ORIGINAL: Nathan King
Have you trimmed out your aircraft carefully? If not, you'll be fighting it all the time. There's a lot more to trimming the aircraft than people think. It takes me a good couple months to trim out a new aircraft just how I like it.
Ain't that the truth. There is a whole series of steps to take to properly mechanically and electronically adjust trim for each and every control surface, and it takes time to do it right. They are procedureal, meaning step by step to be followed in order, mainly because each one may, can, will cause changes in the last adjustment you made, meaning you have to go back and do them all over again once you are done. Eventually, you will find that you will be going back and forth doing the same ones over again. At that point, you must choose what one you wish to live with and leave it alone, then consentrate on your flying with that slight handicap.
One main point is to be purposeful and careful when you handle your sticks. Pulling straight back toward you on the elevator without ANY input to the aileron, or pushing aileron left or right without any input to the elevator is tough to get done right. Many pattern folks dial in the most stick tension that they can get, and then some... (tighten the springs even more than the original configuration for instance) may be good for you. It all depends on how rough you are with stick inputs.
Mixing the controls.. typical coordinated turn, for instance, requires some delicate right stick movement with some rudder inupt, to get it right. Then once completed the turn, return to straight and level must be coordinated so that you are in fact flying straight and level. Then setting up the 1/2 reverse cuban eight, for instance, as long as your down-line is straight and level, and if you pull straight back on the elevator to set your initial 45 degrees up, then rolling to inverted...... and so on.... you are beginning to see what is involved here.
It all takes practice... again... burn fuel!!!
CGr.