tronco

I want to know if i can lock the ailerons of a Sig LT 40 in place till i have more flight experience. I'm still deciding which plane to buy and i like the idea of bein able to do this. I got the idea from the PT 40. http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJ557

alan0899

G'day Mate,
One question, Why,
Join a club & Get an instructor & learn to fly with ailerons.
It is not harder to fly with ailerons, in fact it is probably easier, with the sort of plane you are referring to.

ho2zoo

My Feedback: (5)

You don't really need to lock them in place, you could just not use them- if you wanted to.

But like Allan said, there's no real reason to. When I teach students, I take the plane up and they start by using just 2 controls; the ailerons (to turn) and the elevator (to keep it up there). This is pretty easy for the student, as both these controls are on the right stick (in the US, mode 2). So you really only have to worry about just that one stick to start. Then, as the student progresses we add in the throttle and rudder control. There's no strict rules about how to teach, but I imagine most instuctors work that way.

Good luck with it!

bruce88123

You really wouldn't want to do that. A 3 ch plane would want more dihedral which would be bad later in the 4 ch mode.

Just learn the 4 ch, it's actually easier IMO.

Fastsky

The LT40 has plenty of dihedral as is so I bet it would turn with rudder pretty easily. But why bother?!?[8D]

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

As this others have said, you can do it but why would you want to? Ailerons give you so many more options when flying, as opposed to flying just rudder only. I would just build the plane with the ailerons and learn to use them.

Ken

LT-40

My Feedback: (2)

LT-40s fly and turn very nicely with only the rudder because there is alot of adverse yaw. I often practice flying my LT-40 without the ailerons only so that I can get better at using the rudder. (most people dont use the rudder much) So I think that you could do it and it would still fly well but you will be making it more difficult for yourself. Just keep the ailerons, and you will be glad you did. For most flying, I would say you use the ailerons 10 times more than the rudder.

LT-40

bruce88123

Shouldn't you add "when turning with only ailerons" to the end of this sentence? Otherwise it doesn't make much sense.

tronco

interesting responses.... thanks for the input but it leaves me wondering why my soon-to-be instructor wants me to get a 3 ch plane to start with.

bruce88123

Us too. Ask him and let us know.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Agreed.

Ken

simhatus

Hi

I'm not sure theres anything really wrong with starting with a 3 channel plane, (although i would recomend to go straight to 4) It can still teach you a lot before progressing to an aileron model.

Although as previously mentioned the plane you have can be flown using only the rudder, to fly safely with rudder only would require more dihedral

As you already have a aileron plane you should insist on using that or find another instructor.


Simon

tronco

Is a bigger plane better to train with?

Fastsky

The larger planes are easier to see what the plane is doing. If you can't see it, you can't fly it. Also it will take a plane with a 70" wing span longer to turn completly upside down than a plane with a 60" wing span. This gives you a few extra seconds to see that you are turning too hard and gives you time to correct it before the plane is completly inverted. The larger trainers also react slower to control inputs which also gives you time to figure out how the plane reacts to how you are moving the sticks. So Yes!! a bigger plane is better to train with. [8D]

hezik

Basically any plane with a large enough dihedral, can be flown on rudder alone.

Needles to say, I agree with the rest.. don't bother and just learn to fly with ailerons. There once was a time when it might have been better to start of with a 3 channel trainer, but that time is long gone.

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

If you do decide to go 3 ch...many 1/2A planes are just 2 ch rudder/elevator...you want to put both channels on the right stick..rudder being L to R and Ele. being up and down....that way when you go to 4 ch the plane will still basically do the same things with the same stick....Rog