droggy

I can hover decent and basic foreward flight but hesitant to take it off. Does the heli fly better with it off?

hi2nr

it will fly completely different with it off, and as the pilot you'd have to relearn some things. IMO most beginner pilots pay attention to the balls and the orientation of those to help maneuver the heli and balance it. Try focusing on a different part of the helicopter and piloting it that way before you remove the training gear or even paint the balls black.

droggy

how long have some of you kept it on for?

dooleyje

Till I could hover and then I took them off. Flys better with out them. Don't become attached to the crutch and take them off asap. You can shorten them till they are just a nub progressing to non at all. Only you can tell when to take them off. When you do you will be very proud of yourself.

Jim

droggy

thanks guys

Gord

brac1960

I am keeping mine on till I can land smooth and steady !!!! I had them off for a while but I hadn't mastered the landings yet, had trouble so I put them back on.

lewisdf4

Hey mate i think it depends on you. I got a falcon 400 12 months ago and it didn't come with training gear, so i have never used it. Ive had two boom strikes and both were from stupidity. I tried test flying my mates new blade with his training gear on and hated it, it just skidded and bounced all over the place. Thats my two cents

im_a_rcav8r

I follow Radd's School of Rotary Flight. Check it out at [link=http://www.dream-models.com/eco/index.html]http://www.dream-models.com/eco/index.html[/link]. I have never used training gear and I have not crashed my helicopter (yet)... If you have a free and smooth set up and can hover inside of a small box, you don't need the training gear IMHO.

This is a short passage from Radd's

"On a (smooth hard) floor in a space 15 to 20 foot square and clean mark out a chalked box one foot square (chalk please..no tape or anything the helicopter skid can catch on).. This is your whole sky.. I know! It doesn't seem very large does it? Trust me here! At the end of three days it will feel like a football field. Now, many Heli pilots are going to slam the crap out of this but I don't care and neither do the folks that I trained . I'm very certain my flyers would jump in front of me like the president's guard and take the bullets for me. And, as cocky as this sounds if you discipline yourself you will defend this technique after your chopper has run full throttle across the runway as well. TRUST ME THIS WORKS!. The funny thing here and my last statement on the matter are this.. I have had “old Heli flyers” attack this first step only to feel in my bones the reason they did was because they could not do it! Strangely enough it was a student that pointed this out to Me..Now ask yourself a question. If they can't do it and you will be able, what does that tell you? You will have much more discipline and control ....Whooo that's a real step out. Huh?

Ok...one more Bomb shell!... I am torn here about what I am going to ask you to do. And the reason is because I don't know your reflexes, past history of RC of just how responsible you are going to be...But here goes??....TAKE THE TRAINING GEAR OFF!! (Oh crap!)...what did I just say? That's right."

I wish you well and good luck with your training...

Don't go too fast, if you can not hover inside of a small box, tail in, left side and right side for a full tank of fule, or a full battery pack your not ready for forward flight. You start and stop your flight in a hover, you have to be solid here as it is the foundation of your flying.

If you follow Radd's I think you will have lots of luck. You will learn to control your aircraft before you ever lift it off the ground. I know you’r past this point, as you said your hovering, but it is worth the time and discipline to follow his steps.

rcmiket

While I agree Radd's is great but once you get outside the "box" and start flying in small steps in forward flight and side flight training gear are really a asset to the new flyer. They will save you a ton of money and down time for repairs. Keep them on till your confidence builds. Only you will know when the time is right. I keep a set on my practice 450 all the time. Mike

brac1960

The last three flying sessions, I have been able to control the heli good enough to get back into a controlled, stable hover after performing a manuver, even after I lose control I am able to get control back, that has also resulted in smooth, steady controlled landings. I was pretty confident with my landings when flying last night, so off came the traing gear. I went out this morning without it. The heli seemed way smoother and steadier as well as more responsive. I didn't need the training gear, landed nice every time. You will know when you don't need it, as I did.

WelshFlyer73

Hello mate, i would take them off now, in my experience it made the heli harder to fly, i flew much better as soon as i took them off. Just keep at it, time is all you need...

cenracer1

Same thing with my experience learning to fly... once you can master real controlled hovering, FF and landing smoothly where you want to land.. then you are ready to take off the training gear.. What worked for me was to practice taking off without it first.. It will feel much different and much more responsive.. hover in a small area then pick a landing spot and slowly put it down there.. remember without the gear on, you have to be careful of tipping over now and yes it will tip easier.. ease off the throttle while keeping the head flat to the ground... after a few times it becomes much easier.. as hi2nr said, you will have to relearn a few things.... I had my gear on for maybe 2 months of off and on flying till the weather got better and I could fly more.. My sons Heli still has the gear on it and when I fly it I can't believe how sluggish it is.. He has the same one as I do...