Please help me get started with RC airplanes

by Andy

Thanks for your pages. They are the ONLY help I have found so far.

I purchased RealFlight 4.5 simulator and their instruction is of NO help. The guy says to land you simply turn the aircraft and when in front of the runway cut the power. It's easy. IT IS NOT EASY!

It is easy for him because he is a 4 time world aerobatic champion. I am an absolute beginner. I am alone without a trainer and I am trying to teach myself before I actually go out and spend my hard earned money and time building an airplane just to destroy it in 5 seconds.

I had to give up this when I was a kid because I would spend my allowance for a the whole year to buy the kit and then months and months to build it only to turn my plane into a bucket of balsa trash in 5 seconds.

Please help me. I have some questions that I can not get any answers and I need help.

1) How are you supposed to hold the transmitter? I have seen people hold their transmitters on trays that are strapped to their shoulders and then they move the sticks with their fingers. Other like myself hold the transmitter in their hands and then move the sticks with their thumbs. Which is the right way? They feel completely different and I tried going from one to the other and it is very hard.

2)When you are making a control input how do you do it? What I mean is that for example, when you drive a car you turn the wheel and continuously hold it in the turn throughout the maneuver. It seems like you make an input when flying and then don't change it until the maneuver is complete. For example if I am trying to make a left turn when I turn the aileron to go left the plane will turn to the left but if I don't immediately turn it straight it will rollover and dive. This makes the plane choppy and bumpy in appearence. What am I doing wrong?

I have been working very hard every evening and both weekends for over two weeks straight and I don't seem to be improving. Please help me if you can. I just don't want to have to give up this hobby. If other people can do it, "Why can't I?"

Thank you for your help. Sincerely, Andy

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Please help me get started with RC airplanes

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You're doing the right thing!
by: Matt

Hi Paul!

Your doing the smart thing by getting some help before flying your real plane. I HIGHLY suggest you find a club in your area. Learning to fly on a buddy box with an experienced flyer increases your chances of learning successfully by about 90%!

For more detail on landing, take a look at this page. The same applies for Realfight as it does in real life. The landing section is near the bottom of this page:

Reply to question #1:
It is a personal choice whether to use a tray or just use a neck strap. I personally just use a necktrap and hold the transmitter with my hands. The only purpose of the next strap is to keep you from dropping your TX on the ground, it doesn't hold the transmitter for you. Use whatever method is most comfortable for you...

Control Input:
If you take a look at the control surfaces while moving the sticks, you will notice that they move exactly the way you move the TX stick. It's almost an extension of your fingers on the plane.

Think of it as turning the steering wheel on your care. You keep the wheel turned as long as you want the care to keep turning, then when you want the care to go straight, you straighten the wheel. The same is true with all of the control surfaces. Does this make sense?

The key to flying RC airplanes is to realize that the inputs are extremely sensitive. You barely have to move the sticks to make the plane react. Think of the sticks like an ink pen and you are writing with it. Very small and precise movements. I think this may be what your struggling with...

My advice to you is to go visit a local club. You don't have to join, just show up and they will help you. I am a very shy person in real life when it comes to people I don't know. So it was hard for me to show up at the club for the first time. But my fears were unwarranted. RC guys are the most friendly guys out there. They will go out of their way to hep you, because once addicted, we want to share our passion with anybody and everybody that is interested!

Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to help you!

Matt

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Submitted by: Matt

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Hi Paul! Your doing the smart thing by getting some help before flying your real plane. I HIGHLY suggest you find a <a href="http://www.hooked-on-rc-airplanes.com/rc-airplane-clubs.html">club in your area</a>. Learning to fly on a buddy box with an experienced flyer increases your chances of learning successfully by about 90%! For more detail on landing, <a href="http://www.hooked-on-rc-airplanes.com/flying-model-airplanes.html">take a look at this page</a>. The same applies for Realfight as it does in real life. The landing section is near the bottom of this page: Reply to question #1: It is a personal choice whether to use a tray or just use a neck strap. I personally just use a necktrap and hold the transmitter with my hands. The only purpose of the next strap is to keep you from dropping your TX on the ground, it doesn't hold the transmitter for you. Use whatever method is most comfortable for you... Control Input: If you take a look at the control surfaces while moving the sticks, you will notice that they move exactly the way you move the TX stick. It's almost an extension of your fingers on the plane. Think of it as turning the steering wheel on your care. You keep the wheel turned as long as you want the care to keep turning, then when you want the care to go straight, you straighten the wheel. The same is true with all of the control surfaces. Does this make sense? The key to flying RC airplanes is to realize that the inputs are extremely sensitive. You barely have to move the sticks to make the plane react. Think of the sticks like an ink pen and you are writing with it. Very small and precise movements. I think this may be what your struggling with... My advice to you is to go visit a local club. You don't have to join, just show up and they will help you. I am a very shy person in real life when it comes to people I don't know. So it was hard for me to show up at the club for the first time. But my fears were unwarranted. RC guys are the most friendly guys out there. They will go out of their way to hep you, because once addicted, we want to share our passion with anybody and everybody that is interested! Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to help you! Matt

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Thanks for the reply!
by: Andy

Hi Matt!

Thanks for the reply! I watched their video flight school over and over and it is always so easy for them. I went to the web pages that you sent me and I have a few questions if you don't mind.

1) The virtual flight school said you turn only with the ailerons. Your page says to use the rudder and ailerons, but then it says if you use the rudder and ailerons it will sink. How do you do this? I want to be able to turn the plane and instead it spins like a corkscrew.

2) How can you use the ailerons and the elevators at the same time to make the plane go up or down when the ailerons work opposite to each other? I have only two sticks on my control box. One is rudder and throttle and the other is ailerons and elevator. I don't get it?

3) I was very lucky last night and I got it to a few points where I was down on the runway without damage and then it would lift up and suddenly dive straight down like a dart, nose first into the runway. What was happening? What was I doing wrong?

I have gone to my local fields but there has not been anyone there. They all have signs though that you are not allowed to fly unless you have AMA membership, membership in their particular club, and most importantly you have to have passed the flying proficiency test.

How can you pass the stinking test when you can get anyone to help you learn to fly? That's why I bought the RealFlight 4.5. I don't even have a plane yet. So how am I supposed to pass my proficiency test so that I "Can get someone to start to teach me how to fly?"

I live outside of a major metropolitan area and there is not a lot of land available. It sounds to me like this is someone's way of protecting their own little kingdom if you know what I mean.

I will keep working and thank you again. I really appreciate your help.

Andy

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Submitted by: Andy

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Hi Matt! Thanks for the reply! I watched their video flight school over and over and it is always so easy for them. I went to the web pages that you sent me and I have a few questions if you don't mind. 1) The virtual flight school said you turn only with the ailerons. Your page says to use the rudder and ailerons, but then it says if you use the rudder and ailerons it will sink. How do you do this? I want to be able to turn the plane and instead it spins like a corkscrew. 2) How can you use the ailerons and the elevators at the same time to make the plane go up or down when the ailerons work opposite to each other? I have only two sticks on my control box. One is rudder and throttle and the other is ailerons and elevator. I don't get it? 3) I was very lucky last night and I got it to a few points where I was down on the runway without damage and then it would lift up and suddenly dive straight down like a dart, nose first into the runway. What was happening? What was I doing wrong? I have gone to my local fields but there has not been anyone there. They all have signs though that you are not allowed to fly unless you have AMA membership, membership in their particular club, and most importantly you have to have passed the flying proficiency test. How can you pass the stinking test when you can get anyone to help you learn to fly? That's why I bought the RealFlight 4.5. I don't even have a plane yet. So how am I supposed to pass my proficiency test so that I "Can get someone to start to teach me how to fly?" I live outside of a major metropolitan area and there is not a lot of land available. It sounds to me like this is someone's way of protecting their own little kingdom if you know what I mean. I will keep working and thank you again. I really appreciate your help. Andy

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Video Flight School?
by: Anonymous

Hi Andy,

What is this video flight school you speak of? I'm interested.

You have RealFlight right? Have you tried using the virtual instructor? This is a neat tool as it shows the stick movements of the instructors TX as he performs maneuvers.

You can use either rudder or ailerons to turn. If your plane has ailerons, it's better to focus on using the ailerons to turn. But not all planes have ailerons. So I would advise that you don't use the rudder for a while if your plane has ailerons.

The rudder controls the yaw (left and right). The ailerons control the roll. The rudder is good for performing aerobatic maneuvers, lining up for a landing when you don't want the plane to roll close to the ground etc... But you can fly the plane just fine with no rudder...

When you turn, you always want to pull the right stick back a little but to raise the elevator. This will keep the plane from loosing altitude.

When you are taking off, it is important to only use a little tiny bit of elevator. Just enough to get the plane to lift off the ground, and thats all. Then let it slowly climb to the air.

If you use too much elevator the plane will rise to quickly, loose airspeed, then stall, and crash back down. So it's important to only use a tiny bit of elevator when taking off. I'm talking tiny tiny, barely move the stick.

All clubs in the US require than you have AMA. It's not to protect their little kingdom (well, actually it sort of is). The AMA provides insurance to cover up to $2,500,000 worth of damages should something go wrong. These planes are not toys. They could easily injury someone very bad or could kill someone in an extreme case. So clubs make you join the AMA to cover their butt should an accident occur.

And its really only common sense to make each pilot pass a proficiency test. Do you want your face to be mawed by the prop of a plane because the guy next do you doesn't know what the heck he's doing? Think about it...

Thanks,

Matt

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Submitted by: Anonymous

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Hi Andy, What is this video flight school you speak of? I'm interested. You have RealFlight right? Have you tried using the virtual instructor? This is a neat tool as it shows the stick movements of the instructors TX as he performs maneuvers. You can use either rudder or ailerons to turn. If your plane has ailerons, it's better to focus on using the ailerons to turn. But not all planes have ailerons. So I would advise that you don't use the rudder for a while if your plane has ailerons. The rudder controls the yaw (left and right). The ailerons control the roll. The rudder is good for performing aerobatic maneuvers, lining up for a landing when you don't want the plane to roll close to the ground etc... But you can fly the plane just fine with no rudder... When you turn, you always want to pull the right stick back a little but to raise the elevator. This will keep the plane from loosing altitude. When you are taking off, it is important to only use a little tiny bit of elevator. Just enough to get the plane to lift off the ground, and thats all. Then let it slowly climb to the air. If you use too much elevator the plane will rise to quickly, loose airspeed, then stall, and crash back down. So it's important to only use a tiny bit of elevator when taking off. I'm talking tiny tiny, barely move the stick. All clubs in the US require than you have AMA. It's not to protect their little kingdom (well, actually it sort of is). The AMA provides insurance to cover up to $2,500,000 worth of damages should something go wrong. These planes are not toys. They could easily injury someone very bad or could kill someone in an extreme case. So clubs make you join the AMA to cover their butt should an accident occur. And its really only common sense to make each pilot pass a proficiency test. Do you want your face to be mawed by the prop of a plane because the guy next do you doesn't know what the heck he's doing? Think about it... Thanks, Matt

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