Gripen Cobra?

I've been wondering about this video (gripen crash but still) isn't the gripen performing a cobra? I think atleast it looks like it.

Gripen Cobra?

I really like this site!!!

And that's exactly why it isn't a cobra. The pressure is too much for the wings, as you see the pressure is so great the wings go off (one canard if I'am not totally wrong) and it gets so unstabile it crashes. Theoretically that was a corbra, but don't go and shout it out, because it wasn't a qualified cobra. The plane didn't make it.

Looks the pilot sure doesn't know what wa happening!
Plus if one were to attempt a momentum bleeding manuever like the cobra, he would do it at a height at which he would be able to regain fwd momentum if there was a loss of control etc.
So it doesn't look like an 'attemtped' cobra to me; more like a sudden control surfaces' hydraulic loss of sorts.
Maybe the flight computer got corrupted?..maybe while the pilot was trying to attempt a steep ascent?
Just some thoughts..still could be a failed attempt at a cobra ..
Doesn't look like it to me though!

Originally posted by Daedalus3
Looks the pilot sure doesn't know what wa happening!
Plus if one were to attempt a momentum bleeding manuever like the cobra, he would do it at a height at which he would be able to regain fwd momentum if there was a loss of control etc.
So it doesn't look like an 'attemtped' cobra to me; more like a sudden control surfaces' hydraulic loss of sorts.
Maybe the flight computer got corrupted?..maybe while the pilot was trying to attempt a steep ascent?
Just some thoughts..still could be a failed attempt at a cobra

..
Doesn't look like it to me though!

Good notice with the height.

Hmmmmm having seen the Corbra performed, most Russian test pilots seem to have a total disregards about such trivialities as height etc. Thats why thier displays are so much fun to watch

However, it looks more like a loss of controll than an actual attempt at a cobra. There is no reason the Grippen could not do so if the pilot was trained properly to etc.

Well to me it seems that the pressure on the wings is totally too much since it's so unstabile that the canard goes off. The engineers have to have known it would happend in such an attempt, so I have to agree, it can't have been on purpouse.

I've seen this video. They said that the plane had problem with pitch and roll canard that caused this kind of "instantenous" maneuver that the jet had lost control and you all just had seen it, sudden thud and smoke comes out. Its pretty close for this footage! I'm more glad to see pilot ejected to safety.

Originally posted by FredT
However, it looks more like a loss of controll than an actual attempt at a cobra.

I would say that the Gripen pilot was attempting a Cobra but lost control and did a panic ejection and subsequent loss of the aircraft. Canard malfunctions on these type aircraft are also suspect for such happening.

There is no reason the Grippen could not do so if the pilot was trained properly to etc.

Agreed. Even in the ranks of Russian pilots, there are only a very, very small number of Russian pilots who are trained and capable of performing the Cobra and its variations. Most of them being from the Russian Special Aero team, the same ones that do those maneuvers at international airshows.

[edit on 29-9-2006 by Seekerof]

Well it was caused by a avionics computer faulty and the pilot brobably paniced and ejected. A bit risky considering it was at an airshow in central stockholm.

There wasn't any canard break it actually held, maybe what you see is the canards pitching around to adjust to the airflow.