Devilduck

I am left handed. But I fly counter clock wise. I always have. Since the early days. Here is the problem: All my manuvers minus the outside loops start with me setting my feet with the plane about 1/3 to 2/3 before I make the manuver. Flying over my right side. I have always noticed a bobble in this section of level flight. I am thinking of turning my next plane around to fly clock wise.. I am going to quick build a twister as a test. I know it will be ackward and weird at first. But all in all I hope to remove the bobble and let the plane come to me instead of me going away from the plane.

So, would there be any major issues besides turning everything around?

As most kits are built to fly counter-clock wise.

Jim Thomerson

I learned, right handed, to fly clockwise. I made one attempt to just fly counterclockwise: gave up, and now fly counterclockwise with the handle upside down. So you are going to have the same problem, only inverted, I suspect. I can immediately think of a couple of left hand fliers who fly counterclockwise better than I do.

Devilduck

Thanks Jim,

I am saying this because:

1) Right handed flyers: Flying counterclockwise

A) Get out ahead of the plane to plant by having their right arm(handle) extended about parallel with their body.
giving them a "smoother" flight into the manuver transition
B) They can get smoother follow throughs by always being ahead of the plane.

2) Left handed flyers: Counter-clockwise(IMO)

A) Fly behind the plane letting it come to them
B) Example: Wing-over: I turn to plant into the wind. My body position is: My left arm across my body with the plane coming around to
the entry point. I am ahead of the plane sort of. But with the handle across my body.
C) Everything is me getting into an un-natural position to get the plane to fly naturally.


In all places in the pattern I have to cross over my right-side to set up properly. By flying clockwise. I believe I can elimnate this and be better for it.

My concerns mainly is the engine:
They are tuned to rotate counter-clockwise. Which on a plane flying clockwise would give the torque to the inside on a piper airplane. I can see on a profile just hanging it on the outboard side. But, I am beyond the profile stage.

So, do they make engines that rotate clockwise? I know a standard engine will run clockwise, We all have started one backwards before I am sure.
I do not know if the props can be found etc etc to make a clockwise spinning motor run??

Thanks

Clean

When I was in practice I flew with either hand fairly close. Of course, that wasn't saying much but I'm sure you could learn to use your right hand. My father played golf right handed, batted left handed and ate peanut butter and pickle sandwiches. Yes, that boy was screwy!

Devilduck

Well, I bat right handed, play golf right handed, tennis left handed, eat left handed, drink right handed.

Work my mouse with the right hand. Left handed by birth.

But I can not for the life of me fly right handed. I tried it several times. I am content left handed and I will just convert my next plane and see how it goes.

I did recently figure out that a counter clockwise engine actually pushes out left so that helps. And and the famed Windy (not even going to attempt his last name) Flew clockwise for what I understand.

2BFlying

I am left handed, too. But I have never noticed anything different because I fly with my right hand. I have tried with my left and I don't have any problem but it just feels better with my right hand. I have actually switched hands while flying and there wasn't a great deal of difference. I guess it's what you learn with and get accustomed to doing. And no, I don't use a wrist strap or thong because my flying is done at my house and there is nothing around. But I have never flown clockwise, (unless inverted). The kits are made for counter clockwise, even though you could build it differently to fly the other way. I just learned that way and stuck with it.

Devilduck

Agreed 2B

I have been flying counter clockwise forever. I am recently coming back into C/L after my 10 year stint in the USN. So, I have not really flew that much. I agree it will fly either way. But I am flying Precision Aerobatics here not just sport flying.

I would also suggest you use a tether on your handle. it is for safety. I do not think you would be able to stop your plane if the wind pulled your handle out your hand. I have had it done to me. Not cool having to explain why there is a airplane stuck in the dining room window.

Gonnacrash

My Feedback: (10)

True story from 40 + years ago !
C/L ribbon dog fight (counter clockwise) opponent line gets cut about 3' or so
lines apparently tangle. Plane making about 20' or so loops at about a 45 degree
angle. Plane bores it way into the heavens. As it gets further and further
away the loops become larger and larger. Now its quite high, loops are large
and into the clouds out of sight, woops on the bottom side of the loop you
could hear it and the kids could see it and finally ...... gone.
Well, the plane was found at a construction sight approximately 25-28 miles
away. I don't remember how they found the owner or anything but he
did get the plane back !!
Don - Basehor, Ks........

da Rock

Devilduck,
What you propose is an excellent idea. It'll work great, maybe better depending on how quickly you adapt. The airplanes will all work great. I've flown against a number of guys in contests who flew "backwards" and they proved over and over how well it works.

You've actually been penalizing yourself with your original method. You'll have lots better leverage to whip using your left hand flying clockwise. As it was, you were giving up leverage. Humans can pull in better than they can backhand.

BTW, Gene Shafer comes to mind. Always did respectable in the US team tryouts. Had at least one clockwise airplane plan published in MAN, I think it was.

Devilduck

Well, I had an old .049 jumping bean kit laying around. I slapped it together last week. Strapped on the 'ole Cox .049 Black widow. And took her for a spin "backwards". I must say. It is a joy to fly again. I am not stressing into the aircraft trying to make wingovers and such. I can position alot better. And yes I flew the pattern(most of it) with the little JB. I flew the socks off that thing. I am glad I posponed the finishing of my new plane piped .40 until this little test. New plane will fly "backwards"

Seriously what a major ease it is to turn into wing-overs and loops...Everything is 10x smoother. This will get me back into stunt and the enjoyment will now be well had.

I will be posting at a later date when I get my new bird in the air.

Thanks to all for your comments

FreeFlier

Hi. all,

Started flying left handed counterclockwise at about age 12. Over the next year never completed a flight without rekitting; drove my folks to distraction, and cost a pretty penny to boot Dad finally came to the center and saw what turned-out to be my problem; I was always looking "through" my hand and didn't actually see much of the model at all. Then changed to clockwise - still left hand- and never looked back.

It's been 30 - 40 years of mixed controlline and freeflight, and it was some ride. From half-A to 35 size and all scratch-built after a while.

It's now electric RC, which is a whole different ball game, but the feel of a model on the end of the lines never goes away, and the collection of supplies, tools, photos, and models is seemingly everywhere.

One last item, I am looking to accumulate enough photos and text to put all my "stuff" on ebay, hopefully this summer. So, if anyone is interested in 4 RTF "left-handed" stunt CL models - 3- Fox 35 powered and 1- PAW 049- all modified designs, all I-beam construction, and a large collection of parts, supplies, Veco spinners (a few Frooms) and wheels, tanks, etc. let me know by e-mail.

Thanks for the chance to reminisce.

Stew

<[email protected]>

Randy W.

Im left handed by birth, learned to fly left handed. Broke my wrist as a kid and flew one whole summer right handed. Now I can fly with either hand. Just not very well!

perttime

Just an idea (seriously out of practice myself):
if you are flying left handed / counter-clockwise, maybe you should not try to fly facing the plane/manouver squarely. What about going for something like the "old fashioned" formal pistol shooter's stance, facing about 45 degrees towards the "target"?