BIGMIG

I'm not new at fling airplanes,but new to a simulator.Bought a new cessna 182 from Banana hobby and it came with a free simulator sofware and PC cord.I got it loaded in the pc and working but when flying the airplane is all over the place.?It continues to want to climb,wants to do loops,wants to roll right all the time.A continual battle to try and maintain control.??

My radio has to be turned on to use this version of software.Do i need to trim this plane out just like a real model?? This is a lot harder than flying a real plane......

BIGMIG

Has not been good weather for flying so thought i would practice on this simulator as i have it so why not use it...

skeletor507

I am going to have to say yes use the trim.  I am using the Nexstar edition from great planes that came with a Nexstar.  I have purposly moved all my trims just to get practice triming my real plane.  I am new to flying and want to learn everything I can on the sim before going to the field.  I have also tried aerobatics on the sim.  Thats a lot of fun.

levram1

My Feedback: (1)

Yes, you need to trim the plane on the sim as you would the real deal. I am also flying the Nexstar and the Sig Senorita on Real Flight 6.

ATVAlliance

Trim might be the culprit...but I would guess that you did not calibrate your TX when you first connected it via the cable.

You have to go to your Control Panel and find the icon for joystick and calibrate it there.  Then I always go to the SIM and under the controller section calibrate it there as well.

Not until you do the two calibrations should you worry about trim.  Maybe you already did the calibration and everyone that stated trim is in order is correct.

opjose

Ibid on what ATVAlliance said ( he has it right IMHO ).

Once you do have the controller calibrated and you've flown for a bit with the plane in trim, it is a GREAT idea to put the plane completely OUT of trim and try to deal with that while flying.

That gives you practice to what actually happens to most novices... particularly those who do not seek help from an instructor.

It's also great practice for learning how to maiden new planes.

levram1

My Feedback: (1)

Are you saying most novices don't try to trim their aircraft?

opjose

First timers don't know how to trim, nor what faces them with a new out of box plane.


Practicing on the simulator with a grossly out of trim plane helps them deal with similiar occurances in the real world.

ATVAlliance

LOL...I still have one of the guys in the club thats been flying for 20+ years do some of my maiden flights for me.

I only commented again in this thread because OPJOSE made a point that I never really realized...that is flying the SIM on an out of trim plane on purpose.  Maybe I should practice like that...cant hurt and I may feel confident enough to maiden ALL of my planes at some point down the road.

Usually most of my planes fly good on their maiden flights.  And that is because I try and not rush a plane into the air.  But on a couple that I have bought used and done have a manual for have been a little "hairy" to say the least!

I can fly pretty good...but when you take off and the plane is fighting you from the very liftoff...that can make your thumbs go all kind of crazy on ya.  So much so (at least for me)...I cant even find the trim sliders/button...and I dont even THINk about looking away from the plane.  I usually just yell out...HELLLLLLLLLLLP!!! SOMEONE GIVE ME SOME UP....LEFT AIL....RIGHT AIL....DOWN!!!!!....HELPPPPPPPPPPP!  lol.

So yeah...I think practicing on an out of trim plane on the SIM could have some good benefits for me.  Thanks for the idea!

levram1

My Feedback: (1)

And you don't think that there is not a way to half as**d trim the plane on the ground before takeoff?

BIGMIG

Well like i said i can fly planes.........The only thing normal on this simulator is the first part of the take off,but even then it will not realy let you use any rudder.After lift of it is a continual battle as the plane wants to climb,dive,roll to the extrem right of left and to try to maintain any control you must continually apply right or left aileron as it will not fly level for more than a few seconds if that long.There is nothing about this stupid simulator that represents any airplane i have ever built or flown.Most planes i have built may need a little trim in the ailerons for straight flight and a little trim up or down in the elevator at half throttle for level flight.I can't see how using this simulator could be benificial to anyone as most models would never fly like that.Trim levers have very little affect to correcting the handling of this plane on the simulator.I have allways read that simulators are suppose to help sharpen a flyier.Don't see how trying to fly a continualy out of contol airplane is suppose to help anyone.You would not do that with a real model...you would try to get it back on the ground in one piece and try to figure out what the hell is going on with it.????

BIGMIG

ATVAlliance

Really? Gee, I never thought you could do that! Thank you for the very helpful information. I'll try doing that next time.


Did you calibrate your controller with your PC's operating system like I suggested? If you did...then get another SIM. The free one I can only assume is FMS and its not that great to begin with. If you are not wanting to spend too much, Clear View SIM is pretty good and only 40 bucks. Also, if your operating system is Visa or Windows 7...FMSmight be flaky as I have heard some people have issues with it on those operating systems. So that may be your issue too.

But your symptom to me sounds like your controller has not been calibrated. I have tried about 4 different SIMs and they all at least fly up/down left/right with no ill effects unless I go into the settings and make the rates or EXPO different.

When your controller has not been calibrated...it is unkown by your PC where the center of the axis are on said controller.

opjose

How does a newbie know to do that let alone WHAT to do?

Trimming on the ground may not reflect what happens in the air.

levram1

My Feedback: (1)

No, it doesn't. But at least it gets you close enough to get you airborne without alot of problems. Then, re-trim at 1/2 throttle in flight.

RCVFR

My Feedback: (7)

Don't look down at your TX, bring the TX up to your line of sight so you can keep the plane in view while you are making trim changes.

ATVAlliance

Yeah...I know to do this, but actually doing it when panicing is easier said than done, at least for me.

Like I already said...almost all of my maiden flights go pretty uneventful...just one or two clicks of aileron or elevator, then I usually do a loop to check rudder and adjust if needed. I usually take a lot of time when I put an ARF together and make sure that everything is as mechanically trim as possible. This is the reason I guess that most of my maiden flights go pretty good. That along with I try and only buy new models that have favorable reviews for being at the least decent flying models. But there has been the occasional "swap meet special" that I have maidened for MY first time and things didnt go as well as planes I have assembled new WITH the manual and at least recommeded throws and CG.

Luckily Ive only hadone real crash and several "hard landings" from either failed motor/battery or dead stick on glo since getting back into the hobby 3 years ago. I was just trying to point out that what OPJOSE said about practicing on a SIM with a severely out of trim plane could help someone brand new (and possibly even someone like me that isnt so new, but still far from expert) in how to trim the plane out themselves during an initial flight or maiden flight.

I know that it wont help me as much because the SIM isnt real and the nerves arent there in full force like when you have the real thing in the air. But with the right mindset...I do think it possibly could be another way the SIMcan beused to help prepare people for the hobby.

opjose

Yup. But a newbie still has problems even with planes that are not grossly out of trim.

Better that they practice on a simulator to hone their skills, than to bare the results of learning in real life.

levram1

My Feedback: (1)

Nuff said.

BIGMIG

Yes I did caibrate the radio with the PC.........

This was a free simulator that came with the airplane.........Made in china ?........Could be the problem,or some other feature i'm over looking that needs to be changed or set.?I need to have my nephew look at it as he is a good pilot who swears by them and used them to practice flying helicopters.And i have watched him fly helicopters and planes,he is very good.I'm going to let him do the first flight or two on my new Cessna 182 and have him trim it out,he can do it better than i can.

BIGMIG

opjose

I'll bet then it is a repackaged version of FMS.

I've used FMS with some of the inexpensive USB and PC Interface controllers.

Not only do you have to calibrate the controller within Windows, but there is a calibration screen within the sim where you also assign the axis.

You need to calibrate the sim there too.... and make sure you move the sticks to their extremes while in that screen.