how to do a funnel?

[mayday1]

I want to try doing a funnel (with tail point down), how is it done?

I'll of course practise on a simulator until I'm really confortable before
trying it for real.

Thanks,

[fiveoboy01]

Of course you can enter it several ways...

I'm not sure exactly how to explain this, let's see if I can get it right:)

Let's say you want to do a clockwise(if viewed from top) funnel with the tail down.

Get some forward momentum, bank the heli to the right pretty steep. Then get the tail pointed down. Now you'll switch to left cyclic(you'll want to hold left cyclic, and the amount depends on how tight you want the funnel to be), and also input some forward cyclic and positive collective. You don't have to hold forward cyclic, as you travel in the circle you can use the collective to maintain altitude but you can also use fore/aft cyclic if the rotor disk isn't tilted the way you want it to be.

It's sort of juggling the collective and fore/aft cyclic to maintain altitude.

Principle is the same for nose-down, or sideways funnel(I guess that would be a hurricane?), upright or inverted... control inputs are just different.

At least this is how I do them, I tried to explain it the best I could. I never really had anyone explain them, I just tried them until I got them right.

[barracudahockey]

http://www.littlerotors.com/flyinglessons/funnels.aspx

[mayday1]

http://www.littlerotors.com/flyinglessons/funnels.aspx

The description of a funnel is way more complicated than I expected.
The page is really useful since it teaches how to do aerobatics with
a heli.

Thanks for the pointer, I've bookmarked it.

[zen@lanset.com]

I have a little trouble with the idea that I have to learn to fly inverted before I can do a funnel. I have almost done a funnel (2/3 of the way) by accident while scr*wing around with an FP heli indoors. I'm going to take it to a gym and see if I can get it to go the rest of the way around....

[mayday1]

Of course you can enter it several ways...

I'm not sure exactly how to explain this, let's see if I can get it right:)

Let's say you want to do a clockwise(if viewed from top) funnel with the tail down.

Get some forward momentum, bank the heli to the right pretty steep. Then get the tail pointed down. Now you'll switch to left cyclic(you'll want to hold left cyclic, and the amount depends on how tight you want the funnel to be), and also input some forward cyclic and positive collective. You don't have to hold forward cyclic, as you travel in the circle you can use the collective to maintain altitude but you can also use fore/aft cyclic if the rotor disk isn't tilted the way you want it to be.

It's sort of juggling the collective and fore/aft cyclic to maintain altitude.

Principle is the same for nose-down, or sideways funnel(I guess that would be a hurricane?), upright or inverted... control inputs are just different.

At least this is how I do them, I tried to explain it the best I could. I never really had anyone explain them, I just tried them until I got them right.

Thanks!

The method you outlined above works (at least in Phoenix Sim :-).
I managed to do it a few times just now, need to work on getting
it started consistently. Once it gets going it is quite easy to hold
it, or adjusting the attitude of the heli without falling out. But at the
rate I'm progressing it'll be a month or two before I dare to try it
in real life.

[kenhiraihnl]

i stumbled onto a way of practicing funnels (on the sim, at least)...
step 1 - practice fast sidewards flight, left and right
step 2 - sideward flight in circles (like flying control line)...the heli maintains constant altitude and constant diameter circle, with a nose-high attitude.
step 3 - same sidewards flight circle in front of you...funnels...works for me :D
-ken