ORIGINAL: Swift427
It's the opinion of the 'world class' instructor in the FS One Flight Simulator training program that every beginner needs to first learn aileron control before learning rudder control. This seems to make some sense for a couple reasons. 1) Elevator and aileron are combined on the same control stick. 2) Whether pylon racing, combat flying, learning some basic aerobatics or flying in a smaller park aileron control has its advantages. Yet many of us are under the impression that a beginner should learn 3-channel throttle, elevator and rudder control before advancing to 4-channel throttle, elevator, rudder and aileron control.
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So my question is why the emphasis by manufacturers on 3-channel rudder instead of 3-channel aileron and your reference above to rudder control preceeding aileron control. Another way of phrasing my query would be to say, Why wouldn't a 3-channel SuperCub with one or two aileron control surfaces (with a fixed rudder) be a better trainer for a beginner with the option of upgrading it to 4-channel with rudder control? Does it boil down to the fact that it's less expensive to manufacture a model airplane with rudder control than incorporate even one aileron into the main wing? How much more do you think it would cost to manufacture a 3-channel aileron SuperCub with fixed rudder. Isn't it their responsibility to also educate us as to the preferred learning sequence instead of just producing a plane as inexpensively as possible.
Swift,
You ask an excellent question. Let us explore it, for it is worth discussing.
The key factor is this, the lack of an instructor.
The instructor you quote assumes that the student has an instructor. Quite a reasonable assumption for an instructor. And, under the guidance of an instructor, especially if combined with a buddy box, I would agree with him completely.
However, the parkflyer explosion has been based on NOT having an instructor. And so, the design of the planes are based on the premise that the new pilot will have no help. Stability and self recovering characteristics are the key design goals. Let the new flyer release the stick and the plane will self recover, assuming it has enough altitude.
If you look at the designs, many are basically motorized gliders. Roll is induced not by ailerons but by dihedral/yaw coupling. While this gives you less control than ailerons, it is highly self righting. The plane wants to level itself, by design.
In addition, the designs are heavily weighted to stable slow flight. Many have undercambered wings and the balance are flat bottom wings.
Combine extreme stability with good slow flight character and you have a plane that is incredibly easy to fly with little input from the pilot. In fact, the greatest problem most new flyers have is over control. Having instructed many new pilots, the first thing I show them is that these planes fly very well without their interference. In fact many of these planes have a beginner mode and an advanced mode. Typically the beginner mode, usually some kind of enhanced low rate resists the urge to over control.
This could go on for quite a while, but I believe you will see the point. I do not disagree with your instructor for as an instructor he has every right to choose his manner of instruction. But when there is no instructor, design can be used to help the new pilot gain his wings on his own.
And, frankly, for many the flight characteristics of the three channel R/E/T planes are exactly what they want and what they enjoy. And what is wrong with that?
I should note that in addition to being an electric pilot and an instructor, I am also a glider pilot. The classic two channel glider, R/E only, is one of the best flying thermal duration designs that one can use. What it lacks in precision control it makes up in stability allowing the pilot to fly such a ship at great distances. I have had a 2 meter glider out in excess of 1/4 mile and in excess of 1000 feet in altitude with complete confidence that the plane would seek level on its own. With a 3 meter of this design it would be possible to fly further and higher with nothing more than the energy in the air to carry it.
And I thoroughly enjoy flying them.