Made my first flight! [Firebird Freedom]
 

Yep, made my first 4 flights yesterday, all relatively succesful, it seems I need a little bit more than a large baseball diamond to fly the freedom, and it's a lot easier to hand launch (or so I found) but all went well, it really doesn't like wind at all.

but I can see why you're all addicted! god it was a lot of fun! I'll be going out again today as the weather is gorgeous, just wanted to express my joy where people would understand and not think I'm nuts ;-)

RE: Made my first flight! [Firebird Freedom]
 

Well, you are nuts! You gotta be buts to be flying around a r/c plane instead of something more "normal" like riding a bike! :D I can remember when I first flew my Slo-V on a perfect day. I only wished I had more batteries then!

Good luck and congrats on your first flights!

:)

P.S. For more tips and mods for your FB Freedom, hit the Park Flyer/Slow Flyer forum! [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_148/tt.htm]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_148/tt.htm[/link]

RE: Made my first flight! [Firebird Freedom]
 

Congratulations! You're right, you need a much bigger field to fly the Freedom. You should have a field that is at least 600ft.x600ft. Remember: NO WIND; stay away from trees; altitude is your friend - try to fly at least 200ft. up (most beginners are terrified of altitude, but the higher the plane, the more time to make corrections when things go wrong). If you find that you have lost orientation or the plane is getting away from you: bring it down! A crashed plane is better than a lost plane.

RE: Made my first flight! [Firebird Freedom]
 

Scrodes,

Congrats, and thanks for sharing the good news. Keep the reports coming and let us know if we can help you in any way.

RE: Made my first flight! [Firebird Freedom]
 

Glad you hear you had a successful first couple of flights. I took my FF out for the first time (new pilot as well) and was not as successful. The wind was only about 5mph, but I couldn't keep it in the air for more than a handful of seconds... Oh well, been training on FMS (still wish I could find a FF/similar model for it) and playing tons with the AirHog AeroAce while I wait for a completely calm day. Hopefully my repairs are sound and I will have better luck next trip out.

Any advice, please don't hesitate.

Kevin

RE: Made my first flight! [Firebird Freedom]
 

yeah I almost learned the hard way myself, barely got off the ground, decided the wind was too strong (probably not even 5mph) cut throttle and landed

When there's no wind it flies pretty damn well, but if there's even the slightest breeze the FF is a real pain in the ass, I couldn't even get it to turn into the wind today and almost had a crash having to turn the opposite direction to come back around, and winds were calm!

if there's one huge complain I have, it would be that, it's almost impossible to fly in the wind.


good luck with your next flight, no matter how depressed you may have been, you'll thoroughly enjoy your FF when you have a wind-free day!
:)

RE: Made my first flight! [Firebird Freedom]
 

I too have just finished my first flight with this plane. Really loved it. Except the wind as was stated. It would turn into the wind and with a little patience would find it's way through. Made it through all the batteries I had purchased before breaking part of the tail assembly enough to not be flyable ;)

happy flying

RE: Made my first flight! [Firebird Freedom]
 

Oh, I can't remember it like it was yesterday. It was wonderful. But, looking back, there is no way I fould fly at that location again. Trees, buildings and powerlines everywhere. :D But, nearly four years later, I'm still flying the same plane (with quite a few modifications) and loving every minute of it. I don't think there is anything else I'd rather do with my free time than fly. Well, looking at pictures of aircraft on a rainy or windy day is pretty good, but nothing can compare to flight. Keep it up. And don't let crashes discourage you. They are going to happen (sorry to say), but keep it up. Man, I want to go fly right now. One battery isn't enough. [:o] I need 50! :) Maybe that will help me perfect my landings.

RE: Made my first flight! [Firebird Freedom]
 

For those who have had difficulty with the Freedom, you are not alone. HobbyZone says they made this plane specifically for beginners, but it seems to be harder to fly than the Aerobird Challenger, if you read the posts.

Now, let me mention some points that may help:

1) I KNOW you read the manual cover to cover several times before you tried your first fligts. EVERYONE knows that is critical to success. There is excellent info in the manual. If you lost your manual, here is a link:
http://www.hobbyzonesports.com/ProdI...ualcropped.pdf

2) The manual says the ACT needs room to recover, just as you do. They recommend at least 150 feet minimum altitude when flying with the ACT. Where I live, that would be about 3X the height of the trees. That would be a good flying height for a plane of this size anyway.

3) They give examples of how to launch the plane by hand and off the ground. Those tips are good.

4) Control response - Page 19 gives excellent advise on how to fly including how to make sharp turns. If you feel the plane is not responding quickly enough, are you following these directions? You should because they are right on the money. I copy them here for your benefit

Flying

1. After launching your Firebird Freedomâ„¢, it will begin climbing at full throttle. With the throttle all the way on, your Firebird Freedom should climb without any elevator input.

2. Make right- and left-hand adjustments to keep your airplane heading directly into the wind. Do not attempt a turn until you have reached a minimum of 50–100 feet of altitude. That’s about as tall as a 4- to 8-story building. It is hard to determine altitude when you’re in a wide and open space outside, so the best rule is to err on the side of caution and allow yourself sufficient altitude when flying.

3. Control range is 2500 feet. Don’t let the airplane get too far away. Keep the aircraft UPWIND from you. Failure to do this could result in a flyaway! Remember – the wind is stronger as your plane gets higher in the air. It’s okay to fly higher, just be cautious and watch how your plane reacts to the wind. Most of the time, you can fly at higher altitudes at half throttle.
This is great for smooth easy flying when you’re first learning to fly, and conserves battery power.

4. When you have reached higher altitudes and want to practice using the elevator, begin with small and smooth inputs to the transmitter, as very little input is required to get the plane to turn, climb, or descend.
5. Avoid long vertical dives, with power on or off, as it can cause a lot of stress on the airplane.

[/b]
Sharp Turns:
Move the stick in the direction you want to turn and add a bit of UP elevator at the same time (pull back on stick). The plane will make a sharper banking turn. [/b]

Rudder Trim:
If the Firebird Freedomâ„¢ seems to drift in one direction when the control stick is in the neutral (centered) position, gradually move the rudder trim lever below the control stick in the OPPOSITE direction of the drift. Adjust until the plane flies straight with the control stick at neutral.

Elevator Trim:
If the model always “hunts� up or down, use the trim lever to the left of the stick to correct this problem. If it hunts up, slide the left trim lever up one notch at a time until it flies level. If it hunts down, slide the left trim lever down one notch at a time until it flies level. The model should fly straight with the stick at neutral. Your Firebird Freedom should have a steady climb at full throttle when it is trimmed properly.

The manual has more excellent advice.
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