By coordinating rudder deflection with the aileron (rudder moving in the same direction), you prevent the nose from skidding to the left. Adverse yaw is thus prevented; banks and corrections, even rolls, will be smooth and axial, and you will feel more connected to the plane.

When a loop-or any maneuver related to one-is performed in a crosswind, the airplane will drift sideways with the wind during the slower portion of the loop. This drift will generally happen as the plane rounds over the top of the loop. Consequently, a loop that was entered on a parallel flight path with the runway will exit downwind-no longer tracking parallel. If you don’t use the rudder, you will have to do a number of corrections afterwards to reestablish the preferred parallel track taken at the start of the loop.

To correct cross-wing drift, apply rudder in the opposite direction the wind is blowing. For example, if the crosswind will blow the plane to the left, a right-rudder wind correction would prevent it. Ailerons are for keeping the wings level before and during a loop. Don’t try to correct wind drift by creating a new [wing] deviation using aileron; sideways wind drift is a function of yaw, not roll.

The post Rudder: Use it to Fly Better! appeared first on Model Airplane News.

Learning to fly is always easier and more fun with the aid of an experienced instructor. He will help you avoid those first few beginner mistakes and will help your airplane live a lot longer.

The Sportsman S+ RTF with SAFE Technology from Hobby Zone is one of the new generation trainer/sport fliers that comes with onboard stabilization. It makes learning to fly very easy.

For the first-time RC modeler, today is a great time for getting started in the hobby. The newest generation of easy-to-assemble, almost-ready-to-fly planes come in a wide variety of types and sizes. From electric-powered park fliers and microscale designs to your basic engine-powered, nitro-burning sport and trainer planes, the amount of work on the bench is minimal. Compared to the good old days, our newest RC planes aren’t very labor-intensive to assemble. Many even come out of the box completely ready to fly without any assembly required. “Plug and play” is a big part the hobby today, and it very easy to be successful. Really, the hardest part is deciding which model plane and radio system you want. Whether it has an electric power system or has an engine bolted to the firewall, once you decide on the airplane you like, you’ll need a flight plan to earn your RC wings. Let’s take a look at some of the basic techniques that you’ll need to know to be a successful RC pilot.

GETTING STARTED

If you are the social type who enjoys talking about RC planes as much as learning how to fly them, joining a local club is the way to go. Meeting monthly affords you the opportunity to get together with other like-minded RC addicts; it’s a lot like group therapy for the aviation minded. Clubs usually have a permanent flying field, and membership costs are relatively inexpensive compared to all the benefits you receive. Being a club member, you’ll quickly find out where local instructors hang out. The hobby is a great way to make new friends and to find useful hobby resources. Reading Model Airplane News is also a great way to start.

RADIO GEAR

One of the first tricks to learn deals with control reversal. When the airplane is headed toward you instead of flying away, left and right turns feel reversed. To level your wings, simply move the control stick toward the lower wingtip. This will keep you flying straight and level.

For the beginner, it’s best to start with a RTF (ready-to-fly) airplane that comes in a complete package, which includes everything you’ll need to fly your plane, including the radio. This way, there are no decisions to make and you know everything will work the way it is suppose to. For the modeler who is looking to stay in the hobby for the long haul, the purchase of a radio system is a good investment.

A standard full-house aileron-equipped plane requires four channels to operate. The basic controls are the throttle, rudder, elevator, and the ailerons. Once past the basics, you’ll want to think about adding more functions, such as flaps and possibly retractable landing gear, so a 6-channel radio system gives you flexibility for future development. Programmable computer radios are very popular because of the amount of adjustments and control mixing that you can do with the various channels. The basic features include dual rates and exponential, servo reversing, servo-travel adjustment, and basic mixing. Computer radios today are very affordable, so consider them a good investment for your future needs. Also, most radios systems come without servos; when you buy your radio, purchase separately the size, number, and type of servo that you’ll need for your particular model.

GROUND SCHOOL

Yes, a lot can be learned with the use of a good flight-simulator program, but nothing speeds your progress more than some quality time one-on-one with an instructor. Having someone help you avoid those first few common mistakes will not only speed your flight training but also help prevent you from having to buy two (or possibly three) replacement trainer planes before you solo.

During those first few flights, a training plan can be developed, with each of your flights having a specific goal. Building on what you’ve learned from previous flights allows you to move on after you master the basics. Learn to taxi around first, then after you and your instructor are comfortable with you controlling your plane on the ground, you can move on to the takeoff, straight and level flight, turning left and right, and flying at slow airspeeds. While on the ground, you’ll learn how to steer with the rudder and how to work the throttle smoothly. After you get the hang of it, you can start flying at low altitudes so that you can get used to flying in the traffic pattern. Then, you’ll begin working on your first few landing approaches.

Throughout the process, remember that this is all about having fun! If you begin to feel stress, tell your instructor and let him take over. You have to take a lot of little steps before you can run. A good tip is to always be aware of the wind direction and how it affects your airplane.

Buddy System

Modern buddy-box training systems have cut the cable between the two transmitters and are now wireless.

By far, the best way to learn how to fly is with a system called a buddy box. A buddy box uses a cable connected between the instructor’s transmitter and that of the student, but newer radios do the same thing wirelessly. The buddy box allows the instructor to take control of your airplane simply by releasing a spring-loaded switch. Should you get into trouble, your instructor can quickly correct the plane and give control back to you. Available from many radio manufacturers, buddy-box training systems are often available from RC airplane clubs.

Until you are signed off for solo RC flight, the instructor will control the model during takeoff and then will fly it up to a safe altitude before transferring flight control to your radio. Compared to using a single radio (where an instructor has to take the radio from the student’s hands to regain control), the buddy-box system is much easier and safer.

This is a typical RC airplane training traffic pattern. Always take off and land into the wind, and use throttle to control your climb and descent rates.

It is always best to train when the wind is calm or at least straight down the runway. This way, the plane will go where you point it.

To fly a straight path when there is a crosswind, you need to crab the airplane (using rudder) so that it faces slightly into the wind. The stronger the wind, the more you have to angle the the plane’s nose into the wind. Practicing this will quickly increase your piloting skills. Remember to keep the wings level.

FIRST FLIGHT

As you gain experience and start to anticipate your model’s needed corrections, the instructor will give you more and more stick time until you’re ready to solo. There’s nothing more exciting that to hear your instructor say, “Go ahead. Take ‘er off this time!”

Takeoffs are actually quite easy. Most trainers and beginner sport planes are designed to be stable, and when you fully advance the throttle, they will want to climb almost by themselves. Concentrate on maintaining a straight path, and apply throttle slowly. If the plane veers off course, correct with a touch of rudder (a little right is usually needed to keep going straight down the runway). As the model gets light on the wheels, pull back a little on the elevator stick; the model’s nose will come up, and the plane will become airborne. Keep the wings level with small aileron inputs, and let the model climb out at a shallow angle. Don’t let the model jump off the ground at a steep angle. Don’t panic—just ease off the elevator stick, and if necessary, apply a little down (push the stick forward slightly) to keep the model at a steady climb angle.

Your instructor will teach you to fly the traffic pattern, and as you improve, he will have you fly at low altitudes until he’s comfortable with your command of the plane. Without you actually knowing what’s going to happen, a good instructor will talk you through the landing pattern and get you lined up for your first attempts. He will remind you to control the airspeed with your elevator (model nose high or low) and adjust your descent rate with the throttle. Once you nail that very first landing, it will be only a matter of time before you solo and can fly unassisted.

BOTTOM LINE
Like anything else, to get really good at flying, you’ll need to practice and stay with it. It is an investment of time and effort. In the end, however, the satisfaction you’ll feel when you take off and land by yourself will be well worth the effort. You’ll be a properly trained RC pilot with the entire hobby to enjoy. Whether you want to fly warbirds, racers, or aerobatic airplanes, it all requires training and mastering the skills needed to be successful.

The post Pro Tips for First Flight Success appeared first on Model Airplane News.

The four-point roll (hesitation roll) is a horizontal roll with a brief hesitation at 90, 180 and 270 degrees. Before you attempt this maneuver, I recommend that you perfect the standard aileron roll by using down-elevator when the plane is inverted. You should be able to do a roll without any altitude loss or heading deviation. It will also help if you can fly knife-edge in both directions.

The roll rate is the same as that of a standard aileron roll. The roll should take roughly five seconds to complete. The hesitations should be very brief; the plane should not fly there for any length of time. Rudder and elevator inputs will be required at each of the points to maintain altitude and heading. For example, a four-point roll to the right will require left rudder in the first knife-edge position, down-elevator during the inverted portion and right rudder at the 270-degree point.

For your first attempts, fly parallel to the flightline, and pull up into a 20- or 30-degree climb at full throttle. Use only the aileron control to perform a roll, and hesitate at each of the four points. You will lose altitude, but you will also get a feel for the rhythm of the control inputs. If you lose a lot of altitude or your heading is way off, your hesitations are too long. Once you are comfortable doing this, it’s time to add the elevator and rudder inputs. This time, when you hesitate at the inverted position, feed in some down-elevator. Work on smoothly adding the elevator input before you reach inverted and smoothly taking it out again so that the plane flies in a straight line. Now we can go back and clean up the first and third points.

Add some opposite rudder to the direction of the roll as you approach the first 90-degree point. If you are rolling to the right, add some left rudder at the 90-degree point and some right rudder at the 270-degree point. If you become confused or lose the plane’s orientation, the best escape route is to continue the roll in the same direction back to level flight. Work on smoothly adding the inputs so that the plane appears to be flying on a wire. When you can fly the four-point roll without any altitude loss, begin the maneuver from level flight.

This takes a lot of practice.

1. Enter straight and level, full-power roll right
2. First point; add slight left rudder
3. Second point; add slight down-elevator
4. Third point; add slight right rudder
5. Fourth point; slight up-elevator, exit straight and level

The post Perfecting the 4-point roll! appeared first on Model Airplane News.

Learning to fly inverted is also easier if you throttle back to a more moderate airspeed. Not only will you have more time to think, but a lower airspeed also will require you to push more forward-elevator to hold the plane level and thus provide a greater range of feel for the elevator. It’s also smart to enter the first few attempts from a slight climb to reduce your initial anxiety. As your confidence and technique improve, you can gradually increase throttle to start achieving the airspeeds needed for aerobatics, and the climbing entry can be gradually eliminated.

The next most important step is to develop the habit of recovering from inverted by rolling upright with the aileron, especially if you become confused. In fact, rolling upright should be your response anytime you are not comfortable. In the event that you become confused, it is usually best to input aileron in whatever direction you prefer and thus more quickly upright the airplane than you would if you contemplate which way to roll and then act. Developing the habit of recovering from inverted with aileron becomes routine very quickly simply by repeating the exercise of rolling inverted for two or three seconds and then rolling back to upright.

Another crucial element during your initial inverted practice is making sure that the 1/2 roll to inverted is completed with the wings perfectly level before you start to push, because pushing with the wings banked will initiate an unintentional turn that will almost certainly lead to some confusion.

I have stressed the importance of maintaining consistent parallel lines with the runway during aerobatics again and again in previous articles, and so I won’t repeat it here. Let it just be said that the majority of the problems that people experience when learning aerobatics would be solved more quickly-or plain disappear!-if more emphasis was placed on better positioning! Good positioning is the reason why the good guys make it look “easy” and it is what is required to be successful at the advanced level. Thus, it is wise to take the time to cement a foundation of consistently flying straight lines back and forth parallel with the runway before attempting inverted flight.

The post Secrets to Inverted Flight appeared first on Model Airplane News.

TYPES OF SLIPS

There are two types of slips. The first is the wing-low “side slip” used to prevent wind drift, typically during a crosswind landing. This entails banking the wings slightly into the wind while inputting opposite rudder (cross-controlling) to keep the fuselage aligned with the runway centerline. Akin to balancing a marble on a bowling ball, probably fewer than 1 percent of RC pilots are able to pull off this maneuver. The second type is a “forward slip” in which rudder is applied to purposely put the airplane into a skid. At the same time, opposite aileron is applied to bank the wings in the opposite direction of the skid, along with some up-elevator to offset the turning effect of the rudder and, thereby, keep the plane tracking in a straight line (see Figure 1).

MODEL AIRPLANE NEWS PREMIUM members can access this article and many others highlighting amazing techniques, RC airplane builds and projects. When you become a member, you’ll get instant online access to our back-issue archives, the latest Model Airplane News Digital Editions, all of our newsstand-only special issues, and much more.

Membership includes exclusive access to our enormous collection of RC information.

• 7+ years of digital editions of Model Airplane News
• Flight Journal and Model Airplane News special issue digital editions, previously only available on newsstands
• Free access to our magazine app through the iTunes Store – get Model Airplane News on your mobile or tablet device
• Contests & giveaways only for members
• 30 years of Model Airplane News archives
• 10 years of Electric Flight archives
• 5% off ALL Air Age Store purchases every time you shop

https://www.airagestore.com/memberships/planes/one-full-year-of-exclusive-member-access-for-only-24-95.html

The post Model Airplane Flight: Master Forward Slips appeared first on Model Airplane News.

The post RC Aerobatics: Perfecting the Avalanche appeared first on Model Airplane News.

First, we must understand how the wing supports the plane in flight. As the plane moves through the air, the amount of lift is determined by the particular airfoil and its angle of attack (AOA). The AOA is the angle formed by the wing’s chord line and the oncoming airstream. The other primary factor in the amount of lift is the speed of the airfoil through the air. A stall will occur when the AOA exceeds the wing’s critical angle of attack. At this angle, the lift suddenly decreases and the drag increases, resulting in the plane losing altitude very rapidly. The pilot has control over the AOA with the elevator. For example, if the pilot inputs up-elevator the tail drops and the nose rises, which increases the wing’s AOA. An important point to note is that the plane can be moving in any direction, including straight down, and a stall will occur if the AOA is exceeded.

The only way to recover from a stall is by decreasing the angle of attack below the critical angle by pushing forward on the elevator. By learning your plane’s slow-speed and stall behavior, you should be able to avoid getting into an unintentional stall situation in the first place. Take your plane up high; reduce the throttle while increasing the elevator deflection to maintain your altitude. As it slows, note how the plane reacts to your control inputs, and when it does stall, note if a wingtip drops or if it stalls straight ahead. Recover from the stall by lowering the nose to gain flying speed. Adding power will speed the recovery and minimize altitude loss. Practice this until you can recover with the wings level. All models stall differently, so you’ll want to learn your model’s characteristics.

Spins are an exciting aerobatic maneuver when done intentionally, but an unintentional spin close to the ground will spoil your day. A spin cannot occur unless the plane is stalled. If at the moment of stall there is a yawing moment, an autorotation will commence. The spin is caused by a complex series of events. If rudder is applied as the wing stalls then it will cause one wing to drop. For instance, if left rudder is applied with up-elevator, the left wing will move downward and rearward resulting in a left roll. The left wing will therefore have a greater angle of attack and slower speed relative to the right wing. The right wing will essentially be less stalled than the left wing resulting in autorotation about the spin axis. In the fully developed spin, the aerodynamic and inertial forces are stabilized into a predictable pattern of rotation. The rotation, airspeed and vertical speed are stabilized and the descent path is vertical. Unless something is done, the spin will continue.

Turns in the landing pattern can lead to spins if a skidding turn is attempted. A skid is when too much rudder is used for a given bank angle. Often a pilot will use rudder when overshooting the turn in order to avoid a steep bank angle. This is the recipe for a spin. If you find yourself in a spin, most planes will recover easily by letting go of the controls and letting the speed build up. Some high-performance planes require opposite rudder and/or down-elevator to recover. Use caution during the recovery as the speed can build up quickly. Also, avoid a secondary spin during the recovery by not using excessive up-elevator. Every plane has its own peculiar spin characteristics, so make sure you try spin recovery at high altitudes.

The post Stall & Spin Recovery Tips appeared first on Model Airplane News.

BAD-HABIT NO. 1: DIVING TO THE RUNWAY

The first bad habit goes back to the way pilots first learned to set up their landings, and it’s why no two landings ever go the same since. Most pilots never give thought to flying a specific landing pattern to set up a landing. Instead, they loosely fly downwind, turn around, and try to get lined up and lose altitude before arriving over the runway. Of course, novice pilots would have been flying higher to stay safe, so when the decision is made to land, they are forced to let the nose drop appreciably during the base leg turn in an effort to lose the excess altitude.

MODEL AIRPLANE NEWS PREMIUM members can access this article and many others highlighting amazing techniques, RC airplane builds and projects. When you become a member, you’ll get instant online access to our back-issue archives, the latest Model Airplane News Digital Editions, all of our newsstand-only special issues, and much more.

Membership includes exclusive access to our enormous collection of RC information.

• 7+ years of digital editions of Model Airplane News
• Flight Journal and Model Airplane News special issue digital editions, previously only available on newsstands
• Free access to our magazine app through the iTunes Store – get Model Airplane News on your mobile or tablet device
• Contests & giveaways only for members
• 30 years of Model Airplane News archives
• 10 years of Electric Flight archives
• 5% off ALL Air Age Store purchases every time you shop

https://www.airagestore.com/memberships/planes/one-full-year-of-exclusive-member-access-for-only-24-95.html

The post Landing Made Easy – Establishing the Optimal Approach Speed appeared first on Model Airplane News.

During a normal landing approach, the airplane is in upright level flight and flies downwind parallel to the runway, turns 90 degrees to base, and then makes another 90-degree turn onto final approach. After years of flying, the process becomes second nature. If you’re like me, you’re always thinking of ways to add excitement to your flying, so let’s look at a landing that starts from an inverted position. When your airplane is just a few feet, or even several inches, from the ground, a half roll certainly will add a thrill. But it must be performed right before the aircraft touches down. Let’s take a closer look.

While I have noticed that I fly many of my foam park flyer models on high-rates with a generous amount of exponential, the maneuver this month does not require a lot of control surface deflection. The rate at which you wish to perform the half roll will dictate how much aileron deflection is needed. As a starting point, I would recommend 25 degrees of aileron deflection with 25% exponential, 20 degrees of elevator deflection with 35% exponential, and 35 degrees of rudder deflection with 50% exponential.

Keep in mind that these rates and exponential values work well for me, so I recommend starting with the factory recommended settings at first, then fly your aircraft to altitude and see how it responds to your inputs. If you feel that the airplane is somewhat slow to respond on a given surface, examine it further. Apply full aileron input and see if you are content with the roll rate. If the rate is slow, increase the dual-rate value for the aileron surface. If the roll rate is good, but the airplane is slow to respond when the control stick is around neutral, decrease the exponential.

As with a traditional landing, you should fly parallel to the runway, travelling downwind, and then perform a half roll to inverted. Now, instead of making two 90-degree turns to final, perform one 180-degree turn while inverted to line up with the runway. Once you are entering the runway area, slowly decrease the throttle to control your descent rate. As you prepare for the half roll, you may find that you have to add some throttle as the half roll will slow the aircraft down (depending on the roll rate).

When you execute this stunt for the first time, perform the half roll at a fairly high altitude so that you can become familiar with the control inputs needed. Continue the descent until you have landed, applying throttle and pitch changes when needed for a constant rate of descent.

The E-flite Advance 25e is a 4-channel sport plane that’s ideal for learning to perform aerobatic moves like the inverted landing with a half roll.

Four easy steps

STEP 1: At about 50 feet away from you, align the airplane inverted and parallel to the runway, travelling downwind. For a plane with a 48-inch wingspan like the Extra 330SC, this gives plenty of time to prepare for the 180-degree turn. During the downwind leg, I prefer to keep the throttle around 25% so the airplane has some speed and will not stall. If a cross-wind exists, a higher throttle setting may be required.

STEP 2: Perform a gentle inverted 180-degree turn with a bank angle of about 50 degrees. If downwind is from right to left, perform a left turn and bring the plane toward the runway. Apply some left aileron to initiate the turn and add in some down-elevator to maintain altitude and control the turning radius. Once the aircraft is aligned with the runway, apply a touch of right aileron to level the plane. After you become proficient with this maneuver, this should be a flat turn with not a lot of altitude loss. With proficiency, you can start to perform a descending, inverted 180-degree turn to bring the airplane extremely low to the ground.

STEP 3: Now, while keeping an eye on your airspeed (so that it doesn’t approach stall speed), the airplane should be either level, or at most, pointed just slightly towards the ground as you perform the roll. Before this is done, add a little throttle to get the airspeed up a little. Next, determine the roll rate you want. If you wish to perform a rather slow half roll to upright, you will need to feed in rudder input during the half roll to keep the same descent rate. To roll to the left, apply left aileron and a touch of left rudder. As soon as the airplane is upright and level, neutralize your inputs and continue with the traditional landing pattern.

STEP 4: Continue to balance the descent rate with throttle and pitch angle. When the airplane is only a few inches from the ground, add in a touch of up-elevator, adding a slight amount of throttle if needed, to keep the airspeed up. You don’t want to stall the aircraft with any hard pitch inputs.

Kick it up a notch!
You can also perform this maneuver at a higher speed. For example, you can zoom across the downwind leg, perform a quick 180-degree turn, come off power, and perform a half roll with a combined slip. If you roll to the left, you can roll about 120 degrees and feed in a large amount of left rudder to perform a side slip to decrease your airspeed. Then, you can level the airplane just inches off the ground before landing. As with all aerobatics, the only limit is your imagination—as well as the ground!

No doubt this maneuver takes some time to master. However, when performed close to the ground, it is an exciting way to end your flight. With time, different variations can also be thrown in to spice things up. For example, you can add different rolling elements, like two points of a 4-point roll or four points of an 8-point roll, to get back to upright before the landing. Spend time at the flying field practicing the maneuver and like all new maneuvers, break up the learning process into smaller steps until you have it mastered.

The post Landings with a Twist — Master the Inverted Approach with a 1/2 Roll appeared first on Model Airplane News.