Regarding stability: First, most airplanes are built to have inherent
stability so that if you let go they will fly straight and level,
eventually. Exceptions would be high performance fighters which without
their computers would be unmanageable. Letting go of the wheel in a race car
is a bad idea in my opinion. I hold on and try to make smooth inputs. If I
started to spin out, I would not hit the brakes and would put the
transmission in neutral. If the car starts to go backwards, which I have
seen, I don,t want to drive the engine backwards with the wheels. I was
concerned that I might over control the car at high speeds. I installed a
"steering quickener" normally used, I believe in dirt cars. I turned it
around to make the steering slower. The units are available in 2 to 1 or 1
and 1/2 ratios from Speedway in Nebraska. I now have 6 turns lock to lock
and it's very comfortable at speed. I have had some problems with control
when losing traction at speeds over 150 mph at El Mirage. My car has a spool
and I think one of the tires starts to lose grip and the other doesn't as
much. This starts a yawing situation and then the substantial caster (13
degrees) kicks in. The car changes direction and meanwhile I'm making
steering inputs. Lifting gently out of the throttle is usually required to
get it straight, then back into the throttle. I have concluded that on loose
courses more spoiler angle or perhaps ballast can prevent this, I hope.
Terry Hunt, Guam Bomb, #743
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