be imposed on an airplane without destruction of major components (wings, tail, etc.) occurring. The ultimate load factors must be at least 150% the limit load factors. In other words, in any airplane, if you exceed the limit load factors you'll bend the airplane. If you exceed the ultimate load factors you could break the airplane."
So you'll have to pull 9g's to break 51A if I'm not mistaken.
Anyway, you're going to have to be in some pretty intense turbulence to pull 6 g's. I got 5.5 one time pulling up pretty much as hard as I could while starting an immelman (entry speed is 130K). That plane is a tank. If you're really worried, go over to the lockers in hangar 5 and get a parachute ; )
The only thing you really need to worry about in 51A is the door popping open during snap rolls, but I think George fixed that problem.