Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

The weather forecast was right on target; no wind in the morning, picking up to 12mph mid-day, and subsiding in the evening. I got to the field, and the wind started picking up just as I was ready to start flying. I took the speed flaps off my Nexstar, thinking that the plane seemed awfully floaty my first time out. My instructor went to trim her out, but couldn't find enough trim. Removal of the wing droops is supposed to counter act removing the speed flaps, but it still wasn't enough. Had to remove a servo horn for the elevator and turn it back a click, giving more up elevator. Then up she went - what a difference!!! Without this stuff it flies faster and so much more responsive! It now flies really nice and I'm not so in a hurry to get a second plane (it's really lofty, slow, and kind of boring with all those 'training wheels').

The wind really started getting to me today; it was about 8mph with 12mph gusts, and obviously landing is where I really started to have some issues. I learned what 'crabbing' is - it's when the plane is pointing in one direction, but flying partly sideways in another direction. It really screwed me up as I got close to the landing strip; the plane was aimed directly at the pit area, and it was really difficult to realize that it was still flying straight down the runway. I thought I was loosing it, so I throttled up to go around again, forcing the plane in the direction it was pointing - right at the pit!!! Luckily I nailed the throttle AND up elevator and got it over our heads, but nerve racking (for me and everyone in the pits!) to say the least.
I also say that I crashed once, but everyone else is disagreeing with me. Coming in for the approach, I was too low on power (I was used to landing slow with not much wind and using the speed flaps and wing droops), and when I got over the end of the runway I used some rudder to steer the nose. The plane did it's usual cork-screw with rudder, but was too slow and tip stalled, and I put it down 5ft short of the runway. They said maybe it was a 'controlled crash'. Anyway, broken prop, bent front landing gear, no big deal (Nexstar is one tough bird!). I thought my nerves were done, so I put her away for a bit. It was later suggested to me to fly one more since the weather might be bad this week, and the wind seemed to die down just a bit. So, up she went, one last flight.

Took off, flew, and landed all on my own (still on the cord though). Greased the strip. What I learned is to bring it in for the approach, but there's no need to land at the very beginning of the strip, so this time I let her fly over the runway to see where she wanted to go, using throttle to control elevation, and touched down about half the way down, and steered to a stop. Success! It really felt good leaving on a positive note, rather than a bunch of unsuccessful approach shots.

This is where using a low wing sporty plane on the sim has not helped me; I've been using planes that don't corkscrew with rudder, so I had little to no experience on how to correct that. Unfortunately I have been flying with wind but have not noticed the crabbing effect. This will take some practice. I think I'm going to fly pretty darn good next time there's no wind! Good day today.

Thanks for reading!

Mr67Stang

Congrats on what sounds like a very successful training day!

Gary L.

Cool beans Kat

Jester241

Good Job! Sounds like me own experiences on MANY days. You'll soon be to the point that you'll realize any day where your planes all come home in one piece(maybe bent,but not broken)......is a successful day after all. I'm still trying to get over the nerves,paricularly on windy days where your plane comes in crabbed due to crosswinds. I never use rudder during my landing even in crosswinds because I havent really gotten to that level yet,lol. I've always got enough going through my head at that time and not have any more brain capacity for rudder function,lol. Perhaps that corkscrew affect of trainer rudders is why I dont touch the rudder much. I'm into using my rudder alot now while practicing stall turns and stuff now with my more aerobatic planes. And if I had a dollor for every time I bent my landing gears in the last year of training.....well I could probably buy a new set of retracts for my mustang that I've trashed after numerous hard,gear bending landings as well as all the other bent gears on my other planes. Oh yeah...and new cracked cowls and more props. The good news is I'm just now getting to the point where I dont bend them on EVERY landing,and I'm sure you'll be to that point soon too.

Sounds like your the perfect example of someone learning to fly RC the right way. Its not easy and more days like yours today are sure to come,but if it wasnt challenging and you didnt learn more each day,as well as get better each day.....nobody would do it. And your most likely having alot of fun right now,but believe it not.......once you get this leaning phase out of the way and move on to the next phase of your flying career with better and cooler planes,the fun gets even funner and just as much challenging. The down side is it also gets more expensive,lol.

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

Jester you nailed it! It is challenging, and I like to be challenged. I also enjoy fixing the bent landing gear, and whatever else needs to be touched up. And oh my God, the crabbing and my nerves! But yes, I am having fun! But what you said about having enough going through your brain just before you land; I feel like I could add rudder in there, but then when you include the corkscrew effect, that's just too much at this point! I'm going to fly the sim with a trainer and use tons of rudder, and probably shoot a bunch of approaches 20ft high and just rudder down the landing strip. I'll get it! I can't wait until the day when I can just decide to show up at the field and fly, and not need a trainer present. It'll be a great day, but then again, every day thus far has been a great day.

ChuckW

Wind can be a little frustrating but if you learn do deal with it you'll have a lot more available flying days. The main thing for me was to get over my fear of landing with power on.

When you steer with the rudder on approach, just try to be gentle with it and be ready to feed in some opposite aileron in case it does want to roll.

You're trainer is going to get a few bruises, that's just how it is. Sounds like you are off to a good start though. I wish I had joined a club when I first started learning so I could have gotten feedback from an instructor and learned things right the first time.

I flew this afternoon but I'm already trying to figure out away to do everything I need to do tomorrow so I can sneak out one more time before the weekend is over.

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

My instructor said "if you want to fly in Vermont, you have to learn to fly in the wind!"
I can relate; that's why I put it down just short of the field - fear of coming in too fast. Working on it.
I remember when I first got my Nexstar I was trying to keep it so pretty. Today it got it's first real battle scar, and I love it! It's a trainer, it's going to take as much abuse as my mom's Caravan did when I learned how to drive!!!
me too

saucerguy

I used to wait for those optimal weather conditions to fly, but it seemed those days are so rare, and even then, only parts of the days being optimal, I finally gave in and just decided to fly in spite of it. What I found out is that it's actually benificial to have some wind, especially during take off's, it can also be used to your advantage during landings as well, in my case, the bulk of my planes are belly landers so I don't have to land at a fixed spot. It was funny the day I gave it a shot, my girlfriend asked me, "you can't be serious about flying in these winds" he he. My hanger now is for the most part designed to accomodate them, ie. no or little dihedral at all and with some, symmetrical airfoil with nuetral incidence.

I suggest practicing on the sim's at minimum power and getting used to flying it 3d style, ie. trying to make it hover, it will be a handful and you will only get short intervals where it's steady, but this teaches you to counter the plane trying to veer off random directions which the wind will also be doing to it on it's own. Also, push your skills on the sim's flying planes you are not ready for, this will increase your abilities greatly when you at the field flying the trainers.

traski

My Feedback: (1)

I had a great day too. You are doing better than me. Today was my best landings ever. But In my 6 other landing attempt I have had it in the dirt 3 times. I already straightend my landing gear 3 times. Re-set the motor twice. Put a new needle valve assembly on the motor (broke the fuel tube nipple off). Re-epoxy the entire fire wall area/assembly. It was caved in after a poorly aborted landing in a cross wind.

The scary part is.....I am getting real good at working on them.

Charlie P.

Call that "adverse yaw" and everyone will be impressed. I am surprised the Nexstar does that. Must have insufficient dihedral or something?? There are a few older models notorious for the tendency to "Dutch roll" and roll opposite to your rudder input/intention (like the originlal flat wing Contender 60 with a neutral C.G on a low tank). Bank with the ailerons. Point the nose with the rudder.

12 mph is a typical day at our field. You'll find that some models don't much even notice that much wind except it makes take-offs easier and landings slower. My SK-50 landed better in 15 mph winds than still air. Most symmetrical airfoils like a bit of wind. It's the flat-bottomed ones that suffer in wind and especially gusty winds.

Crosswinds - they can be tricky for anyone . . . especially if they are changeable or gusty. Crabbing in an approach is a delight and a thing of beauty as long as the sidewind is steady.

Nathan King

I think what FatOrangeKat was trying to explain is a phenomon called "roll coupling." Roll coupling is what happens when the pilot uses the rudder and the airplane banks in the same direction as well. This is caused, among other things, by large dihedral angles (which the Nexstar has). If you are noticing a very large bank with the rudder, then you are likely using too much. Try using a little more finesse with the left stick next time.

Adverse yaw is the tendancy of the airplane to yaw in the direction opposite the bank (to put it simply). This is caused by asymmetrical drag between the two wings. Say you're in a right bank. The right aileron is up, and the left aileron is down. It is important to remember that ailerons are just a tool to temporarially modify the camber of the airfoil. The high right aileron lowers the amount of lift on that wing and the low left aileron raises the amount of lift on that wing. Just one problem... More lift = more drag. The left wing now has more drag than the right wing, which yaws the airplane to the left despite the right bank. This is called slipping.

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

This is what's happening; plane rolls in direction of rudder turn and pitches forward, requiring opposite aileron and up elevator. I'll try more finesse [8D] Thanks guys.

ChuckW

That's pretty common on a lot of airplanes, even some low wing. Certain planes do it more than others depending on dihedral and other factors. In fact, that's how a 3-channel plane basically works. They key is to just feed the rudder gently and add the aileron and/or elevator if needed. Once your more comfortable with the basics of flying you can try to use the rudder and opposite aileron to make some nice flat turns.

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

Gotcha. Been making nice flat aileron turns in the sky. 5 feet off the landing strip is the hard part! Practice, practice, practice.

hogflyer

Flying in the wind and learning to land in a crosswind will definitely make you a better pilot. Here in Kansas learning to fly in the wind means training in 15 - 20 mph winds.

When setting up a landing, don't aim for the end of the runway but try to set the plane down in front of yourself. Its easier to judge the approach path and makes the touchdown that much easier to see. Its also easier to land in front of or past where you are standing until you get a good feel for landing. When the plane is right in front of you at 6" off the ground, look at the main landing gear to see how high they are off the ground. You'll be surprised how much easier landings can be that way.

Hogflyer

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

Were you watching me fly!? I'm trying to beat it in my brain to not touch down just at the end of the strip; it's such a habit already! Yesterday when I was off the box a guy had me stand at the end of the strip, so I couldn't set it down before it got to me. It is easier for me. And I agree, it's better to see what the plane is doing a couple of inches/feet from the ground and make adjustments. Thanks.