Yes, all I did was disable the ailerons on the sim causing me to have to steer the plane with both thumbs while trying to control the speed at the same time. I'm actually impressed with how well I was able to do this, but glad to know that rudder can now go on the right. Thanks for all your help.

Originally Posted by aphily8ed

I have been flying on a sim for some time now in anticipation of buying my first plane. I had the sim set up for 4 channel operation, and thought I was doing quite well with it. I am getting a lot of advice on here about starting with a 3 channel plane like the super cub, so I figured I should set up my sim for 3 channel. Boy was I in for a shock. I found it much harder to control the plane with a rudder as apposed to ailerons.

Now I wonder if I was piloting the plane "properly" while I was in 4 channel mode. I mostly never used the rudder except for taxiing. I found it extremely easy to make turns with just aileron and elevator control and pretty much not touch the rudder. With a little practice I am now able to perform a pretty decent turn with rudder and elevator, but it is still much more difficult than with 4 channel. I always thought 4 channel was something you aspired to only after learning 3 channel.

Do you guys turn your real planes with rudder and elevator, or do you turn them the way I did on the sim with ailerons and elevator?

I'm gonna take a guess that you left the rudder on the left stick? If that's the case and you've been flying right stick it will seem difficult to you. Most 3 channels I've flown had the rudder on the right stick instead of ailerons.

The BIG mistake here is thinking about rudder vs aileron in the first place. You should think about the right stick being the "direction" stick. The aircraft doesn't care what it uses to turn with, rudder on a 3 channel or aileron on a 4 channel. As long as the direction stick is on the right, you shouldn't either.

Originally Posted by aphily8ed

So on a real Tx is it common practice to put the rudder on the right stick with the elevator or is that not possible?

As already answered, yes. Put the rudder on the aileron channel and do your "driving" with the right stick. The big advantage with just 3 channels and a trainer's high wing is that the plane really want's to stay upright. Rolls are a lot of fun except for when they are un-intentional. Without the ailerons its pretty hard to get that plane to turn over.

Several years ago I was flying a gasser with ailerons and the aileron controls just quit working. The plane was flying farther and farther away from me and it was almost out of sight when my brain kicked in and I gave the left stick a nudge. I barely managed to get the plane back and on the ground. When I pulled the wing off I found that the aileron servo and pulled out of it's mount. Maybe that rudder practice will pay off....

And someday you might want to do aerobatics (pattern or 3D), many of which require use of the rudder. So getting your left hand used to running a control isn't a bad thing.

Consider an Apprentice as a trainer. 4 channel and flies nice and slow. You can do loops, rools and with some practice even inverted. It's a foamy, so you can abuse it somewhat without too much of a repair problem. I started on one and had well over 100 flights before I got a second plane.

-aphily8ed
What kind of Transmitter are you using?
are you looking for a Ready-for-Receiver or a Ready-To-Fly complete package?

Originally Posted by aphily8ed

So on a real Tx is it common practice to put the rudder on the right stick with the elevator or is that not possible?

IMO it's required. When it's your plane you can set it up any way you want - I've even seen people do things backwards (Lukas Riva for example, when he wants the helicopter to go up, he pushes down on the throttle stick - opposite from the way everyone else in the world does it, but the guy is a Pro)

The general consensus is that you "put the primary steering control on the right" and in a 3-channel plane, that is the rudder. If your 3-channel plane is well-behaved, it doesn't feel a whole lot different from flying with ailerons. However it is generally slower to react and less precise and that causes a training problem for some people. It made things harder for me, and I didn't really get the feel for what I was doing until I got a Stryker, which is a pusher jet, very fast and very precise. The Stryker is still one of my favorite planes.

Disabling the ailerons or not using them is not how you turn a plane 3-channel, and I suspect that's the other issue you might have had. A 3-channel plane needs to be specifically designed to turn with the rudder, and most 4-channel planes can not be turned very well with rudder only. Try a proper 3-channel plane like a Champ, Slow Stick, or Easy Star, and you should see the difference - these planes will bank-n-yank with rudder only, but something like a Nexstar/Alpha or Apprentice won't fly well that way.

Originally Posted by ChinoDiablo

-aphily8ed
What kind of Transmitter are you using?
are you looking for a Ready-for-Receiver or a Ready-To-Fly complete package?

I don't have a transmitter so I would need a RTF. I am using a Dynam simmulator and FMS software.

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

IMO it's required. When it's your plane you can set it up any way you want - I've even seen people do things backwards (Lukas Riva for example, when he wants the helicopter to go up, he pushes down on the throttle stick - opposite from the way everyone else in the world does it, but the guy is a Pro)

And one of the best of examples of not following convention is Jimi Hendrix.
Right handed Fender Stratacastor strung left handed and upside down. But then again, Jimi was a guitar genius unlike the rest of us hackers.
Bluesman Albert King also played right handed guitars upside down.

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

Disabling the ailerons or not using them is not how you turn a plane 3-channel, and I suspect that's the other issue you might have had. A 3-channel plane needs to be specifically designed to turn with the rudder, and most 4-channel planes can not be turned very well with rudder only. Try a proper 3-channel plane like a Champ, Slow Stick, or Easy Star, and you should see the difference - these planes will bank-n-yank with rudder only, but something like a Nexstar/Alpha or Apprentice won't fly well that way.

Well, I did just that with my Ares Gamma 370. I learned to fly with the stock plane which came with a non-aileron wing and subsequently upgraded to an aileron wing with less dihedral and narrower profile. I didn't activate the aileron servo right away as I felt I wasn't quite ready and so flew it 3 channel anyway just to get a feel for the new setup. 10 flights later and an hour on the Phoenix sim doing 4 channel flying, I hooked up the aileron servo.
No problems. I'm glad I did it that way. 75 flights later, its one of my favorite planes.

BTW, as I mentioned in my previous post, The Ares Gamma 370 is great plane and true bargain when compared to the pricing of the the Apprentice.

Originally Posted by aphily8ed

I don't have a transmitter so I would need a RTF. I am using a Dynam simmulator and FMS software.

DX6i or similar. You'll want/need expo and throw adjustments, model memory etc.
Don't waste your money on a DX5e. You'll quickly outgrow it.
Most RTF's have Transmitters that will not suit you as you grow in this hobby.

Originally Posted by ChinoDiablo

Well, I did just that with my Ares Gamma 370. I learn to fly with the stock plane which came with a non-aileron wing and subsequently upgraded to an aileron wing with less dihedral and narrower profile.

It works on that plane because it's specifically designed so that works. A regular 4-channel trainer like the Nexstar or Apprentice won't work as well. It works, but it sucks.

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

It works on that plane because it's specifically designed so that works. A regular 4-channel trainer like the Nexstar or Apprentice won't work as well. It works, but it sucks.

The Gamma aileron wing was also not intended to be disabled/3 channel but it flew fine.
That was such a long time ago I barely remember it.
I just remember that it didn't suck.

can I say "suck" repeatedly on RCG or will I get banned?

Originally Posted by ChinoDiablo

can I say "suck" repeatedly on RCG or will I get banned?

I think, and I hope, it will not get you banned, as long as you are only referring to radio controlled model airplanes. But to be safe, choose a better word next time.

Originally Posted by easyrider604

I think, and I hope, it will not get you banned, as long as you are only referring to radio controlled model airplanes. But to be safe, choose a better word next time.

How about "Blows?"
Shades of Mel Brooks are twirling in my head...