Once a Plane gets to slow but not quite to stall speed or in certain cross wind conditons...the aelirons can become almost useless. Thats where knowing how to use rudder comes into play. The rudder will always maintain some authority regardless of the Planes speed or wind conditions. I am not saying for fact this was the problem, and perhaps there was some type of reciever lockout if the reciever battery voltage fell to low under a load. I am just saying it could have happened that way, and not that it did happen that way.

As far as your engine goes...the pinch test is something pretty simple that a new guy can remember, or tuning with a tach is simple as well if one is available. For the pinch test you will run the engine up to full throttle and set the high side needle with the engine running wide open. First turn the needle clockwise for maximum RPM and then back it off a 1/4 turn. With the engine running wide open...then pinch the fuel line at the carb. You should here the engine RPM.s rise when you pinch the line quickly. Or if you have a tach available...then back the engine off about 500 RPM from its highest RPM number. Either way this tells you the engine is running a bit rich, and that is what you want.

Now check the low side needle the same way except at idle this time. Pinch the line, and you should have about a 5 second delay and the engine will begin to increase RPM's gradually. If not then either richen or lean the needle until you get that result. Now check the transition from idel to full speed. You may get a small hesitation in the mid range, but you should be able to throttle up and down without the engine dying if everything else is right including plumbing, glow plug, etc. If the engine stays running then have someone hold your Plane while it is running. HAve the holder hold the Plane nose straight up like in a hover, and then transition the throttle to make sure it will stay running. Now point the Plane to the ground and do the same. If it has stayed running thru all of this...then I would put it in the air.

Now if the engine died..here are a few things to check. What percentage of Nitro are you using? If you are using 5% then you may not be using a hot enough plug, and you may wanna try an O.S A3 HOT Plug. If you are using anything over that like 10% or 15%...I would recommend an O.S #8. If you are using 15% and an A3...that may be to hot and causing predetination. Also remember that normaly you want the dead center of your fuel tank just slightly below the center of your carb inlet. To low or to high will have a negative effect in alot of planes. Normaly Trainers have the tank floor close to the right hight, but sometimes to much extra padding can lift the tank to high causing fuel to syphon and thus flood an engine. One other thing I might suggest after you are sure your tank or lines have no pin holes is to take out your main needle valve and slip a 1/4" long piece of silicone tubing over it and then screw it back in. The reason for this is if your O ring is a bit dried up from the engine sitting new in a box for a long time it may not be sealing good and thus getting air. The silicone tubing trick just adds a bit of extra seal on the outside, and also helps to keep a needle snug and in place, and not moving in flight. Of course you will also want to make sure your carb has been seated good when you installed it or make sure it was installed right at the factory if it came RTF.

Of course I am just throwing you out some things here that you can bring up to your instructor, and chances are he may allready know everything I have said and more. However it can be frustrating when just starting out and just thought I would throw a few tips out there for you to try or things to look for. Good Luck!