Cobra maneuver

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In aerobatics, the cobra maneuver (or just the cobra), also called dynamic deceleration, among other names (see § Etymology), is a dramatic and demanding maneuver in which an airplane flying at a moderate speed abruptly raises its nose momentarily to a vertical and slightly past vertical attitude, causing an extremely high angle of attack and making the plane into a full-body air brake, momentarily stalling the plane, before dropping back to normal position, during which the aircraft does not change effective altitude. The maneuver relies on the ability of the plane to be able to quickly change angle of attack (alpha) without overloading the airframe, and sufficient engine thrust to maintain nearly constant altitude through the entire move, but also post-stall stability and aerodynamics that allows for the recovery to level flight. The maneuver demands accurate pitch control, alpha stability and engine-versus-inlet compatibility for the aircraft, as well as a high skill level on the part...

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