RE: www.Learning 3D step by step - 2
vittorio, just relax, the rolling harrier is probably the most difficult 3d manuver to pull off, I like your dedication and spirit - this is criticle to future success. If you believe you will become the best rolling harrier pilot in world - it will happen some day. for now focus your attention on hovering first which makes every other 3d manuver possible. everyone starts by hovering or trying to hover, in most cases there is way too much practice and not enough results. many people end up performing some 3d poorly but never master hovering. I want you to hover stationary for 10 minutes with rolls and waive to the crowd which is possible with mode 1, before you worry about other 3d stuff.
9 times out of 10 pilots loose it when they run out of rudder and the airplane falls off on knifedge. many others use too much throttle to keep the plane verticle and end up 10 miles high in a few seconds. try this:
1. don't hover directly in front of you, keep the airplane a few degrees off to the left.
2. pull to verticle let it settle 1 to 1 power at a safe distance.
3. you are holding some right aileron to prevent rolling, don't touch the throttle it has already been established
4. try to anticipate the airplanes next move and counter this with elevator and or rudder as needed.
5. within a few seconds your airplane will fall off on knifedge probably to the left - you will soon run out of rudder trying to keep it verticle.
6. release the ailerons and allow the airplane to rotate 1/4 turn to left and make your big correction with elevator to get it back verticle.
7. resume holding some right aileron to keep it from rotating any further. now you are looking mostely at bottom of plane - your rudder corections are now reversed, just like the ailerons are reversed when your airplane is flying toward you. remember how important it was to learn how to reverse the ailerons, well in 3d this is criticle for rudder. after awhile when you see the bottom of your plane your thumbs will react correctly without you knowing it.
8. when you get into trouble again, repeat step 6
many people are afraid to hover with high wind - for me this is most fun - it is not more difficult just different. instead of holding some right aileron hold some elevator to keep the nose into wind and airplane stationary. rudder will become less important as ailerons become more important to counter wing rock.
try this, and when I see you on the front cover of rc magazine hovering waiving to the crowd, you can move on the something else.