The Tailslide is an aerobatic maneuver that starts from level flight with a 1/4 loop up into a straight vertical climb (at full power) until the aircraft loses momentum. When the aircraft's speed reaches 0 and it stops climbing, the pilot maintains the aircraft in a stand-still position as long as possible (this is greatly helped by thrust vectoring on newer fighter aircraft), and as it starts to fall to the ground backwards, tail first, the nose drops through the horizon to a vertical down position and the aircraft enters a dive. A 1/4 loop (push or pull) recovers to level flight.

Bell

The Bell is a variation of the tailslide maneuver, with the only difference being that the pilot performs a roll in the longitudinal axis during the final 1/4 loop (push or pull) while recovering to level flight, out of plane.

The Bell maneuver could be good for a close-in fight (less than 5-mi. separation) with a stealth aircraft. Skip Holm, a former USAF fighter and test pilot, suggested. Holm also tested aircraft for Lockheed and has flown the Su-27. He suggested that if a conventional fighter spotted a stealth aircraft at fairly close range and crossing at a 45-deg. or greater angle, a "Bell" maneuver could enable a rapid direction or plane-change without losing sight of the stealthy adversary.

Kvochur's Bell

Kvochur's Bell is a variation where the aircraft propels forward almost vertically while simultaneously breaking and following the movement of its tail.

External links

• Aerobatic maneuver website