inverted?

[amike_321]

what does the saying "coming out inverted" mean? ive read that sometimes the only way to get out of a thermal thats too strong is to come out inverted. please help. im flying the hobby-lobby skimmer 400.

[Tony Oliver]

The general idea is that thermal soarers are very efficient at flying well in that they stay up and don't want to come down. However a trade off to that is that they are normally very inefficient in any other attitude than upright. This especially applies to lighter constructed open frame models (not the glass, carbon and kevlar types) which have what are often called 'undercambered' section wings - those with a concave bottom surface.
These models can easily be overstressed if you try to speed them up in a dive to get away from strong lift.
If you roll the model, or loop it to the inverted stage, the wing is so inefficient that it continues to fly but so poorly that it comes down far quicker than normal without speeding up. The idea is to have a sink rate higher than the speed of the lift. It's an acquired art to get used to it but well worth the trouble. Once you've lost a model through wing flutter while trying to get it down, you'll find out.
Take the hint and try flying inverted for a while. Your model will have the gliding characteristics of a trussed chicken, but it'll come down safely.
The odd thing as I've mentioned in other posts is that in most cases of rudder/elevator models, the rudder works in the same sense as right way up - like ailerons do. Fly gently, in large circles holding the amount of down necessary to stop excessive speed. Keep as far from the lift area as you can, and you'll soon contact the associated area of sink. Get back to normal flight as soon as the model is at a few hundred feet and do a normal landing.
Practice makes perfect.

Tony

[Martin Hunter]

er... make sure your battery is secure before trying this. Don't ask me how I know

[Tony Oliver]

............embarrassing, isn't it!
And the failsafe doesn't work when the battery drops out (don't as me how I know either)

Tony