What is a 'Dutch Roll'?!

So, How "Dutch" is a " Dutch roll" and can it be dangerous. What roll does the "Yaw damper" have to do with all of this?
In todays video I will be talking about a fascinating aerodynamic occurance called the "Dutch Roll". I will explain how it is connected to the stability of the aircraft as well as the different axis of movements that are involved in it.
As always, you can ask me questions or comment directly to me inside the FREE Mentour Aviation app. Use the links below to download it and lets start talking aviation! 👇

If you want to become part of my Patreon crew, and help support the channel, use the link below and sign up! 👇

To follow my life and travels on Instagram, use the link below 👇

I want to send a huge "Thank YOU" to the channels and articles used to create todays video. You can view the full videos using the links below 👇

Flight-club (Aircraft axes explained)

Bitikofl (Dutch roll)

Boldmethod (Explaining dutch roll)

ClassicDutchroll (Dutch skating)

Tonkatsu 298 (JAS 39 Gripen)

[Otacatapetl]

Your dog should be a pretty good pilot by now.

[robertansley]

Cute little dog was showing us the _YAWN_ axis where she ended up remarkably stable on his port side.

[zczvcb]

As a technical Aircraft engineer and aerodynamic instructor, this explanation is 100times better than many I have seen and read.
I always like to give practical examples to students to understand such phenomenons .

In the technical world, we always perform checks on damper system for force feedback etc.

[michaell]

I find myself staring at your dogs during these videos! As an aviation enthusiast and frequent traveler love this channel. Thank you!

[bikkies]

This is why I love this channel. A quick ad at the beginning, a quick ad at the end, and in the middle is a nice calm and informative explanation. Just like a coordinated turn, I watch a coordinated video. Putting in just enough technical meat to keep me flying smoothly til I land safely and a little more educated at the end.
I despise videos where I'm being constantly spammed with adverts just when I'm starting to get into the zone, even interrupting mid-syllable. Thank you for not being that person!

[davetx-odpb]

Back when the 737-100 was new my dad was the manager for the Conductron 737 flight simulator program. Dad brought the family in to see it on a weekend and I got to sit in the right seat and "fly" the SN 2 simulator with Boeing test pilot Kit Carson in the left seat. He was checking out the simulator before accepting it for delivery. The first thing I did was put the simulator in a Dutch Roll. Kit Carson was the man who introcuded me to that term. The Conductron 737 flight simulator was the first all digital flight simulator where the flight dynamics were calculated using numerical methods in the digital computer instead of using analog computers to do those calculations.

[alc]

There's a pilot technique I learned during my B737 flight test work that will manually dampen out the dutch roll. With the yaw damper inop, momentarily just turn the yoke into the rising wing (for just a quarter of a second, that is), and return back to neutral. This raises the flight spoilers on the rising wing, dampening out the yaw effect. Repeat as necessary ...

[YammoYammamoto]

Been flying different simulators online for over 10 years....
....every episode there's something new to learn.
Thank you! :)

[kratokat]

This guy made me an aviation enthusiast❤

[jamescaley]

There was also AA587 that crashed in New York in 2001. In response to turbulence the pilot used excessive rudder inputs with several rapid reversals. This was a positive feedback loop which ended in the vertical stabiliser separating as it the loads were beyond the design limit.

[michaeldougfir]

Not that it is important here, but when I was a helmsman on a ship, we too had a rudder angle indicator. This reminded me of it for the first time in many years.

Thank you for a good explanation. I am not a pilot and feel that this was made very clear even to me.

Thank you!

[donbaker]

Who came here as a result of reading about SWA 746 on a 737 Max 8 enroute from PHX to OAK on May 25, 2024? The FAA is now officially conducting an in depth investigation into why it went into a "Dutch roll".

[EleanorPeterson]

I loved this. Although I got my PPL (now lapsed) on a Cessna 172 AGES ago, I still do a lot of kite flying and aeromodelling. I started out with free-flight aircraft as a kid and gradually moved on to RC planes. Lots of homemade designs, lots of experiments, lots of mistakes.

Without necessarily understanding the scientific aspects of aerodynamics very deeply, old-school aeromodellers used to get a pretty good grounding in the basics of flight dynamics and stability without really knowing it. Many of today's expert RC modellers are terrific pilots, but they miss out on a lot of fun by only buying ready-to-fly planes, pre-trimmed, tried and tested.

But playing about with your own designs and drawing up 'what-if?' plans is fascinating and fun.

Dutch rolling was most noticeable on gliders (of around 10' wingspan) when free-flight designs were converted to radio-control. Early RC gear was very simple, offering just one channel: rudder only. To avoid constant crashes (no elevator, so pitch was non-negotiable!) the planes had to be self-stabilising, and the wings had lots of dihedral or even polyhedral.

Touching the rudder gave a turn, plus a lot of swooping and wallowing; there was all sorts of fun playing about with dihedral, wing sweep, tail moment and vertical stabiliser area to reduce it. The problem disappeared when radio gear allowed full control (elevator and aileron, with less extreme dihedral).

Happy days... :-)

[rabuly]

So we study this phenomenon in aerospace engineering. Our professor told us that the name came from the fact that the Dutch were, back in the day, sailors who spent very long times at sea, inherently getting used to the movement of the boat caused by the waves. Once they got to port and stepped on steady ground, they were known for struggling with the balance and walking in this characteristic manner weiving from left to right. Since the movement of an aircraft was somewhat similar, the name was attributed to this stability mode. This explanation is rather anecdotal and I have no idea if it is even true. Anyway I just wanted to share this with all of you. As usual, awesome video and awesome explanations. Keep it up!

[BADSQ]

I'm so happy I found you Captain!I just learn so much like how fast things go wrong.Even on auto pilot, it disengages then if your incapacitated, the first officer panics and is usually not ready to do everything like checklists and flying...

[thatdevg]

Who’s also here after the Boeing 737 Max news???

[tariq]

Thank you for flying with KLM. For some appetisers, we'll be served Dutch Rolls

[dehoedisc]

I once duplicated the principle of "Dutch" roll in an automotive context, when I was towing a Pontiac Tempest with a much lighter IH Scout with 4 cylinder engine. At about 45mph the front suspension went into a slight drift to right, then cycled back to do a drift to the left. Basically a resonant "S" back and forth. I guessed that if I put steering inputs that might cancel out the mechanically worn out and out of adjustment front end components. It worked. The tow rig was now running as straight as an arrow while the tires were doing one heck of a sort of sidewinder dance back and forth. Good thing it was a short haul, not really safe.

[harrisonhine]

Hi Mentour - I have enjoyed your YouTube Videos and want to make a comment about what happens later in life for an airline employee. My wife was a flight attendant for United Airlines for 34 years and retired in 2003. (Obviously we are now in our early 70's) She retired with both flight benefits for life as well as Health Insurance for both of us. We have enjoyed both and thankfully United is still in business. I know the listing status of SA travel varies by airline but at United boarding priority is by seniority. That fact has been a boon to us since her 34 years usually puts us at the top of the standby list. However, after so many years we know never to count on getting on a particular flight. The nice thing about the system United uses now is that we have access the the actual load factor for each flight as well as the other employees/retirees that have listed for the flight and their seniority. It makes the process easier but it is never full proof. Also there are many times when we have been delayed for days (5 days in Honolulu, 3 days in Rome) waiting to get to our destination. We have also made very unusual routes to get from point A to point B because that is where the seats were available. I think many new airline employees and their families have an unreasonable expectation of what pass flying is like and they need to know that you have to be flexible and go with the flow always allowing extra time to get to and from your destination and back home again. The most upsetting thing we have seen is for un-accompanied companion passengers who are new to pass ride flying being upset because they don't get on a particular flight. I think you should do a segment on the joys and tears of Pass travel. Cheers from Florida!

[rs.aryaman]

A similar thing happens while riding a motorcycle where the handlebar starts wiggling rapidly from side to side. We call this a "Tankslapper". And we use something known as a steering damper to counter this motion.