budgetdude

My Feedback: (6)

I thought we should have should have a thread that talks about how freaking hard it is to stay straight in the loop. Anybody else out there that will be in basic next year? Experienced flyers please feel free to throw in some guidance. Here is link to a video of the 05 basic sequence.

http://www.video.shutupandfly.com/MattBasic.wmv

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

I hope to be flying Basic next year. Still have a lot of preparation to do, but about the only advantage to living here in the sub-tropics is generally decent flying weather during winter. I should have my H9 Extra done in a few weeks, then can start get serious about practice. My CG Sukhoi just doesn't have enough power, but will suffice as a back-up plane. Its not like I'll be a contender, right???

I'm all for a Basic discussion thread; this is all new to me.

budgetdude

My Feedback: (6)

What are you pwering your Extra with, I am doing a 33-34% and am pretty sure I am going to go with one of 80cc thumpers. Are you using a sim to practice at all.

Andy540T

My Feedback: (9)

Best advice I can give is to go out and burn some gas. I put over 400 flights on my plane this last season. It makes all the difference in the world. Next important item is to learn what that left stick is for. Rudder is one of the most important flight surfaces, so learn to use it.

budgetdude

My Feedback: (6)

Thats alot of airtime!

Andy540T

My Feedback: (9)

I was flying just about every day once the summer came and before that it was around 3 times a week, we kind of live at the field. I guess I don't have much of a life away from model airplanes. It sure did help my flying though.

budgetdude

My Feedback: (6)

Your living the dream!! I am going to put more effort into practicing sequence woth my foamies. I could get 2 flights a day in weather permitting and practice is practice I guess. I may get a shockflyer if the local gym will let me fly there.

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

Another piece of advice is to learn to fly in March!
With the wind blowing practice rudder control.
Flying a straight line or doing a wings level loop is hard when the wind is blowing.
That has been the benefit of all these storms.
I have greatly improved my ability to fly wind corrected maneuvers.
I still have a long way to go, but now I know the basics.

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

I also fly helicopters; my left hand is definitely aware of what yaw control does.

Budgetdude, I have the little one (27%) with an OS 1.60. I have neither the budget nor the storage/transportation capability for one of the big monsters. I intend to get a 30% model when I retire and buy myself a larger POV. But for now, I'm limited to the quarter-scalers. As it is, I'm concerned about how this 27% Extra will fit in my S-10, under a bed cap. It will be "just barely", if it does...

Regarding a sim, I have given that some thought and decided against it. I have some prior sim experience on an older one (NHP) that didn't even come close to the realism of what's available today. But while the graphics are much better, the concept is still the same. I found earlier that a sim was most useful for "ground work"; that is, when the horizon was visible and providing neural feedback, as in hovering. Once you got "upstairs" and lost the horizon line, you also lost a good deal of your mental reference that resulted in a dilution of the visual.

I hope that didn't come out too convoluted. Basically, I think that while the sim would be beneficial in learning the stick movements, the money spent on one would be better spent on fuel. I believe my computer has the horsepower to run a modern sim (RealFright probably excepted), and I may yet get one. But I don't have plans for that right now.

Step One is to get the model flying and trimmed out. I have been offered some pointers/tips by an accomplished IMAC pilot, but I'm not even going to call him until I get the plane trimmed properly; and that will take some time, according to the information I've amassed. My main flying buddy is in with me on this gig, so we can feed off each other...

budgetdude

My Feedback: (6)

Yeah trimming a model is going to be interesting, I always thought my models flew well, and they did for all the crazy yankin and bankin fun stuff, but not for this kind of stuff. I bought the 100$ aerofly pro from OHP and I love it. I see no reason to spend another 100 for the deluxe version. I agree about the horizon thing but aerofly has this trace featue that lets you see a nice line of where you have been You can use this to always exit at the same altitude and see your last maneuver. It works with my 64MB intergrated card as well. Did you use the NSRCA trim procedure?

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Haven't done it yet. I'll be using whatever was on the IMAC site; lots of good downloadable info there.

I have to get the airplane finished first. I do plan to try it on my CG Sukhoi, though; hopefully this week-end. You need a calm day. We have had some absolutely PERFECT days this week, of course. My money says the wind will be at least 10-15 knots this week-end...

budgetdude

My Feedback: (6)

You know it!!

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

I won the bet. Its an absolutely beautiful morning; and the wind is at 10 mph now and picking up.

So much for trimming flights. But I'll enjoy myself and the model anyway...

budgetdude

My Feedback: (6)

Sweet I wont get to fly anything bigger than a foamy til april. Have you tried any of the 06 tentitive sequences yet?

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Heven't seen any of the 2006 stuff; I'm not an IMAC member yet and cannot access that information. I would hope it doesn't change drastically.

But I'll tell you this; prepare to enter a whole new world. This stuff is far from easy. The manuevers themselves aren't too involved; its tying them all together properly that is the trick. I was playing around with the 2005 Basic sequence yesterday with the Sukhoi; reading the descriptions and judging guide, then flying it. Man...

Download everything off the IMAC site and study it. Things will go easier, I think, if you have a buddy. Mine couldn't make it yesterday.

Personally, I just want to give this a try. I have no illusions (nor desires) about winning, etc. But I certainly do not want to embarass myself. What I'm telling you is, don't expect to putz around with this in a haphazard manner, show up at a contest, and do well. This is going to take some concentrated effort to even APPEAR to be competent.

Of course, that is part of the allure. I've been boring holes in the sky for almost 20 years. Its time to try a bit of structured play time...

d_bodary

My Feedback: (85)

The biggest problem i have seen in the lower classes of pattern where they have to do two loops mirrored on top of each other is the wings are not level when they pull. so they either go in or out. Once the plane is in the air your perspective of the plane changes and what appears to be level wing attitude is not. usually once you get off course by the time you get enough rudder in for the correction it's a lot of points being dinged off.
Dennis

budgetdude

My Feedback: (6)

Yeah it isnt easy once you start flying whole sequences. Me and my flying buddy are talking about going out with the walkie talkies so one guy can stand at one end of the field and tell him he is level. This is going to take some serious practice.

Redneck Shaun

My Feedback: (1)

LOL............ And I thought I was the only one that that "simple loop" was kicking butt on. I do pretty well....Well, alright.... I do ok on the calm days. I almost feel good about it. Then like saturday when the wind was blowing a nasty, gusty crosswind from 5-20 mph. I had my hands full trying to watch the rudder!!! I would watch the rudder and ailerons and then forget about the elevator to finish the loop with.
Actually I think in the first quadrant. I got behind the crosswind blowing and the rest of the loop I was chasing the wind trying to get it back on track!
I just got a 28% extra so that next year I can try basic IMAC myself. Looks like I'll need to burn A LOT of gas first!!
Shaun

ICE_MAN

I'm thinking about trying IMAC Basic Next season with my 34% Extra 300L.. But since I don't have the airframe yet, I'll take all the internet advice I can get!

Ratt Belly

I am going to be just starting out in the basic class next year as well. I have been trying to get out at least twice a week practicing until the snow flies. One of the things that I have been working on is level, wind corrected lines both horizontal and vertical. It doesn't seem that hard at first because you are using the whole box, but once you try and wind correct the lines between manuevers it gets a little difficult.

Have you guys seen the 2006 proposals? They are basically the same elements except they all seem to have a 1 1/2 turn spin at the end. One has a vertical upline, and some have variations of the other manuevers i.e. reverse shark's tooth.

Below is a link to a thread that someone attached the 2006 basic proposals to, in PDF form.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3391867/tm.htm

Later

ICE_MAN

Thanks Ratt Belly, Time to try them out on the sim!

rcplanefan

My Feedback: (2)

You guys are all in for a fun ride! I got started on this whole IMAC thing 5 years ago - flew my CG Ultimate in 2 basic contests the first year and was amazed at how difficult it was! And I thought I was pretty good before I got into all this. I wound up crashing the Ultimate flying the Basic sequence. Wow, it has been a great ride since then. I never figured 5 years ago that I would be as involved as I am now, but I just can't seem to get enough of this stuff.

ICE, if you are in Paducah, you are in IMAC heaven. There are tons of contests around you throughout the year. I live in Cincinnati and there is a group of guys in Covington as well. Come on up to visit sometime in the spring, and we can give you all the help you want.

As for flying a great loop - practice, practice, and more practice. And get someone to help watch - because they will see alot more of your mistakes than you see. Go out, have fun, and come to some contests.

Ken McGuire

ICE_MAN

Really? I didn't think there'd be many around here.. I know no one around here flies IMAC.. At my 2 clubs anyways.. I was in Cincy this spring but didn't find any airfields.. I'll try and figure something out next spring!

budgetdude

My Feedback: (6)

Ice I saw you in the EA 300 thread, should have mine next week so I can start stripping her down and put a new coat of paint on.

ICE_MAN

Mine Shipped yesterday so it should be here this week