Just starting up in the RC airplane fun. I'm wondering whether controlling with my thumbs only or thumb and finger controlling will be the most benificial long term. I'm currently flying a sim trainer with thumbs only but I don't want to continue learning that way if learning to fly with both thumbs and fingers will make things better later. What do you 3D folks think?

This has been <a href="http://www.animateit.net"> <img src="http://www.animateit.net/data/media/feb2013/deadhorse.gif" border="0" alt="Smiley Beating a Dead Horse from AnimateIt.net" /> </a> It comes down to what ever you are more comfortable with. I fly thumbs, never had a problem with control. If you feel like you have more control with the pinch, sounds good.

Buzz.

Just from observation, most sport, scale, and 3D pilots fly with thumbs. Every helicopter pilot I've ever seen flies with thumbs. The majority of pattern pilots fly with the pinch method. Both have their benefits. The thumb method allows larger movements faster, which is needed with 3D or helicopter flying. The pinch method gives you more precision, and it's easier to feel if you are accidentally feeding in an unintended control command like rolling while pulling up in a loop. Both give you plenty of access to your switches, and both can take you to a very high level of flying skill if you work at it.

Thanks, I know it's an old subject with much animosity flying around on some older threads but things have changed. Pilots are achieving bizarre 3D maneuvers now and I just want to start out on the right foot just in case I ever achieve to that level.

Whatever you're comfortable with

As a 3 D hooligan, thumbs are best for 3 D IMHO.

Same subject was beat up over on Helifreak. Some there use a combo of pinch and thumbs. Some would place their thumb on the top of the stick and a forefinger mid stick. I started out with thumbs on airplanes, switched to pinch when I thought I was going to be a heli pilot and used it successfully and now back to thumbs after giving up helis. I have to say that thumbs gave me faster movement with slightly less precision and pinch was more precision with less speed.

So with the above said.... If you are an aspiring 3D pilot I'd go with thumbs. If you decide precision aerobatics trips your trigger then pinch is the way to go. It's not a big chore to switch methods if you switch from one to the other. A week or two is all it takes to become comfortable with the other method.

Long story short..... Do whatever feels good

Ken

This should answer any questions you have: http://www.rcflightschool.com/Transm...14airplane.pdf