Discussion November 2009

[Jim_Marconnet]

In case you are not keeping current over at the Parade Grounds flyers, we now have a huge rush construction project there expected to last till Spring. 1/3 of the Activity Field has been dug up a foot deep and turned into a dirt mountain and a mud plain. Slopers anyone when the wind is from the North?

We need to decide quickly whether to move our lunch-time flight operations to the East and pretend nothing is happening on our West flank, or to move operations to Whitesburg Baptist Annex till the spring. Or to do something else, of course.

Jim

[Spackles94]

I say y'all drive down to Birmingham to fly during y'all's lunch breaks!

[Jim_Marconnet]

Birmingham is a little far to drive at lunch-time.

We could join RCRC and go fly over there. They even have a long shade shed, a Coke machine, and a paved runway!

Jim

[ghee-grose]

We will see you Sunday Napo! Looks like beeeeeautiful weather!!!!

[Spackles94]

Originally Posted by ghee-grose

We will see you Sunday Napo! Looks like beeeeeautiful weather!!!!

Yessir! Good times ahead, no doubt!

[Jim_Marconnet]

After not being able emotionally to even look at it for some time now, I looked at and immediately stripped the Acromaster fuselage this AM.

It was really pulverized inside. The several intermediate Gorilla Glue repairs and plywood vibration reinforcement were all splinters! The tail was still in good shape. I guess they built that part way too strong compared to the rest of the fuselage.

The wing looks OK yet. Anyone local have an Acromaster and need a wing with two Hitec HS85BB servos still installed? Probably not, but if so, make me an offer. Speak soon, else the servos will go into the parts box and the rest of the wing into the trash. Realistically I won't ever buy another Acromaster, nor will I build up a plane just to use this spare wing.

Jim

[Tram]

Sell me your Infineon..

[dee-grose]

Couldn't pass up the nice weather today and did a little flying at Nektar today at lunchtime. Nice to see some of the old gang again...David L, Keith P, and Chuck A showed up. Thanks to Chuck for snapping some pics of the Stearman!

Enjoy the pics!

Andy

[Jim_Marconnet]

I flew today at RCRC. Terrific weather! Hope you flew somewhere today.

First flight was with the Outrage. I taxied out, took off straight down the runway into the wind, flew around for about 5 minutes, landed on the runway upwind, taxied in, and announced, "All clear!". This was the first time I had done this complete routine on a paved runway with designated taxiways, designated pilot stations, etc. I was rather proud of myself!

Second flight with the SE-2. When I went to taxi out, it went fine till I decided to turn into the wind on the runway. I pushed on rudder stick, but nothing happened. Realized my SE-2 is RET, so pushing on rudder stick was a waste of time. I should have pushed the aileron stick. By that time I was out on the runway. Since it takes so little takeoff run, I decided to just give it full throttle and take off across the runway. Did so, but there was a little lag in the power increase. So it took off, then went basically straight up. The guys watching me suggesed some down elevator, to not 3D off the runway. I leveled it off OK and completed the flight. Boy did I miss the ailerons!

Bottom line - my next step will be to mix the Rudder to Ailerons 100% to greatly improve ground handling.

Jim

[Jim_Marconnet]

At RCRC, one of their several rules is that you don't ever fly over the paved runway, except to land. I.E. keep clear of the runway in case somebody needs to land.

Makes some sense, in a way, but that has its impacts.

When flying small planes like I did yesterday from one of the 5 designated pilot's stations, that means you must fly further to the East, making the planes smaller and harder to see and to control.

It discourages 3D flying of any sort, since there is no right in your face flying opportunity. In fact, they discourage 3D flying in several ways that I won't get into here, and they even ban 3D planes at some events.

I realized yesterday some of the great advantages of our lunch time at the Parade Grounds flying smaller electrics wherein we have as many pilots in the air as we feel like; the sky and the ground are yours to use mostly as you wish; flying in your face is just fine; go retrieve your plane any time you think it's safe; etc. etc.

Yes, I have heard from several people at RCRC that they come fly at times they expect to have the place to themself. They they fly by their, or by NO rules! But with as large a club as that it, I'll bet those times are few and far between.

Jim

[Tram]

Do you have your rudder plugged into the aileron channel?

You shouldn't have have to mix anything.. Unless what you are trying to accomplish is being able to turn on the ground with the rudder stick rather than the right stick?

[Jim_Marconnet]

Originally Posted by Tram

Do you have your rudder plugged into the aileron channel?

You shouldn't have have to mix anything.. Unless what you are trying to accomplish is being able to turn on the ground with the rudder stick rather than the right stick?

Yes, I'm trying to develop good habits. Like turning on the ground using the rudder stick, not the aileron stick. Using ailerons to turn on the ground tends to tip the plane over onto the wing tip instead of yawing it.

I've had a real struggle teaching my left hand to participate in my flying. I'd like to minimize anything that would tend to teach me bad habits or would require me to fly different planes differently, in case that makes any sense. Rudder stick should always Yaw the plane. Aileron stick should always Roll the plane.

On another subject, we had a nice FFF today. Rob Suggs was the only other pilot who showed up with their own equipment. He flew a new Plantronics Classroom Racer. Cute! He does miss having an elevator, however.

Everyone else flew my fleet of Vapor planes and mCX helis. John Few was there with his family. Took more photos and passed out free issues of the brand new paper in Madison. Had two nice photos of our last FFF and a nice little writeup on us there at the CLC Aerodrome. One photo included my Grandson Jackson. That tickled him and his Dad some!

Jim

[Spackles94]

Jim,

I've seen what can happen when people use R/E/T planes with the rudder on the left stick. Not pretty.

I've also heard of people setting a switch for the rudder on ground handling. If you hit it while flying or forget to flip it after taking off, it might not be pretty either.

I'd suggest you keep it on your right stick. After all, you'll have more four-channel planes than three-channel ones...

[Tram]

Originally Posted by Jim_Marconnet

Yes, I'm trying to develop good habits. Like turning on the ground using the rudder stick, not the aileron stick.

Depends on what you mean by habits.. Sounds to me, like you are getting into "bad habits" by trying to create good habits..

What stick does what is based purely on how you want to fly it.. Mode 1, Mode 2, etc..

Mode 1 has the Throttle and Aileron on the right stick. The Elevator and Rudder are on the left stick. The location of other controls vary with each manufacturer.

Mode 2 has the Aileron and Elevator, the two main controls, on the right stick. The Throttle and Rudder are on the left stick.

Sailplanes and three channel trainer aircraft usually do not have ailerons. The Elevator and Rudder servos are then connected to the right stick of a mode 2 system. This makes learning to fly much easier. If you have the a RET aircraft setup "correctly" you will have the rudder in the aileron channel (no mixing) or you will plug it into the rudder channel (mixing.)

Flying a 3 channel aircraft with the rudder on the left stick and elevator on the right stick is going to be pretty exciting...

Using ailerons to turn on the ground tends to tip the plane over onto the wing tip instead of yawing it.

On a RET aircraft the plane will know no difference between turning with the aileron stick or the rudder stick - it should still only move the rudder, as there are no ailerons..

would require me to fly different planes differently, in case that makes any sense.

This does not give you bad habits, it makes you a better pilot..

I.E. Flying helis, VPP aircraft and traditional fixed wing are done differently in some ways..

Rudder stick should always Yaw the plane. Aileron stick should always Roll the plane.

Unless of course you are flying a RET.. If you are setting up a RET with the rudder on the left stick and the elevator on the right stick - you are teaching yourself a bad habit and one destined for a crash.. In a RET equipped aircraft, rudder rolls the aircraft..

[brn-grose]

took the Radian to Birmingham last weekend. here's the first try at Movie Maker.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1143140


Brian