Paulparkflyer

Hi guys/girls,

I have only just found this forum tonight and after lurking and looking for a couple of hours thought I should join,

Although I have played on and off with remote control land vehicles for many years I have come across a few stumbling blocks with my new venture,

I have just decided to get into RC airplanes,

I live in Australia and by advice given have just purchased a "Thunder Tiger" Cub J3 with a "Spektrum DX6" radio system,
I also purchased a "aerofly delux simulator" which I have only had a couple of hours on and crashed a few planes I must admit,

My main quetion of probably many at the moment is what mode I should begin and learn in,
Until airplanes I never really new different modes existed?,
I have been finding mode one more natural on the simulator and my radio handset seems to be more equipt for it as the right stick doesnt have the spring return although of course that is easily changed,

This is a little embarrassing for me but my biggest problem so far getting my outfit together has been knowing what channel and servo should do what on a plane?
When I fired up the simulator software it defaulted to mode two which didnt feel right and my transmitter handset is also not set up for it,

Love to hear others opinions on mode and what is most common in Australia,

look forward to talking with you,

Cheers,paul

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

A lot of what determines what control mode you use is the mode that most people you fly with use. Here in the US most people use Mode 2, however in your part of the world a lot of them use Mode 1. But more important is going to be what your instructor uses. Since they are teaching you to fly you'll more than likely learn whatever mode that they use.

Hope this helps

Ken

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Ditto to what Ken said.

Plus, since you're in Australia, don't forget to hold the transmitter upside-down

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

Those of us that fly 1/2 which is .049 engines fly mode 2 or 4... if its 2 channel(no throtttle) than the right thumb does left and right airleron or rudder and elevator.....4 is throttle rudder on left stick and aileron elevator on right stick...Rog

alan0899

G'day Paul,
Mode 1 is the most common in Australia, & it is also the easiest to teach, & I say that as an instructor, you will get lots of different opinions on here, mostly from Americans, who for some reason believe that mode 2 is "the best", but I reckon mode 1 is probably what your instructor will use, & that will determine what you use.

PLEASE use an instructor, at a local club, it will cost you a lot less in the long run.
Of course, if you decide to teach yourself, make sure you take a large plastic garbage bag to bring home the pieces.

downunder

Paul
What Alan said. Mode 1 is by far the most common in Australia and I'd say that most who fly Mode 2 only do it because they bought some kind of toy and taught themselves to fly before they knew anything about it. Most bigger clubs may have someone checked out to instruct with Mode 2 but in Adelaide we only have one big club up north and 2 down south. Regardless of the opinions on which is best, the best is always the one you learn on and get comfortable with. Another thing to consider is that if you learn on Mode 2 and happen to get into some difficulty while flying then you'll be most unlikely to find someone who can take over for you .

Paulparkflyer

Thanks guys,

Now that I have the mode thing sorted being mode one for me,

There is an advantage with us Aussies dong things upside down is that we are automatically naturals at heli inverted flight

Well for some anyway


I havent had the chance to join a club and go to a meet yet so please excuse the silly questions at this stage.
I definately dont intend to even attempt to fly my cub without tuition but have had some fun with my E-flight apprentice, its very easy to fly in the park,
Have done a couple of repairs I must admit.

I do have another "silly" question though,

Is it normal in mode one to have left stick down do elevators up?
I have reversed the elevators on my simulator to enable left stick up, plane up?

Cheers,Paul

downunder

You'd better unreverse your simulator then Paul or an instructor is going to have a hard time breaking that habit. Think of the elevator stick as being exactly the same as a control yoke in a real plane where it's pulled back which makes the plane go up because the elevator pushes the back of the plane down. Sometimes what seems to be logical isn't always the way things are done and here's a real war story kind of thing . As everyone knows, an F111 has swing wings that go forward for slow speed and back for high speed. When the first test flights were made the engineers decided that because you push the throttles forward for high speed then the wing control handle should also go forward for high speed. The trouble was the pilots thought the other way round and concentrated more on actual wing sweep so that control had to be reversed to keep the pilots happy. Which is what matters .

Where in Adelaide are you? I'm down south close to the Holdfast field.

Paulparkflyer

Paulparkflyer

Hi Downunder,

I just realised that my post is missing my response ??

I also live not far from the holdfast club,
I live in Flagstaff Hill,

I am going to make a visit to the club and hopefully suss out some tuition etc,

Thanks for the advice on the left stick,
I will certainly un-reverse it before a bad habit sets in,

Cheers