Stixoz

Ok here is the question. I have never flown a glo powered RC aircraft and if the wind is slight in the morning i'm going to take my new Boomerang 40 for it's first (hopefully not last) flight.

I have failed to get assistance from anyone within a 4hr round trip drive to help me so i'm on my own.

I have been flying the FMS simulator with the Alpha 40 trainer flight model.

I have run in the engine and tuned as best i can, measured control throws to spec,

I plan on rolling down my flying area and doing a series of small take offs as low to the ground as possible and then back down to the ground, aiming to be only 6" to 1' off the ground.

Any ideas or suggested reading?

Thanks in advance

flyfish28

"Never Fly Alone" Please have someone with you!...... You seem determined but look ahead in case of an emergency! Good luck.......

jetmech05

speed and altitude equals life, not low and slow....I don't think you have the knowledge to fly this airplane well...a series of "hops" won't even allow you to trim the airplane....If you can't get the mountain to come to you, go to the mountain...at least let someone there show you a few things and maiden your airplane...before you try this alone..
If you elect not to follow my advice....take a big trash bag and good luck

Stixoz

I know i don't have the knowledge to fly it!

Thing is i have little choice, i have flown small 3 channel electric foamy park flyers and i know i am totally out of my league with this plane. trust me with the money and time envolved i really don't want to go home with a pile of splinters but i have little other choice. I'm looking for any assitance i can on what i should do on my maiden flight other than crash spectacularly.

Irish R.Seer

My Feedback: (1)

It is a bad idea to fly alone,from a safety aspect. Take someone with you who can drive you to the nearest emergency room.
Go to Alan's hobby Model and R/C FAQ web links (Google search) all kinds of info on that site for beginners.
I'm not familiar with the Boomerang 40, is it a high wing trainer with tricycle u/c? What kind of surface do you have to fly off, grass or pavement? If it is grass I would suggest a set of larger diameter wheels.
Before going to the flying site check the tracking of the U/C to see if it runs straight. Try it on your driveway, with the engine OFF.
When you arrive at the flying site, first thing to do is a range check on your radio, then check all the control surfaces are set to neutral. Start the engine, make sure the model is held by someone or is restrained so it can't move forward. when the engine is running to your satisfaction,have your helper hold the nose up about 45 degrees,open the throttle and if the engine stops it is running too lean, open the needle valve a little, and repeat until it is running with the nose up. Point it into wind and open the throttle and be ready to correct any torque with right rudder. when airborne climb to an altitude that allows for any mistakes, reduce the throttle to about 3/4,
Don't let the model get too far away before you turn, and remember your throttle, cut it when you get in trouble to minimise damage.
But that won't happen. when you reach altitude, trim out the model, left right, up down, until it flies straight and level hands off.
Then it's time to land. leave yourself enough fuel for several approaches at a safe height, then when you are happy with the setup, try it down low. don't forget the little flair just before touch down. I hope this helps you make up your mind to try to find an instructor. But if not, I wish you all the best on your first flight.

Cheers,

Bill.

bbbair

The advice above is good.

However; the key is that if you are going to try and teach yourself it is going to be expensive - as you ARE going to crash - a lot! [:@]

If you are determined and good at repairs and have the extra cash ... sooner or later you can teach yourself... []

In your situation (I know Austrailia is a big place), I would contact the nearest club and set up a series of appointments during your vacation (good luck talking the wife into this ).

One week of 5 hours a day with an instructor can cover a lot of ground - and then you can go home with the basics to practice on you own - a much better plan than trying to teach yourself.

Good Luck and welcome to the insanity of RC Aeroplanes!

bingo field

don't put the wing on, get in a parking lot somewhere out of the way (like a school bus garage, when no one is around) where you have a whole lot of space. get the engine started and see if you can keep it within a lane on the ground. I bet you can't. It will take a while to get used the power curve of the engine, and what kind of response you get from the rudder controls on the ground. Also, you will have to get a feel for how long it takes to slow it down once you get rolling. These things are just as important as getting in the air. This will also give you some time to get used to starting the engine, and tuning it, before you get a chance to dead stick at 4 or 5 feet altitude. Keep trying to get ahold of someone to help you. It will save you a lot of grief, I know this. Take some time and taxi it around in some short grass to get used to the way you have to control it on that kind of surface, also.

Stixoz

Yeah the Boomerang is a high wing tri gear thingy.

Thanks for the advice, i will have 2 other people with me and the surface will be grass.

I totally understand how great it would be to get a club but it simply isn't going to happen. I'm happy with my performance on the simulator so it's up to the field for me.

Thanks for the advice, only other question i have is should i let the plane lift from the runway itself or apply a little up elevator? Obviously i don't want to get on the stick to early and have a wing drop but are there disadvantages with getting up to high speed on the deck?

Irish R.Seer

My Feedback: (1)

Depends on your model set up but usually a little up elevator to lift it off the deck, be careful not to over control. I know some students try to bend the transmitter sticks!!

Good luck.

Bill.

flyfish28

"GOOD LUCK"....... Let us know the outcome!

mydartswinger

A couple of pieces of advice on your simulator training before you try to fly your Boomerang. First off, get to where you can fly some of the more advanced airplanes on the sim, and fly them well. Second, have a friend with you while flying the sim, load up a flight, hand your friend the controller, turn away, and while you're not looking, have your friend get the plane out of trim. Once your friend has done that, take the remote back without looking at it, and take off. Fly the sim airplane up to a safe altitude, and try to trim it without looking at the controller, and while maintaining control of the airplane. Follow advice mentioned above by the other members as well. All of these things will aid (not promise) a more successful first attempt. It's not impossible to go it alone, but it is more difficult and expensive, and you must take more care in what you are doing.

Here's a link to a video on YouTube of a guy that went solo from day one with a Hangar 9 F-22 Raptor PTS.
[link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBeGgX4CEO4&feature=channel_page]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBeGgX4CEO4&feature=channel_page[/link]
Note how many crashes this guy had, and how many planes he went through before making just 1 successful landing. Granted, the Raptor PTS is a pig of an airplane (at least on the sim, and from what I've heard from others that have had experience with them), but it can give you an idea of what happens when you try to fly by yourself.

You might also want to try a Duraplane and get used to it before taking up your Boomerang. All of the gear used in the Boomerang will transfer to the Duraplane, making it a bit cheaper for you. A Duraplane can take much more abuse than a traditional trainer, such as your Boomerang. Tower Hobbies has them for US$64.99. They can be found [link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXE586&P=ML]here.[/link] They may not look pretty, but it'll help keep things a bit cheaper for you. You won't have to repair as much after crashes. I've seen these planes take some serious abuse, laugh it off, and come back for more.

Good luck to you, and welcome to the addiction.

Happy flying.

Villa

Hello Stixoz
You could at least have a second person with you in case you get hurt on the propeller and cannot drive to the hospital. Ask that person to help you remember to throttle down after take off. After takeoff fly slow, but not less than half throttle. Go up about 50 feet in elevation. Play with the throttle so that the plane stays at a constant elevation. If you lose control, throttle down, let go of both sticks for one second or two, then pull up elevator to level the plane and land. Calm down. When landing and the plane is coming toward you, if one wing is low, move the aileron toward the low wing to level the plane (think "go for the low wing"). After the plane passes you disregard that "crutch" and just level the wing as needed. Stay calm. Good luck.

bkdavy

My Feedback: (1)

You didn't mention where you're going to fly. In a previous thread you had said you were going to use a local football field. I hope you have at least changed that part of your plan and found a more open space to fly. You're going to need it. Here is what is going to happen:

You'll get the plane rolling over the ground and ease up the throttle to full speed. Now you'll probably over control the rudder and the plane will gyrate wildly, and probably nose over. If you don't break the prop:

You'll restart the engine and try again, trying to avoid overcontrolling the rudder. The plane is going to veer to the left, but you'll keep it from gyrating by just letting it roll. Now as the plane gains speed, it will gain lift. One of three things will happen:

1: The plane will try to lift its nose and take off and keep pulling the nose up because you're elevator trim is off.

2: The plane will try to lift its nose and start rolling either left or right because your aileron trim and elevator trim are both off.

3: You'll pull back the elevator too hard and the plane will stall.

An experienced pilot reacts to any of these situations calmly, enters just enough correction to get the plane up to altitude, and continues to correct while the trims are adjusted.

The newbie pilot, suffering from the adrenaline rush and fear of crashing their plane that they've fallen in love with doesn't know which inputs to enter, and ends up crashing the plane.

There's about a 10% chance (yes I know I'm being overly optimistic) the plane is properly trimmed from the get-go.

You're experience with the small foamies may or may not help, depending on which planes you've flown.

Good luck. I hope you succeed. But if you don't, remember we advised you against it.

Cost benefit analysis: 4 hour drive to get to a club for lessons: $75 for gas round trip.
Motel room for overnight stay: $100.
Cost of new plane: $300

By my math, I'd make the trip.

Having said that, I'll tell you that I tried to do exactly what you're trying to do (small park flyer, sim-time, then glow powered plane). When I took it to a local park to fly, I was confident. But once the plane was in the air, it was a totally different feel. The plane reacted so much quicker than the foamies, the control feel was completely different than the sim, and my first flight lasted about 30 seconds. AFter that, I got lessons. It only took me three lessons, about 2 hours each before my instructor would let me solo. But he spent about 4 hours of lessons just holding the trainer switch.

Brad

Jacked69

You are not alone, I had taught myself using real flite sim and I have an alpha 40 and used the PT 40 on the sim, I have many flying parks by my area but my parents have 300 acres in wisconsin so I practiced on the sim atleast 2 hours everyday for a month or 2 and everything went fine, just make sure to do all the pre flight checks and make sure to turn on the tx before the airplane as you will un bind the plane and as soon as its 10 feet in the air goodbye to any control you will notice that happen if you see a orange blinking light inside the plane when you put the wing on, to fix this turn the plane at tx off and turn the tx on then wait a second and turn the plane on. Whoever said above about low is dangerous is very correct, GET ALTITUDE, see I have my real airplane and heli certs both VFR and IFR and takeoffs are where the most crashed happen as you have no altitude to fix any mistakes, and god forbid if you just get to 6 feet then land and its out of trim you will take it home in a trash bag, take the plane off get to 200 feet or so and trim that plane out, do NOT do what you where going to do. You will be fine, just have confidence and try and stay calm, you developed alot of muscle memory from using the sim, so just pretend its the sim, only this time you have the risk of wrecking your plane rather then hitting restart. Good luck and again I did mine all by myself and now am flying a pulse xt 60 which actually flys better than my trainer and its an acrobatic low wing but it lands so slow and does not want to float. I am moving my way up to my top flite p-51 with a saito 100 series in her after I get one more plane, so the p51 is sitting in the basement waiting. Good luck and think POSITIVE.

Stixoz

All great advice thanks guys. My flying area ia actually about 4 flat "country" style football fields joined together (Soccer fields for yanks) with flat ground all around.

I will let you know how i go if the wind is down and the courage is up in the morning!

smithcreek

My Feedback: (25)

Man, from all the gloom and doom responses you'd think you were going to be sitting in the pilot seat, not standing on the ground. It's just a model plane. If it's about to hit you, get out of the way, if it crashes repair or replace it. Good luck.

flaminheli

You don't need copurage. Just do it. I did the same thing you are doing. Except my first time flying was over 20 years ago. I have crashed a couple of planes but I did not crash that trainer. Good luck.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Stixoz Your situation is a little unique from what most of us in the US are used to and yours is the only occassion I would go ahead and say go for it.

First is confirm that the sim you have been using and the electrics you have been flying are all on the same stick mode. In the case of the airplanes without aileron and the boomer the primary directional control (ailerons on the boomer and rudder on the three channel electrics) is on the same stick on the transmitter.

If the stick modes were different than the electrics and the sim on the boomer then that practice is wasted and puts the boomer flights in jepardy.

Second confirm that the throws are as suggested in the assembly manual and all first flights will be only on low rates. Even more important is to confirm that the center of gravity is dead center of the recomended range with the airplane sitting level on the balancer or on your fingertips not a little nose low for mother and country. If you do not have the CG info then ballance the airplane at one quarter of the way back from the leading edge. That is one quarter of the distance from the leading edge to the trailing edge. Do not balance it any further aft of this point period no matter what anyone or instructions say. This is imperitive for success in your situation.


The Boomerang is pretty much a genaric trainer and should work pretty well for this endeavor. The suggestion to taxi without the wing is a good one but realize this practice only will go so far and depending on surfaces keeping straight may be near impossible at low speeds.

Now be aware there is another option avaliable to you, the Boomer since it has plenty of dihedral (unless you reduced it) you could fly it on rudder, elevator and throttle just like you flew the electrics and it would fly fine. Under the circumstances when every thing is being thrown at you at once this may be a better option. To do this you would merely lock off the airlerons in neutral and plug the rudder channel in to whatever rx port was your primary directional (aileron) control and this would depend on what stick mode you are using.

Anyway those are my thoughts of the prep and before flight actions you could take. If there is any interest could offer opinions on the actual flight itself but thats to much typing if there is none.

John

millertym2000

My Feedback: (4)

Stixoz, I also taught myself to fly. I started with a goldberg eagle. I played with that same sim the FMS for about 2 weeks before going out on my own. I lacked a lot of the general knowledge that goes with everyday flying but I made it. I took off did some laps around the field and then made some passes till I felt comfortable enough to put it down. I had some close calls, got dumb thumbs a couple times luckly I was high enough to recover. Remember to stay high enough to recover from at least 2 mistakes. Doing this by yourself isn't impossible but is tough so be carefull !

OzMo

My Feedback: (3)

OK
if you just have to go it alone start with the "sticky" at the top of this forum. everything you need to start is in there.
be sure of all the folowing:
Balance side to side and front to back.
Tripple check all throws for correct direction AND amount of movement. NO and I mean NO flex in any control push wires or rod they MUST BE STIFF
You need to have a good relaible idle for landing or the plane will want to stay up. Take plenty of time to run in the moter and set the low end up right.
BE METICULOUS on all this stuff as it will improve your odds.
Go over every little detail at least four times and sleep on it then do it over.
fly the plane on the floor of your living room motor off of course but radio on and mentally fly a rectangle theat fits your flying site. look at it front way back ways etc
SMALL control inputs and be VERY cautious of over reacting ...STAY CALM and NEVER STOP FLYING THE PLANE until it is stopped.
Never have your thumbs off of the sticks EVER.
100 acres is a good size starting field (clear fly over area) runway does not need to be that big.

on your first flight tripple check everything.
DO some relaxation breathing techniques to relax. Good luck on that one.
your flight pattern should be a recangle with the into the wind leg right down the middle of the field.
Take off with full throttle using rudder to keep it straight add a little elevator to break ground. DO NOT TURN!
Get to flyiong hieght and cut the throttle to 1/2 turn easy with tiny inputs to the sticks away from the flight line.
do a curve to become parallel to the flight line USE ELEVATOR TO STAY AT THE FLYING ALTITUDE.
Get it level and straight at 1/2 throttle now it is time to adjust trims (assuming you are not the owner of a bag of tooth picks already)
start with elevator then ailerons you will have to keep flying the box and make little adjustment s to the trim tabs.
Looking away from the plane at this point usually causes experinced pilots loss of bladder control so do the radio by FEEL do not lookaway from the plane.
when it will fly hands off level and striaight at half throttle it is in trim.
keep flying the box
keep it at three mistakes high
To land ( big assumption that it is the air still) keep flying the box at the point where the plane is dead in front of you, in the far leg of the box, cut the throttle.
DO NOT TURN establish a level glide. The plane should SINK not dive Keep wings and fuse level and allow it to SINK.
Make a slow easy turn towards the runway center line allowing he plane to sink (elevator finess required here!!!) be aware of your air speed if it gets to slugish add a click of throttle for a second or two the controls will feel some what slugish as the plane is slowing.(* its a matter of degree usually taught by your instructer)
Kepp the plane lined up on the center of the runway and keep the fuse LEVEL. diving will speed it up and to much up elevator will stall it.
the plane should sink onto the runway when it is about a foot above ground SLOWLY add up elevator to hold it up for a smooth touch down. thew plane will become slower and slower and require more up as it slows (this is the flair) and touch down. kill the ebngine and empry your underwear.

IF you happen to film this and don't crash I will buy you and your wife a lobster dinner. I will let you know I feel pretty safe I won't be buying any lobster! Good luck!
If it were me I would fly a 2 meter glider for a while first. It will teach you landing techniques as there is no "go around " with gliders.
ozmo
a slow bank away with wings no more tha 40 degrees roll. USE THE ELEVATOR HERE TO KEEP

bingo field

Jeez OzMo, you only forgot to add that he needs a pillow between his knees while he is standing there on his maiden flight to keep his knees from knocking !

Lnewqban

Stixoz:

All advices above are very good.

Think positive and try to stay ahead of the reactions of the model.

It is very possible that you will loose control of the model, or simply, make a mistake that will damage the thing; just make a mental note of it and accept it as a simple fact related to the hobby, which is not the end of the World.

Now, much more important than a damaged model is safety!
Respect the propeller and the destructive capacity of your model when flying at high speed or with the engine spinning that knife.
Keep your hands away from the propeller at all times!
Learn to kill the engine using the throttle trim, as an automatic reaction at the point you feel you have totally lost the control.
That will reduce the damages of a crash or the hurting of other people or properties around.

Just be ready to feel uncomfortable, nervous and dangerous during the first flights.
After those first flights, you will be very happy of the step you are ready to take.

Congratulations and the best luck!

Stixoz

Great advice guys just what i was after.

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it it was a little bit windy up the field today. I'm going to have a look in another couple of hours but 1 thing my park flyer experience has taught me is to be scared of wind.

I will keep you updated and hopefully with video footage.

Stix

opjose

BKDavy said it best!

I've seen this happen many times.

fly boy2

I have FMS; where did you download your model. I can't find any. I'm a bit tired to flyin the pitts and SU-26 . The conrols on the sim and real life are different. If you pulled hard on the stick on the sim to do a loop; it would do a nice lood;if you did that in real life;it would do a very tight loop. it could fold the wings. Good Luck