Hi all,

Just getting started here and from reading the forums lately I kind of got the impression that basic aerobatics such as loops and rolls were fairly difficult maneuvers. Then I got Realflight G2 and tried some loops and rolls and such and they were super easy! Now I'm flying in the big open field with no wind, but assuming equal conditions with the real thing is it pretty much as easy as it is on the sim? I appreciate your comments.

BTW, just ordered my trainer and all equipment and sent my AMA license application. Met some guys from the local club and will be attending the next meeting. I got the Global RCM 40 trainer which I think (and hope) is a good choice. I also have a Model Tech Cap 21 that was given to me for free which I'm in the process of building. I figured the Cap 21 would NOT be a good plane to learn to fly on.

Thanks everyone!

Mikernst,
It's getting pretty late in the season, but if you would like to fly before the snow flies, I run a small hobby shop in Olcott, NY and would be very happy to offer you a FREE hour of stick time on our trainer. The only thing you would have to do is give me a call and is come to Olcott, NY (Krull Park). We have several trainers ready to fly.

nascarjoe
716-778-0471

That's a very nice offer! It's a bit of a haul from where I am but perhaps next weekend I could make it out that way. I'll give you a call. I'm glad to support the shop that supports me.

To answer your question, yes, for most people basic aerobatics are not difficult once you can fly the basic "Race Track" pattern.

Welcome to the "addictive" world of RC. As far as the two manuevers that you mention, I did a loop on my first flight when I was just visiting the field that I fly at. I was on a buddy box, but nonetheless, I completed it. However, knowing what to do with the sticks and knowing how to recover if something goes wrong are two completely different things. I have lost an Ultra Stick 60, and a new Funtana, practicing some of the harder stuff. Remember: Leave PLENTY of room between you and the ground when you begin moving up.

Mike, yes, those manuevers are easy......the trick is to start doing them with precision...for example, slow rolls, large loops with rudder corrections, etc.....but for now work on getting comfortable with the basic manuevers. They can take a long time to actually "master". Welcome to the hobby and good luck to you!

Kinda like glowplug said, a basic loop is easy. Doing a perfectly round loop where you exit exactly at the same spot you entered it, same altitude, same spot left and right; entering and leaving in perfectly level flight; the turn radius never changing at any point, so the top is as round as the bottom which is as round as the "upwards" side compared to the "dowards" side... Now, that's a different matter entirely. .

Same thing with rolls. A "perfect" roll is perfectly axiel, with no changes in heading or altitude, with a constant roll rate all the way though, starting and ending perfectly level. And the slower you roll, the harder it is. If I recall (I could be wrong), a basic roll should be 1 roll per second, a slow roll is 1 roll in 4 seconds.

It wouldn't surprise me if the simulator didn't show you the entry and exit altitudes very well and such, so you may find them harder to do in reality. But as others have said, loops are really easy, and many guys do them in their first few flights. Rolls are a tad harder with a trainer, as most need some down elevator fed in while inverted to avoid losing a lot of altitude, and most trainers have a roll rate that is slow enough that if you don't feed in the down elevator you may wind up in a near vertical dive.

Easy!!! Guess I'm too old for this (43)!
I just got the Realflight G2 and I have been practicing for a couple of hours. Very basic loops and rolls are Ok! but I find it difficult to get the bird back down on the runway.
:-(

Actually, that's not a surprise. Percise and controlled straight and level flight is acutally harder than banging the sticks around doing acrobatics for many people. And getting a stable descent to landing is a lot harder than a basic loop.

Well, the approach is not that bad. I have been flying for a year and in about 4 months i came in without even using my rudder. Inever use my rudder when landing, except on my Stuka!

Doing all that stuff in the air is easy. The tough part is getting back on the ground in one piece!!

Jarmo,

Those landings are tough at first! Not so much controlling the plane as aligning with the runway. But keep practicing. I couldn't do it at first, now I'm almost always on the runway after just a few hours practice. First I got it down flying a pattern to the left, then I tried it to the right and it was hard all over again so I suggest practicing both ways.

Thanks everyone for the insight. I see what you mean, just doing it easy but doing it really well or perfect is a whole new game. I have sooooo much to learn...

The learning is the fun part (with the occasional bump in the road along the way). Basic aerobatics is easy, basic aerobatics that look good are hard. But, it is fun flying loop after loop and roll after roll trying to get it perfect. I'm flying a trainer now, so it is a lot of work. I'm looking forard to my next airplane which will be a better aerobatic flyer.

Landing with a crosswind is still my biggest challenge, but I am getting better now that I know when to use the rudder. ;-)

After a few loops and rolls, try some combinations of loops and rolls. A cuben eight (sp) is easy to do with out crashing, but really hard to do even close to accurately.

Hammerhead/stall turn is also a hard one to do consistantly (though easier with a neutral model) until you get used to it.

I havn't been able to do a stall turn with my trainer, it just wants to flop back down in a tail slide, or roll off to a side. But I've been getting better and better doing with straight lines, rolls, loops and others (except a spin, my trainer won't do that either).

I might increase the throws on the ailerons and/or change the propeller. In the humpty bump, I seem to have very little time to roll the plane around before it comes time to do the half-loop, and that loop becomes pretty darn pathetic .

For anyone wanting to do aerobatics, I suggest reading the flying and judging guide on www.mini-iac.com . This document really helps in explaining exactly what you plane should be doing or what the maneuver should look like!

But in answer the above question, and like many have said, it's so much easier on the simulator. In a simulator, you're flying perfect plane in a perfect environment. And while physics might be well modeled in a simulator, it can't be perfectly or completely modeled.

Stall turn with a trainer... you have to kick the rudder and put in opposite ailerons or it will roll as it turns. The timing is harder with the trainer than with a "aerobatic" design, but its possible to get a nice looking (competitive in contests at Sportsman level) Stall turn out of any 4 channel aircraft.

BASIC loops and rolls, yes, they are easy. anyone can yank the stick to the limit and watch the plane do a "loop"... Getting a ROUND smooth loop where the plane exits level RIGHT where you entered the maneuver takes some practice. The typical sport flyer loop is sort of egg shaped and you exit higher than entry. (you may actually need DOWN elevator at the top of the loop to make it right.)

you may have had nore throw on the sims than you do in real life, or maybe not. you have to make your plane exactly in the sims what it is in real life

Perfect weather, no wind? Yes it is easy (it seems). Now you are ready for a next step - check out your local field couple of times, note conditions there and then add this "realism" to your RealFlight. That's when it started been interesting!!! Then add some wind with gusts... "Boy, I suck so bad" - I think this was my reaction first time I did this... [sm=lol.gif]

Nevertheless, RealFlight G2 IS a great learning tool, and it is very good simulation of reality. I just added my HobbiStar to my planes collection - it does feels close to a "real thing"

Have good flying!