Photograph of Night Looping by Charles Niles. The Machine was Provided with Railroad Flares which Left the Trace or Path of the Aeroplane on the the Dry Plate.
Immelmann Turn. This maneuver was originated by the German flyer Immelmann, and is much used in combat by both the Allied and German armies, for it subjects the enemy to a maximum field of fire and enables the machine to make a quick getaway with a single seat machine. With the enemy machine at (X), and with our machine provided with two machine guns, it will be seen that the enemy is under the fire of either the rigid front gun or the pivoted cock-pit guns through nearly three-quarters of the twisting loop. The pivoted gun which fires over the top wing is the most effective as it can reach the enemy machine (X) at (A), (B), (D) and (E), the only blind spots occurring during the climb from (B) to (D) as indicated by the partly rolled over position at (C).
Successive Positions in Immelmann Turn, Enemy Machine Either Being at Y or X.
It begins with the usual power glide (Motor on) at (A) in order to gain speed, and at the beginning of the 60° at (B) the elevator controls are pulled back and the rudder given a quick turn to the extreme position in the direction of the desired turnover. The rudder action turns the machine over on its back at the peak of the climb at (D) without the use of ailerons. At the top (D), the rudder is thrown to the opposite direction to stop the roll over and is then brought back to neutral to hold the machine flat on its back. The elevator controls are held back until the machine comes out of the reverse loop extending from (D) to (E) and until it leaves on the horizontal at (F). As the object is to get away quick, the finish along (E-F) should be made with the wind, and preferably should be started across wind. Motor should be throttled down from (D) to (E) to prevent coming out with excessive speed.
Positions in "Turn Over," the Machine Continuing to Rotate in the Same Direction from B to D.
The Roll-Over. The start of this stunt is exactly like the start of the upside down glide or the Immelmann, while the finish is a sort of reversed Immelmann, the machine being straightened out without going around a loop. When at the top of the turnover climb, the rudder is not reversed and straightened out as in the Immelmann, but a little rudder is kept on so as to continue the turnover and bring the plane out on the horizontal. The rudder action is assisted by a slight application of the aileron while the elevator control is pushed forward after the machine leaves the peak of the climb. I am indebted to Lieutenant Charles W. Keene for suggestions on the Immelmann and roll over, and to the late Lieutenant R. C. Saufly of the U. S. Navy for other items on training.
Flying Upside Down With a Bleriot Monoplane. The Plane is Far Too Low to Recover Its Normal Position, and as a Result, the Glide Ended Fatally.