Jeffpro,

Regarding ailerons verses rudder for flying a twin with an engine out, here is the deal.

Airspeed is the main factor for control and pitch controls airspeed, so elevator control is the most important. If sufficient airspeed is maintained, aileron alone will work for engine out control. Bank it sideways and it sideslips. Sufficient side slip allows directional stability alone to keep it straight. This is not very aerodynamically clean though. Rudder is more directly effective at checking the crooked pull of an engine-out. But unless the design has positive roll coupling with yaw, rudder alone will not control roll and at least some aileron must also be used.

Although a twin with an engine out will just about go straight on its own at very high airspeed, most must dive aggressively to maintain that high speed. Using the proper combination of rudder and aileron allows safe directional control down to slower airspeeds closer to the speed for best vertical (climb) performance. All the stuff about proper single engine control technique from full size piloting has to do with preserving climb capability and reducing drag. Maintaining control has to do with airspeed alone.

The big danger flying on one engine is the stall. A stall with one engine running will produce the fastest snap rolls you ever saw. Including rudder allows directional control to be maintained at lower airspeeds than with aileron alone, and therefore reduces the airspeed margin above stall speed. Top-Flight recommends aileron only for their DC3 because higher speed is needed to maintain directional control. If you get their DC3 to slow using aileron only, it will turn gradually towards the dead engine. Using rudder also, you will be able to slow it enough for it to finally lose control by snapping.

Flying with and engine out is not hard but it is different and like any new maneuver it must be learned and practiced. The Twinstar is great for that. Use seperate channels and programmable mixing of a computer radio for throttle control. Then practice by throttling one back in flight, not by running one out of fuel.

Hope this clears things up.

Multiflyer