Begginer need tips on taking off and landing[&:]
Hi ive had my plane 12 months now, but have only flew it about three or four months i have been having a trained flyer to take off and land my plane. He would then let me take control once in the air, I have lost contact with him and need some tips on taking off and landing.
thnks Mat

Ive found that rolling on the throttle smooth and in steps is better than slamming it wide open. Also sometimes I will line up the airplane pointing just a little right of where I want it to go. This way you dont have to worry so much about holding right rudder on takeoff roll. Get plenty of speed and GENTLY climb out! I will usually climb out and get the jitters out of my system, then practice some landing approaches to get the feel for the wind and when to turn base leg, and where to chop the power. I usually land with a little throttle, untill im about 1-2' high and chop the power for a nice flare on the mains. If it bounces let off elevator a hair and be ready to add some as the nose begins to come down, and maybe add a little throttle! All this is easier to put into words than accomplish I know. Best way to practice is with simulaor I have found!!! Good luck!

thanks LearjetMech i will try this and will practice on my safe simulator
as i wont have to buy a new plane every time. thnks mat

Learjet has some good points. I remembered this discussion from an earlier post.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_11...tm.htm#1182639

Good Luck!

Here is my take off tip: before rolling, pick a point at which you will give up if the plane is not airborne. Better to have it decided before hand then when the plane is running along the ground and not quite getting enough speed to lift off.

Forget about all these tips on HOW to fly and find a instructor!!!

If your not capable of soloing don't even try it, it will cost you your plane at least.

If you can't find a experinced pilot in your part of the world, the next best thing is to spend a bunch of time on a simulator until you can control it without thinking about it.

When the plane is coming AT you, move the stick toured the low wing to level out.

Fly next to a phone booth so you can jump into it when you loose control of the plane.

You all heard about the guy that was killed last year when his plane hit him in the chest after he lost it in the sun? True story.

Just kidding about the phone booth.

I have always told people to take off and land with the throttle. Just keep the plane level until it transistions. On take off, get the plane flying on the ground, straight and level then apply elevator slowly. To land, line the plane up with a good decent, then use the throttle to manage decent. It is how I learned after trying it the other way.

I agree with Carlos Murphy - join a club and get some experienced HELP! The temptation to try it on your own will most certainly lead to disaster! If you must drive 300 miles to find an instructor - do it! Good Luck.

GET AN INSTRUCTOR or you will be getting a new airplane.

I would like to direct you all to a feature of the new RCU. If you click on "RC Community" at the top of the page and hunt around a little, you can find instructors in your area.

That said, I would now like to encourage anyone who can instruct to add your names to the list. This is a wonderful feature, but you guys gotta let the others know that you are available.

Thanks!

If you have a pretty wide take off area, taking off is really not that hard. I've only been at it for a couple weeks and I don't think its near as difficult as people make it out to be. I had , and am still having a little diffulty learning to control the front wheel with my left hand.

I taxied it around a bit. I trimmed is so that when then engine is running faily fast it tracks straight. That way you have to control it more when it is slow, but when it speeds up it tracks staighter. I trim it so it tracks straight, then simply turn the control rod connector on the rudder in or out untill its straight.

In my opinion if you've been flying a few months than you will have no problems taking off. Just add throttle slowy, give a little elevator, and off she goes! Just try to fly up as far as you can before turning. That way if something happens you have room to correct.

I guess landing isn't really that easy if you havn't done it. I'm far from an expert myself. The hardest part is getting it lined up and being at the right speed and altitude at the runway. If you bring it in slow and straight you have it made. At this point even if you do mess up a little it may cost you a prop or possibly damage the wing, but won't destroyed your plane as if you've nosed dived it.

And, what I do is, if I am not satisfied with my approach, simply fire it up and try again untill it looks good.

My friend I guess was kinda my instructor. He talked me through it the first couple of times. So it probably wouldn't hurt to find someone that can help. But in my opion, and I'm sure everyone on here disagrees, no matter how much instruction you get, you don't learn untill you do it. Buddy cords can't even help you land. If you have been flying with your friend for a couple months I am sure you have problaby asked him a billion questions, so you have the knowledge, just apply it.


Wings

OK Guess what,,, I made my 1st solo landings today so I can speak from your perspective. I am flying a Kadet Senior.

I have a really great instructor at the club and here are the tips he gave me while I was/am training.

1. Approach at about 30' or so above the deck to an upwind positon a couple of hundred feet from your touchdown target on the final turn you should be a a real low throttle setting and descending from 20' or so .
2.Once you are lined up just keep the wings level and make tiny throttle adjustments, just enough to make your glide path reach the mark on the runway, Less throttle the better if its a trainer. IF YOU ARE COMING IN TOO HIGH OR FAST DONT FORCE IT DOWN... make another pass avoid down elevator at all costs.
3. As you descend and decelerate if its going right you should be able to progressively add up elevator in tiny increments to slow you down, but dont swing the nose up,,, the nose should stay level to SLIGHTLY down. Once you get over the runway let the plane coast down to a few inches above the runway and just a couple of seconds before touchdown add a LITTLE (just enough) up elevator to flare,,, go easy.. too much and you bounce, to little and you break a prop. On a perfect landing, according to my instructor your airspeed shoud be so that full up tilts the nose up but doesnt lift the whole plane.

Once the plane is on the ground use the throttle trim to kill the engine. Minimum throttle should not kill the engine.

Bonus tip. Crosswind

On a crosswind approach line up about 20 to 30' offcenter of the center stripe of your runway and let the wind blow your glidepath over the runway, you shouldnt have to steer much cause you want the wings to stay level, ESPECIALLY that last 50' or so. I kindof "crab" in with a little yaw, my tail into the wind on my approach. Try to line up your final turn so you dont have to steer much. You accidentally make the wrong rudder adjustment and you are going to land on 1 wingtip and tear your plane up. If you have to lineup anymore off than 20-30' or so you probably shouldnt be flying cause its too windy.. Im surprised he worked with you for that long and never let you land..

Man if you can I would try to at LEAST find an experienced flyer to assist you..

Thats just what worked for me and my instructor. By the way I will brag on him. He is 66 years old, and the #2 ranked pattern flyer in whatever District Texas is in. Im still learning all of the political boundaries of model aviation. Im 34 by the way. I am so pumped about actually being able to takeoff and land my own plane!!!


PS
Taking off... you dont HAVE to leave the ground until you can drive straight. Line up and practice accelerating smoothly to full throttle and steering at the same time. I kindof got a feel for the steering part just by throttling up part way and learning to drive straight up the runway. Once you can steer at 1/2 throttle straight up the runway, you got it. Ease into the throttle and get the plane rolling at 1/4 throttle once its straight and rolling along gun it and just steer. The plane will probably start to float on its own, you will see it getting light, give just enough up to get the wheels off the ground then its all just flying. No drastic moves just ease it up off the ground.