More on flying RC model airplanes
Yesterday, we were just beginning to practice the steps of getting your trainer in the air and how to control it. This will help you learn all the functions of the radio controlled airplane and how the controls react to the movement of the sticks. Let’s start where we left off yesterday.
We completed a successful takeoff and reached a nice safe altitude and had completed a gentle left turn. As you are learning to fly, a good exercise to practice is flying long rectangular patterns over the field. Assuming the left turn that you completed was over the right hand end of the field and along the side of the field farthest in front of you, continue with straight and level flight until you are ready to perform another left turn. Give the plane gentle left aileron and as the plane moves into the turn add a little up elevator and let the plane continue around the turn. As your plane nears the end of the turn let the ailerons return to the neutral position and do the same with the elevator. Continue to fly around the flying field in this manner for several repetitions until you are ready to land the plane.
Before you get to land the plane I need to explain some of the unexpected things that will confuse you and make you very glad that you have an instructor standing by your side ready to assist as needed. I have been telling you that as you begin to bank to the left to feed in a little up elevator. That is necessary because as the plane begins to bank, the lift or upward force changes and the model will begin to slide downward in the direction of the turn. By gently adding up elevator it helps to keep the nose of the airplane from dropping. If you wait too long and the airplane is banking steeper and steeper to the left and then you add up elevator, since the plane’s wings will be close to vertical, the elevator starts to act like the rudder and the plane will start turning faster and this will result in a spin and your nice new expensive radio controlled model airplane will rapidly spiral out of control into the ground. This all happens very quickly and as an inexperienced pilot, you may have a tendency to “over control” and that makes the situation even worse. I learned this lesson very quickly and it is permanently etched into the inside of my skull. I had someone there that was helping me and talking to someone else at the same time and by the time he realized what was happening and regained control of my model, it was no more that 2 feet above the ground. That was not the guy that ultimately helped me achieve real success with my flying, but I was sure glad he was there.
Another thing that may confuse you while you are making the rectangular patterns around the field is the difference in how the controls appear to react when the airplane is flying away from you as opposed to when it is coming back toward you. What happens is that when you are looking at the rear of the airplane, the right wing is on your right side and when the plane is coming towards you the right wing of the plane is on your left side. So, what can happen as you are watching the airplane come back towards you is it may start drifting more towards your left and you make an adjustment to move it back to your right. Therein lies the danger. You would have compounded the error in the direction the plane was drifting by confusing your left with the model’s left. Some pilots will turn their body and transmitter slightly in the direction that the plane is flying and look over their shoulder in order to keep track of the plane’s direction with respect to the controls. Other people will tell you that the way they keep track of it is to watch the plane and as a wing tip starts to dip, they will move the lever in the direction towards the lower end of the wing. I prefer the first method because in an instant of urgency to compensate for the changing direction of the RC model airplane, my short memory doesn’t seem to work right and I just get further confused.
As you become more proficient in taking off, flying and landing your model safely, you will inevitably want to learn some aerobatic maneuvers and then the issue of which way do I move the sticks requires even more attention. Think about this one and work it out in your mind. Let’s say you are flying the plane away from yourself and you want to do a loop upward and return back in the direction towards yourself with the plane flying inverted. How would you move the controls when the aircraft is now flying inverted and coming toward you. At this point that is sort of a rhetorical question and while you are still just thinking about getting that plane in the air, this is one more thing you need to get familiar with. My point is that when you are out on the field with your plane heading itself into a dangerous attitude ( the orientation of the aircraft relative to its direction of flight) you will need to be able to react mostly on instinct to keep it going where you want it to. Think about that little scenario and if you have the answer, click on the comment link below and let me know what you think.
After all this flying, we are getting close to running out of fuel and we will need to get that model plane back safely on the ground. For your first few flights, I recommend that you leave that up the instructor and you watch as he completes the landing and he explains exactly what you need to do while landing. When he feels that you have enough stick time, he will talk you through the landing.
On the subject of your learning experience, I want to let you know that there are some flight simulator software packages available that you can purchase and install on your computer that will allow to select several types of airplanes and helicopters to practice with. These sims are fairly expensive, but if you can buy one or get access to one, it will give you unlimited planes to practice with. You can crash and just takeoff again over and over. This really cuts down on the frustration and expense of learning. Some people say they don’t get the feeling of the “set” of the flying fields that you can select and actually have difficulty keeping the plane out of the trees and above the ground. You may be able to check one of these simulators out at your local hobby shop. It may be what you’ve been looking for.
Now, have a look at a fun day of flying. See you next time.
As mentioned before, things happen really fast with radio controlled model planes and sometimes you will run out of things to try and altitude all at the same time, all too quickly.
Thoughts on flying a radio controlled model airplane
Today, I want to talk a little bit about getting ready for your first flight. Assuming you have acquired your model and have someone that will help you with the first flights, let’s go over pre-flight checks and get familiar with the feel of the radio transmitter. You will need to be familiar enough with how the transmitter feels in your hands so that you can manipulate all the controls without having to look at the transmitter while flying. It is mandatory that you never take your eyes off the plane while it is in the air. Even one brief moment can cause you to lose track of your plane and what it is doing.
Starting and tuning of the engine can wait until you are at the flying field. For now just work on getting familiar with the feel of the transmitter and with the action of the controls. With the battery fully charged according to the radio manufacturers instructions, place the plane on the floor in front of you with the nose facing away from you. Next, turn on the transmitter and then turn on the receiver. It is recommended to always turn the transmitter on first and to turn it off only after the receiver is shut off. Once the radio equipment is turned on all control surfaces should be in the neutral position. The throttle will be in the position that corresponds to the position of the throttle stick.
Now, let’s go over the controls and how each affects the action of the plane on the ground and in the air. Radio control transmitters are set up in one of four different “modes”. This means that each mode has the joysticks set up to actuate different controls on the plane. We will be talking about using a transmitter that is set up for mode 2 operation, because mode 2 more closely imitates the action of the stick or yoke in a full scale plane ( the kind you ride in). Also, most four channel trainers are flown in this mode.
In Mode 2, the left stick controls the position of the throttle. The speed of the engine can be adjusted all the way from idle speed (left stick all the way to the rear) to maximum speed (left stick all the way forward). The rudder is controlled with the left stick also. Moving the stick to the left steers the plane to the left and movig it to the right steers the plane to the right.
With a model that has a tricycle landing gear system, the nose wheel is connected to the same servo that controls the rudder. They work together to control the plane when moving it around on the ground and during takeoffs. Please note that it is recommended to move the sticks on the transmitter only enough to accomplish the desired action of the plane. “Over controlling” the airplane is often the cause of crashes for beginners.
The ailerons and the elevator are both controlled with the right stick on the transmitter. Ailerons are the movable portion of the trailing edge of the wing and control the longitudinal roll or banking of the aircraft. Banking the plane to the right means to turn it to the right and this is done by moving the right stick to the right. To bank or steer to the left move the stick to the left. The ailerons are tied together at the servo and move in opposite directions of each other. In order to bank the plane to the right, the right aileron moves upward and the left moves downward. The opposite is true for banking to the left.
The elevator is the control surface that controls the climbing and descent of the airplane. It is also controlled with the right stick. Moving the stick to the rear gives the plane up elevator and moving it forward gives the plane down elevator. Again, it is very important to point out that radio controlled airplanes are very sensitive to any changes that you make to the controls whether intentional or accidental. The plane will react very quickly to any command you give it. Move the sticks only as much as needed to achieve the desired results.
Having explained what the controls do and understanding the need for complete familiarization with the transmitter, let’s move on to the necessary pre-flight checks and then get on with the “dry flight”maneuvers. Each time you go flying there are several things that you must get into the habit of checking out. The very first thing you need to do is to determine if anyone else is using the same channel or frequency as you are. There will be some method of controlling which airplanes can be flown at the same time. Someone at the flying field will explain to you how it works at their field. This is important because if you are flying your plane and someone else turns on a transmitter that is on the same channel as you are using, you will lose control of your model and very likely your plane will crash. Just follow the rules and you’ll be okay.
After you are cleared to use your transmitter, you need to do a radio check to make sure all control surfaces move in the correct direction. I have seen even experienced pilots forget to do this and run into trouble immediately after the plane is airborne. After you and your flight trainer are certain that the controls are working as they should, one more check and then you will be ready to start and tune the engine. There is some controversy on the best way to to do the radio range or distance check. One way is to check the system with the transmitter’s antenna pushed in and move the transmitter at least 50 feet away from the plane and have someone observe the control surfaces both with the sticks at neutral and while the sticks are being moved. This is to check that the radio works at a distance from the transmitter. You will watch for any jitter or unsteady movement of the control surfaces. If everything sits perfectly still when the sticks are not moving and move smoothly when the sticks are moved slowly, then you are good to go.
Some people advocate that you have the engine running when you do the distance check and others insist that you leave the antenna fully extended and move much farther away. Both ways seem to work okay and I have done it both ways with no bad results either way. The main thing is be sure to check it out.
For your “dry flight” practice, sit with the plane facing away from you and get familiar with the amount of movement you get of the control surfaces with a given amount of stick movement. This may sound a little silly and I remember when I was doing this with my first plane, it drove my wife and kids crazy, because the output of the transmitter would interfere with the TV, however it is important that when the instructor is helping you that you know exactly what to do without having to think about it. It will also help build your confidence for that first flight. This is something that can be done indoors or out which makes it a good thing to do periodically through the winter. Practice moving the sticks slowly and smoothly.
As you practice, talk yourself through each step of the flight. Taxi the plane out onto the runway… point it into the wind…slowly open the throttle… let the plane gather some airspeed… steer with the rudder and nose wheel… keep it going straight down the runway… open the throttle more… ease back on the elevator… begin the climb… not too steep the plane is still not up to full speed… gradually gain some altitude… after getting about 100 feet in the air, begin a left turn by gradually giving some left aileron… as the plane begins to turn feed in a little up elevator… as the plane reaches the end of the turn return the elevator to neutral position and gradually return the ailerons to neutral…
Sounds simple enough doesn’t it. Keep practicing and we’ll be talking about more “in flight” controlling and then we will see if we can get it landed next time. And, maybe we will have some videos on the art of crashing. See you then and remember your comments are welcome.
At The Radio Controlled Flying Field
I have suggested that you go the a local R/C club and visit their flying field. Find out when they are having a “Fun Fly” and go watch all the flying action. Another way to see what radio controlled model flying is all about, is to find out who is a member of the club that would be willing to have you join him/her for a practice session. That way you may even have an opportunity to get in a little air time for yourself. This can be a real learning experience and a lot of fun.
Another thing you can do to learn more is check out the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics). This is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote model aviation. You should learm about joining the organization and supporting their effort. The AMA provides liability insurance for model aviation to protect you in the event of an accident. They are also the charter organization for model airplane clubs and they will provide you with a list of clubs in your area. AMA web site
Before you leave today, have a look at some of the strange things you might see at the R/C flying field. Do people really jump out of a perfectly safe airplane? And how about having this guy cut your grass? See you next time.
Recent Comments