Wing rock?
 

Could someone please explain the best way to eliminate wing rock in a harrier?

Is it as simple as good lateral balance? (and what is your technique for lateral balancing?)

Or are some planes just inherently prone to rock worse than others?

Thanks in advance.:D

RE: Wing rock?
 

you can raise the ailerons on the bird with a mix if you want to get it out. I use to do this by raising it about 1/8 to 3/8" on the average bird. I would do it with a 3d mix at full elevator throw both ailerons will rasie of lower to the direction of the elevator throw. I do not do this mix anymore I either correct the ailerons as it rocks, or I let it rock. I am not sure why I stopped doing the mix I just dont really want the mix in there anymore.....

RE: Wing rock?
 

Bad Tooth:

Crazy is right on for most of us. Being less than a young buck I have to do a little more. Start off with good CG location fo 3D and then ballance the bird from side to side very well. Get it where it will stay right in the middle. Last, seal your control surface gaps. After flying 3D for several years now, I don't have to do all this, but I do it anyway for ease of flying. Takes a little time to learn to catch the rock, stop it and control the remainder of the drop, but will come in time. Practice practice practice. ENJOY

RE: Wing rock?
 

So if lateral balance is where it should be then it's more a case of "thumbs?":eek:

But I have flown planes that are "rock-solid in a harrier" and they are very stable regardless. Is this because the plane is a different airframe or because it is set-up differently?

I'm trying to figure out if there is something I can do to my Goldberg extra300 profile to make it more stable in a harrier. Right now it rocks back and forth like crazy! Is it just the plane or does it mean that my lateral balance is way off. (admittedly I haven't checked it in a while). I plan on checking it tonight.......just bored at work and thinking about it.

RE: Wing rock?
 

Some planes will just not harrier well no matter how hard you try. I wouldn't blame your thumbs, certainly if you do well with another plane. I will say that even an unstable plane will have a sweet spot somewhere. Try increasing your angle of attack, if the nose is even a touch to low your gonna rock like crazy. You just have to search for it that much harder and it's twice as difficult to keep it there. As far as the spoilerons go, I agree that their usefull but not fool proof and probably not worth the hassle. I disabled mine too, they caused me to almost lose my plane when I forgot to turn them off. Good luck, once you achieve success you'll change airplanes one day then you'll go back and feel like your starting all over again.

RE: Wing rock?
 

Goldberg extra300 profile

Profiles are notorious for lateral balance issues... I would start there for sure...

I have the same profile, and it harriers very well... Like someone else noted... It likes a higher angle of attack... Also, I don't use full elevator throw (50 degrees)... It's about half that (30 degrees or so)... Use the throttle to raise the nose, and relax on the elevator... You can buzz around all day in the Harrier...

Your profile is an underrated bird IMO. Mine weighs 4.5lbs with a TTpro 46, and JR 821's... I'm using a 6v Nimh 1100 pack.

RE: Wing rock?
 

Sounds good. I will play with the lateral balance again...... I think the plane is a lot of fun too, maybe not the best profile out there but definitely a fun plane to fly.

RE: Wing rock?
 

I had that same profile, and I had like an ounce and a half on my left wing. A friend had almost two ounces on his right wing. Try lateral balance, and once you're done....really take what frieshoo said to heart. WAY less elevator than you'd think....and WAY more throttle than you'd think. Also, you're going to have to keep the nose higher than you'd think.

My favorite thing to do was to snap roll out of a really high hover into an elevator to about 5ft off the deck, then pull into a harrier...and start rolling harrier out.

RE: Wing rock?
 

All the information and suggestions given so far have been good.

I have a Mojo 60 that will harrier all day at virtually any angle a friend has a Katana 70 and it wing-rocks very badly unless you get just the right angle and just the right amount of power/elevator.

Some models are better than others it's just a simple fact.

The only thing that will *really* reduce the wing rock in a plane that's predisposed to such things is practice!

RE: Wing rock?
 

Additional FIn area is also helprul...
Prolly it will Harrier inverted better then upright...

http://www.giantcircus.com/Videos/VVRCF_Facility.MPG

and often.. if there is just a bit of turbulance or chop.. it will rock anyway

thick wings with little or no taper are rockers as well...