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1st U.S. R/C Flight School's Advanced Aerobatics Manual Review
!Introduction
David A. Scott's flight training has two facets: his <a href=http://www.rcflightschool.com/default.asp>flight school</a> in Shawano, Wisconsin is well known for its facilities and teaching methods, and the five superbly written instruction manuals are packed with expert information. We all want to be better pilots, and bad pilots don’t stick around in this hobby for long. As an active flyer in RC for over 40 years, when I really think about it, I probably fly very close to the way I flew 40 years ago. I fly with so many bad habits that I prevent myself from getting better. David Scott's <I>Advanced Aerobatics</I> is written in a way that can help many of us. It is a well written text based on thousands of hours of licensed full-scale aerobatic flight and thousands more in RC flight. David is as accomplished a pilot as one can be and is highly regarded for his expertise. @DS_3.jpg: Lots of material to cover @DS_4.jpg: Each chapter is broken down. !General Contents David provides some simple items for consideration: * *If attempts are not successful after a few tries, back off and figure out what is going on *Repeating errors makes learning more difficult later *Good fundamentals are what make good maneuvers *Stress the basics *Routinely performed maneuvers enhance advanced aerobatics *Visualize your maneuvers before you fly them The book first walks you through the basics to recap the preceding book <I>Basic and Precision Aerobatics</I>. It provides very clear illustrations and text for a better understanding of just what aerodynamics go into aerobatic flight. Each chapter builds on the previous chapter and lets you improve your skills by doing the maneuvers correctly. @DS_2.jpg: You are also introduced to Aresti symbols !! Advanced Aerobatic Airplane Guidelines To fly maneuvers you need to know how planes behave and the forces that influence those behaviors. David clearly writes and illustrates lift, stalls, wing incidence, balance, slipstream and P-factor. The illustrations are excellent. They show you exactly the movement of the plane and the effect multiple factors have on maneuvering aerodynamics. There is even a section on stall strips and their influence on landings. The detail here is exceptional. !Getting started David Scott has coupled his visual learning system with the DAS system to make learning not only easy to understand, but also fun. For example, he starts with a discussion of making parallel lines to the runway and the importance of good positioning before, during and after aerobatics. The text provides comprehensive methods for inverted flight, and within that instruction David reinforces the simple concept of “inverted, you are always pushing forward elevator!” It is highlighted text and comments like this that you will take to the field and remember as you practice. @DS_5.jpg: Text and diagrams are excellent !Knife Edge Flight, 4-Point Rolls and Slow Rolls David consistently teaches you to understand the forces present during each maneuver. In knife-edge flight training, you learn to read the plane and make changes to adapt to the observed behavior of the aircraft. In gaining this perspective and by mastering knife-edge flight, the process of building towards hesitation rolls, slow rolls and half slow rolls is greatly enhanced. @DS_6.jpg: I love the wing tip spiral diagrams. You will agree once you have read through the text and practice; taking one segment of the maneuver and getting good at it helps each of the sequential steps and builds to a controlled performance of aerobatics. @DS_7.jpg: Here you can see the detailed text. !Getting more advanced In a way, the previous chapters are refresher courses that get you ready for some more challenging aerobatics. The text takes you through inside snap rolls, avalanches, upright spins and flat spins. You are taken through maneuvers step-by-step and shown the stick movement along with detailed text on how to not only complete the maneuver, but how to recognize incorrect elements. @DS_8.jpg: Now we are getting busy! The book also gives insight into the proven teaching methodology of David Scott in several instances. While snap rolls are executed by burying the sticks into the corner, his method teaches you to do snap rolls at the top of loops. The benefit of altitude, a deceleration of airspeed at the top and any over-rotation can easily be corrected as the plane descends. Besides, you also are learning the avalanche. As the book advances through maneuvers, you are taught outside snap rolls, the outside avalanche, inverted spins and inverted flat spins, all building on lessons learned as you progress through the book. By the end of the book you are into hammerheads, vertical rolls, vertical snap rolls, the humpty bump, square loops and P loops all while learning the Aresti designations for the maneuvers. By the time you have learned all these aerobatics you will be well prepared for the rolling turns and circles. !!Aresti Diagrams For anyone wanting to advance in aerobatics to the competitive level you will have to know Aresti diagrams. Colonel Jose Luis de Aresti Aquirre first published the Aresti diagrams in his <I>Sistema Aresti</I> in 1961. It was introduced as a way for pilots to communicate on paper their performance intentions. In 1962 the FAI adopted the diagrams, and I guess you could say the rest is history. Looking at the aircraft diagrams in conjunction with the Aresti diagrams will make you a student of Aresti in short order. !Rolling Turns and Circles Of all the maneuvers in the book, the rolling circles and turns may be the most difficult. As David explains, “ Most aerobatic maneuvers are the type that a knowledgeable pilot can achieve early success by trusting his inputs. The role of hand-eye coordination is primarily to detect the final touches to perform the maneuver nearly perfect. What makes the rolling circle so challenging to learn is it depends almost entirely on hand-eye coordination from the start: This program will instruct you what to do, but the actual execution of a rolling circle is done reacting to the plane.” @DS_9.jpg: Note the Aresti symbols with the diagram. I think the process shown for learning the rolling circles sums up David Scott’s system perfectly. Using their crawl-walk-run method, the basic rolling circle can be learned fairly quickly with fully executable high performance maneuvers taking many, many hours of practice. Much discussion is placed on the rudder, but using David’s approach, the rudder is not employed until more refined rolling circles are performed. This simplifies the process and places more focus on the doing each 90° segment of the 360° turn. !Conclusion From inverted to rolling circles, the 1st U.S R/C Flight School DAS learning system is top notch. The writing is excellent, the explanations thorough and the drawings absolutely wonderful. It is something you can read the night before after selecting the maneuver or portion of the maneuver you want to practice, reread again at the flying and then have something real to practice. There is no doubt I have improved. I can now recognize when I am doing something incorrectly, and rather than keep doing the wrong moves, I land, reread and study the excellent diagrams and then takeoff again. By using the DAS method I am having fun, but learning while I fly. I highly recommend all of David Scott’s books. <i>Park Flying 1-2-3D One Week to Solo Sport Aerobatics Precision Aerobatics</i> If you want to get the complete package, go to the <a href=http://www.rcflightschool.com/default.asp>1st U.S.R/C Flight School</a> website and sign up for one of their courses. They always fill up so get your application early! If traveling to Shawano is not an option be sure to purchase any one of these great books for some superb reading, instruction, illustration, and diagrams. Be sure and enter the "You Know You Need the Book <i>Advanced Aerobatics</i> if..." contest <a href=https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=955394>right here on RCGroups!</a> You might win a copy of the book! Contest closes 12/15/08. |
Last edited by Angela H; Nov 18, 2008 at 07:15 AM.
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So how many $$$$$$$?
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I looked over his web site. Was surprised how good his training manuals look and how inexpensive. The manuals range from $22.95 to $24.99. Plus reasonable shipping: $4.50 shipping first book or video, plus $1.50 each additional item shipped.
I found a lot of info and diagrams there available on-line to study while my manuals order comes in. The sample pages are in color, but reportedly lower resolution than the printed manuals. But the printed manuals are reportedly black and white. That's a little disappointing! These manuals look good for a R/C club to have a complete set of and to loan out to its members. They have a chartered club discount for that purpose. Even better - to use these manuals in the club training program! Jim |
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Last edited by Jim_Marconnet; Mar 31, 2009 at 06:41 PM.
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I just added each version (book) to my cart and I don't see the "$1.50".
I thought I would give this to myself for Chrismas but the package is almost $100.00. Not bad but... after I saw your posts, I thought only te first was $24 and all the others $1.50... my bad1 Quote:
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I have the whole set of these flight manuals and I recommend them 100% if you are really keen to improve your flying, rather than just flying for fun. I teach at my local club and base a lot of my teaching on David's "One Week To Solo" book. It shows you how to do simple turns properly and safely and the importance of setting up for landing and much more. I taught the technique to my brother - after a few flights he was flying around like he'd been flying for months!
The aerobatics manuals are also excellent, and while they go into detail on manoeuvres, it is explained in an easy to understand manner. Fascinating reading. Don't worry about the quality; all are superbly printed and spiral bound so you can read the pages layed flat. |
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