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To do a barrel roll from the pilot's perspective, it may best be thought of as a roll around a point on the horizon that is 45 degrees off the flightpath.[4] Starting from a level flight, the pilot will usually pick such a point on the horizon as a reference. The pilot will then pull back on the stick, bringing the plane up into a brief climb. As the nose passes through the horizon, the pilot begins to apply aileron input, which is accomplished by easing the stick to either the right or the left. As the airplane rolls it will continue to pitch upward. The pilot will need to control the roll rate, keeping the nose 45 degrees off the reference point on the horizon as the plane rolls around this spot. Some planes may require rudder input, while most high powered planes will only need to be guided by aileron and elevator control.[5][6]

When the aircraft has rolled 90 degrees, and the wings are vertical, the nose should be pitched about 45 degrees directly above the reference point on the horizon. As the plane continues to roll upside-down it will begin to level out, and the horizon will appear to rise to meet the nose. When in the completely inverted position, the aircraft should be level and the nose should still be 45 degrees to the side of the reference point, putting it 90 degrees off of the original flightpath. As the nose drops through the horizon, the pilot may need to reduce the elevator pressure, to counter-act the force of gravity and the loss of lift. Still keeping the nose 45 degrees off the reference point, the plane should roll into level flight along the same flightpath and at the same altitude at which the maneuver began.[6]

[edit]Military attack

In air combat maneuvering, historically known as dogfighting, a barrel roll may refer to one of many maneuvers. These maneuvers are often simply called barrel rolls, but many fall into the category of "displacement rolls."

[edit]Barrel roll

The term barrel roll, by itself, most often refers to a helical roll around a straight flight path, the purpose of which is to slow the relative forward motion of the aircraft. This can help a defender to force an attacker, who is usually behind the defender, to fly out in front, called overshooting. This can also help an attacker to prevent an overshoot. This often forces both planes to continue through a series of rolls known as a rolling scissors maneuver. A barrel roll is also often used to check blind spots while remaining on a steady flight path.

[edit]Rolling scissors

Rolling scissors

The rolling scissors, also called vertical scissors or simply "rollers," is usually an undesirable maneuver to be caught in, both for the attacker and the defender. The advantage usually goes to the aircraft