what is 3d flying?
 

What is 3d flying and what the hell is 4d flying?

4D is 3D flown in reverse.

Guys flying well enough where they aren't trashing the front of their planes regularly (WAY beyond me!), are using variable pitch props that allow reverse thrust. 3D is nuts, I don't have a word for 4D!

3D flying is a type of flying. In some cases, the air craft doesn't even fly. It will hover by hanging on the prop. In alternative words, There's no air moving over the surfaces making the lift and also the air craft stops flying. Some of the maneuvers in 3D flying are simply not humanly potential fully scale aerobatic planes. The G loads can get terribly high.

3D "flying" is overpowering an aircraft to the point where it really doesn't even need to fly, i.e. generate lift. Ostensibly this is so one can back a plane down to where it's tail touches the ground and then drive it back up. Based on the answer above 4D is doing the same thing but nose down with a reverse thrust prop until the spinner touches the ground. Sane people would ask "what's the point?" Some people also play Russian roulette - sane people also ask "why?" about that. But then...

Unfortunately, some think 3D is limited to hovering a plane, when actually that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's MUCH more to it than the ability to hold a hover.....

As we all know, 3D flying is the skills that takes may years to develop and hated by pilots who simply can't do it!
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...a494e60873.jpg
The lower the more fun!

How is it in this day and age so many r/c pilots are so misguided about what 3D flying is all about, many that comment on the subject matter have never setup an airplane for this style or even tried it for themselves. Now let’s throw some XA flying in the mix with 3D flying... Come on folks, open your minds! There is so much more to flying than just going in circles, I’m 64 and still having a blast, if it wasn’t for the onset of 3D type flying over 20 years ago, I would have probably quiet flying because I was pretty bored with the same old crap since1963 when I first started building and flying model airplanes. As you can see in my video a couple of months ago there is allot more to it than just hanging in the prop.


Bob

+1

Bob

Certainly not precision aerobatics. More like a Looney Tunes cartoon character having a seizure.

I'd like to see a real airplane survive that kind of maneuvering.

No it certainly is not precision, once again it’s a mixture of 3D and XA flying. From your reaction you are probably a circle flyer with most likely limited flying talent. We all have our own part of the hobby and sport we enjoy doing, no need to ridicule things you can’t do, understand or disagree with.

Bob

I'd like to improve flying skills to feel confident/comfortable in the attitudes encountered during a 3D routine - Rudder input while inverted still confuses me - especially overhead... What are some good 3D training aids/advice? Also, what is XA flying?

There's only one trick in 3D flying, years of practice and experience.

Sims make me crazy in pretty short order, but I've seen younger guys advance very quickly in 3D that swear by them.

XA is about high energy maneuvers. Often (usually?) pretty violent maneuvers, making you wonder how/why the wings are still on the plane.

I enjoy the low and slow 3D maneuvers. It's easier for this old man to stay up with them. I find Harriers and slow KE flight pretty entertaining for instance. For low speed control practice, make sure you plane will slow right down into a nose high attitude when you back off on the power. Learn to control wing rock with the use of a ton of rudder to pick up that low wing rather than just opposite aileron input. Bring the plane in for a landing and at about 18", accelerate just slightly, and hold it at 18" off the runway the length of the field. When you get that down, do a rudder turn at the end of the runway while holding that 18" and bring it back the other way. Then try a figure 8 out in front of you. It's an easy exercise with the plane low and slow enough where the plane won't be entirely torn up if (when!) you screw up. -Al

Funny you mentioned that, I saw Matt Chapman doing rolling harriers at Sun-N-Fun

The simulator helps your motor skills a great deal. I don’t pick it up as much as I should anymore, but there was a three year period I spent at least two hours a day, every day on it with the first addiction of Real Flight around 20 years ago now. Here is an old video of what I consider some low and slow old school 3D and a mix of precision flying my 40% Carden 260 back in 2008.2008 J.H. Rice Memorial

Bob

I don't fly enough (used to fly at least once a week and don't even do that now) and have a simulator that gets little use so these are areas to work on -

Some of the most impressive flying skills I've seen were in videos of competitions taking place indoors where pilots appear to be flying exacting routines following a set schedule; Having seen these demonstrations gave me the idea to ask here:

Are any of the foam electrics with the cruciform fuselages and flat wings like those from Twisted Hobbies or any other source worthwhile having around for 3-D training?

Thx for the info!

In a word, yes! ANYTHING that motivates/allows you to pick up that transmitter is worthwhile having around. The 32" class planes I think you're asking about fly absolutely awesome and are durable enough to handle a lot of those early mistakes with no damage. The downside is that unless you're flying indoors or within a very sheltered area, anything in the way of wind over a breeze can give you a reason not to fly. Jumping up just a little into 39" class planes allow much more control over wind, and fewer excuses not to fly.

Best tool I ever used was a SPAD3D. It will teach your left thumb what to do. It is such an ugly turd it wont just fly around in a pattern. You have to constantly use all 4 inputs to keep it in the air. I built one for $40 and put a junk .45 glow on it with the worst servos I had laying around and gave it hell. The thing is you rarely land it. You bang it in, change the prop and go again. 12x4 props work well as you don't want speed, just thrust.
BTW QuiQue calls 3D " flying beyond the stall". Pretty good description if you think about it.

David

3d is basically post stall maneuvers

love that definition :p

My turn now: 3D flying is the mastery of using the motor's torque and thrust vs the lifting capabilities of any part of the aircraft parts vs synergy to perform figures, or a sequence of, pre- or post-stall, that usually can't be performed by full scale aircraft due to pilot/power/airframe/safety limitations...

Biggest help in learning 3D: my sim (Aerofly) and all the fantastic tuition videos, thanks to the authors!
and +1 on the comments made by ahicks and sensei :cool:

Does anybody remember "Hoverbatics" and the Morris series of profile planes?

I don't recall Hoverbatics, but I built and flew a few Morris planes a long time ago. The Knife, Pen Knife, Top Cap, and I think one other. They were lots of fun. I wish they were still around.

I can fly 3D with planes. Not very well, but I can do most things. However, I will not attempt 3D with my heli, and doubt I ever will. I may eventually get my nerve up to loop, roll, and flip my Blade 230S, but nothing more than that, Those maneuvers are easy to me on RealFlight, but I cannot hover inverted for more than about 10 seconds.

My favorite Morris plane was the twin that looked like 2 Penknifes on one wing. Flew the heck out of it til I let my buddy fly it. He did rolling hovers with it on the first flight. After that, I just gave it to him.

This is what 3D used to be... 15 years ago or so!