Originally Posted by
skylark-flier
As far as I know there's no "norm" for switches. However, in my experience, it's best for "Power On/Off" on the plane to be positioned so "On" is toward the rear. This goes back to (and here's where I show just how old I really am) the days of hand-launching - you COULD turn the switch off during hand launch if "On" was toward the front. The history is there, a lot of lost planes too.
As far as high/low goes, IMHO it's only right for high to be up (forward) and low to be down (back). Just kinda makes sense to me that way, and it's how I've got my own planes set - however, once again, I don't think there's any "right" way to do it. It's pretty much what works for you.
If "ON" is toward the rear, how is it possible to turn the radio "OFF" on a hand launch? As you push the aircraft forward wouldn't your hand tend to slide forward, especially on a recently flown glow powered plane? If your hand slid forward past the switch wouldn't it be better if you were sliding the switch "ON"?
Because I frequently hand launch, and because I HAVE inadvertently turned a receiver "OFF" on a hand launch as my hand slid forward on the fuselage when the forward position was "OFF", I always arrange the switch so that "ON" is always forward. Easy to remember, forward is GO, aft is STOP. Kind of like the throttle stick on your transmitter, your lawn mower, a full scale boat or full scale airplane.
The lamest explanation I have ever heard on this issue was when a local "expert" was explaining to a beginner that the "ON" position should always be aft. His "reasoning" was that a blade of grass could strike the switch on take off and turn the receiver "OFF" if the "ON" position was forward.