Comparison of the axis shape deduced from in situ measurements of MCs (gray curves) and from the CME observed by STEREO-A HI1 on 2–3 june 2008 (colored curves, the image corresponding to the red curve is shown in Fig. 11). The panels are in the plane of the flux rope axis. We use different geometry to deduce the shape of the axis: a) conic projection on the plane of the sky, b–c) axis plane being inclined on the ecliptic by an angle i and crossing the ecliptic at a longitude Δφ from STEREO-A (see Sect. 5.3).