Lynn S

I have never been able to fly inverted for any distance. I can go a few seconds then I will usually outside or inside loop, so I never try flying inverted at less than 150 ft. The one and only time I tried a low inverted pass ended up with a crashed .40 size plane.
Now I have a plane that can easily fly inverted but I don't seem to get any better at it.
Any tips??

ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

Practice, and more practice! Seriously, if you can get some sim time you will find it a lot easier.

The correct plane, balanced properly with an elevator that is set up for docile pitch (try dual rates) also helps, and if you have a plane without ailerons and lots of dihedral (like my Ace WHizard) it isnt going to fly long upside down...

Its just something you get used to doing like everything else, after a while.

AJC

John Murdoch

My Feedback: (11)

Try flying while standing on your head. Then everything will look normal. Just kidding. But what AJC just said is absolutely the truth. Balance is everything. Secondly, what he didn't mention was expo. Use it to feather your inverted flights. A properly balanced airplane will need just a touch, a hair, a breath of down as you're flying straight and level. But without expo, or some part of expo, a touch, a hair or a breath may have too much input. Try experimenting with your expo after you make sure your plane is properly balanced. While you're just starting out, there's a dozen or so flight tricks to make sure it is balanced. But, if you haven't flow inverted much, have someone at your field that has, fly your plane inverted. They'd be able to tell you about the balance and the surface inputs. Once it's setup correctly, you'll have a ball flying inverted...

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

The other replies are correct. I'll just mention that I relate it to rollerskating backwards... you have to change your perception, and get used to it. And you have to be able to switch back and forth.

The idea of practicing on the simulator is probably the best. In fact, anything I try that's new, I get used to it on the simulator first. Like 4 point rolls, inverted flight, rolling circles, they're all about like the simulator.

The plane's setup, as was said before, is important. If it's balanced correctly, it should almost fly itself, inverted. You still have to get used to making turns, loops, etc.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

jessiej

Do you fly control line? I think the "inverted reflexes" I developed in C/L helped me a bit in RC.

jess

Lynn S

Thanks, I don't have a simulator with a joystick, (except my Jane's WWII Fighters simulator, I had not thought of that) and loop is about all I could do with a control line plane. I can see where low rates would help. I'm sure I am over doing my input. I will try to back off some on down elevator.
I'll just keep working at it. I'm sure balance is important too...at least left and right stays the same.

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Lynn:

The safest way with a "Live" plane I know of is just flying loops, and making them more and more oval. Before long you'll find you are making a loop that's 150' high and 1500' long.

Bill.

nekked_man_2000

I tell students "don't overthink it, it really isn't much different than flying upright!" Anyway, a trick I used when learning to drag the rudder in the weeds was to put my thumb under the stick, so the worse I could do is release the "down" pressure on the stick...probably pancake the plane without too much damage, but at least I couldn't forget up and down and yank "up" only to nose dive in. But, the ailerons are the same, and on a properly trimmed plane you probably won't need the rudder unless you do an outside loop or something, so just remember up is down...and the rest is the same. I used to have a plane with "TOP" on the top wing, and I'd take off and roll inverted immediately, and fly the entire flight inverted, snap rolls, loops, everthing, just like normal, then land. I even considered putting a LG on top of the plane, but I thought "that's just rediculous, you might as well just flip the servo revers switch at that point", so I never did it...flying very low inverted is probably more difficult than landing would have been anyway, I've made emergency landings inverted...so no biggie.

Lynn S

I think your ideas have helped.........
I went out and worked at it some. I did pretty good sometimes, then two or three not so good, but I kept it two mistakes high anyway.
It only takes a tiny bit of down to fly it inverted. I'll keep at it, I think it is more of a fear than anything else.
The little .049 Norvel and Simple Extra is doing good!

ifixairplanes

My Feedback: (9)

remember....push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up push up

seriously..thats all i put through my head when i do inverted harriers with my funtana. i repeat it to myself just like that.

sean

Lynn S

Austin: thats an idea, the "thumb lockout"

Today I worked on trying to get the TRIM right before flying inverted.
That helped a lot. The plane needs to fly level and hopefull it will do the same when inverted. I got it where it would fly inverted "hands off" a few times. Fun Stuff!

air mail rcu

Lynn S,

Try a little down trim after you roll inverted that works for me if I'm going to stay inverted for any time. Sometime I would fly my whole flight inverted. And I did put landing gear on top of one of my planes. Landing wasn't to tough but long touch and goes were, because the tailwheel on the top of the rudder would be reversed. Just keep saying to yourself push forward when your inverted and you will be ok.

Terry

Lynn S

Terry, I noticed that a little down trim helped, getting the right amount is what I'm working on. Too much and it would climb while inverted.

air mail rcu

Lynn S, Your on the right track. Now it just takes practice, practice, and more practice.

Bipe Flyer

I like to trim my planes so that they will drop slightly when upright. This usually means they will drop slightly when inverted. After that it's simply a matter of push instead of pull.

I used to practise my inverted flying by doing what nekked_man_2000 described. Take off, roll inverted, fly all manoeuvres inverted and roll back to upright on landing approach. I did a few landings on the top wing with my ACE Simple Ultimate and decided to try putting wheels on the top wing. That was the first time I damaged it doing an inverted landing. Because the angle had changed, the rudder got knocked off.

I recently won our clubs annual fun fly by doing the limbo contest inverted.

DICKEYBIRD

Good tips from everyone. Personally, I feel most comfortable with a slight diving trend when inverted. This requires forward stick to fly level. With the thumb "behind" the stick, a relaxing of the forward stick allows a smooth reduction in altitude and eliminates the tendency to pull back instead of push forward at the wrong time. As already stated, practice until you feel very comfortable. Once you're relaxed with it, practice doing inverted figure 8 patterns until it's ho-hum....then you got it! I like to do low inverted passes at 1/4 throttle followed by a sharp pull-up to a vertical line, then just as the plane loses momentum and almost stops, bang hard (reverse) rudder to do a reverse hammerhead followed by inverted pull out. The 1st few of theses will tighten the sphincter but looks really cool when you get it down pat.

2fast4u

My Feedback: (5)

This may sound silly, but practice in your mind as well. Watch someone else doing it at the field, and go through the moves in your head as he flys around. Then it's up to you to practice. I had to say, push, push, push, push while I was learning, cause I always wanted to PULL out. As you can imagin, I wasted a few planes that way. Ever see an OS 61 make a hole in the concrete?? I have.[:@]

Just like when you started flying, just fly the pattern (INVERTED) and slowly lower your altitude. It will come to you. Good luck, and have fun.

Lynn S

Hey, I'll be happy just to make a low inverted pass. One my first instructors(in the late 70s) would do those and I thought that was "cool" as the kids say now. Sad to say he is almost blind now.
I'm doing better at it but I still end up having to pull out a good bit with a split S, which wouldn't be good at 50ft.

Bipe Flyer, when you have it trimmed to nose down some when upright wouldn't it tend to fly level or nose up when inverted? that is what I'm trying with my trim. if I get too much nose down when level it will climb when inverted.

Good ideas from everybody! Thanks, just the little things help a lot.

Dickeybird- I talked to Jeremy about a get together in a couple of weeks.

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Lynn:

If you move the cg forward as you adjust the elevator trim you'll reach a point where the upright and inverted trim are the same.

Bill.

Lynn S

Bill, I thought a forward CG made the plane not want to fly inverted,but I see the point that the plane would not climb either. I had not thought of that.

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Lynn:

"Forward" cg is relative. The point where upright and inverted trim are the same will still probably be in the range of 25 to 30 percent MAC. Not talking about "Big Time" nose heavy, it will also be close to the point where air speed has no effect on trim.

Bill.

Bipe Flyer

Lynn,

I try to split the difference on the elevator trim so that it is the same inverted as right side up. This usually results in a slight drop when flying hands off. I like to feel as if I'm holding the plane up with the stick.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

I like to be trimmed so that a slight push forward is needed to maintain level inverted flight, this is a built in reminder for which way to move the stick when the time comes. Consecutive outside loops and figure 8s 'till the tank runs out are a good exercise to increase your thumbs' IQ. No matter how much I practice inverted flight, there is still a bead of sweat that runs straight down the middle of my back when down low and fast. The trick here is to smile and pretend that it is just another day at the office. I think a background in CL flying helps prepare a guy to experience the joy of upside down flight. Being one or two moves ahead of your model mentally is the key to success in all forms of fancy flight.

Lynn S

It seems to help some if I talk my way out loud through what I'm doing..kinda keeps me from going blank...

I'll experiment more with trim and see what happens, I may need to go forward some with the CG if the nose keeps going up.
One thing I have notice about my Extra is it remains trimmed even when coming out of a high speed dive, and NO FLUTTER. I used to get that all the time with my .60 size planes. The small size seems to make everthing very rigid and solid.

aerobatica

we play limbo inverted where iam from just practise buddy it took me a while to learn now it is like i can do it with my eyes closed but yea it will come to you just be patient