I will fly my 40 size trainer for the first time and wanted to know if I should try landing on deadstick,idling or slightly above idle? what is the best recommended speed of the engine for a nice comfortable landing on a 40 size trainer?

Reduce the throttle to idle when you are sure that your plane will make it to the runway. Depending on the wind, this is usually about 10 feet high and 20 feet from the runway.

I hope you are not going to try to teach yourself how to fly! The odds are very much against you if you go it alone. Do yourself a favor and find a qualified instructor. Nobody wants to see your new plane destroyed on the first flight!

Good Luck!

well i have practised a lot on aerofly pro and have flown twice or thrice but never soloed. Ok so what about the engine speed when im ready to land but still high in air?

Engine speed depends on the wind speed you are landing into.

Seriously, get some help from a local flying club, first of all. If nothing else, they can check your model out re: build setup and safety; for example, do you have some kind of engine safety device fitted - such as a fail-safe fitted [on the throttle] and is it correctly adjusted?

Flying on a simulator helps with aerobatics, etc. for the experienced- but for a beginner the 'real thing' is different.

It's very tempting to just build, go out and fly without instruction - but take a plastic bag with you for the wreckage [guess how I know this?]

Once you're deadstick, you're landing.

This is a hard question to answer because of all the variables. I also agree you should have an instructor, but I'll try to answer what you're asking.

I do not recommend deadstick, although it's something you should learn eventually. The problem with deadstick, as RobStagis mentions, is that you don't have the option of going around. What you are going to want to do is practise, over and over, lining up the airplane where you want it to land, cutting the engine, and flying it down onto the ground. At first, you're going to make all kinds of judgement mistakes, like missing the runway, or approaching too steeply, or slowing down too much so you don't reach the runway, and in those cases, you simply throttle back up and go around and try again.

The difference between idle and slightly above is hard to say because a lot of people set the idle differently. However, I would recommend idle. The problem when you're just learning is that you want to think of as few things as possible at a time. I was taught to cut the throttle to 1/4 on the downwind leg of the approach, make the turn, then cut to idle about 1/2 way from the turn to the runway. Frankly, for a beginner, that was enough to think about for the left thumb. If you keep those two throttle adjustments constant, then you just have to judge the direction and height of the plane as it glides down. (Don't forget to flare and stall the plane just before it touches the ground.) As I said, it will take many many approaches to get it right.

To put it another way, assuming your idle is set such that the plane does not move when it's just sitting on the ground, you can land either way. But, for a beginner, I think fewer things to worry about is better, so just drop to idle, and use other factors such as height and glide angle to control the airplane.

Just my 2 cents. I've learned to fly recently, but never taught anyone else.

You should definitely have the engine running at idle when you land. Landing deadstick is a lot more difficult than with the engine running

There are loads of reasons for this, for example:-

1/ Especially when learning, the chances are that you might need to do some adjusting of the speed when you line up on the runway. If you try this without a little power, you risk stalling.

2/ Having a small amount of thrust tends to stabilize the model.

3/ If you need to overshoot because you are too fast, or too far down the runway you can.

4/ You need engine power once you have landed to get out of the way of other people wanting to use the runway.

5/ Taking your attention off the aircraft to stop the engine at such a critical time as landing is not a good idea.

6/ When do you plan stopping the engine? The answer to that question is in fact, quite difficult, as it depends on the wind speed and direction, your speed and height, where you are on the circuit before landing, the speed the aircraft slows down etc etc. That's why it's difficult landing dead stick!

If you are wondering why others here have suggested you ask for help from an instructor it's probably because they are thinking if you have to ask the question about stopping the engine before landing, then you probably need a little help.

It's a great way to save money and stress! Try it!

Good luck and have fun!

-David C.

I usually reduce throttle to idle on during my downwind approach just as I get to the base leg, then I glide into the final leg and landing. Reducing power and turning will causes the plane to descend. Always be ready with the power and some up elevator (on landings) just in case something goes wrong. Depending on the winds you may need to advance the throttle just a little.

This is a good example of why others have said "it depends".

I don't throttle back to idle until I've made my turn onto final, and still have to add blips of throttle sometimes to reach the field. But I'm usually flying into a fairly good breeze, and my approaches are usually relatively long and scale like.
Dennis-

Yes, and throttling back on the downwind leg is a sure recipe for a snap before landing if the model has high wing loading or is set up to be sensitive for aerobatics.

-David C.

I fully agree with the 'practice' deal. Set up for landing but, say, 15' high. Then 10' high. Then 6' high. Once you can position the plane where you want it (and this is the whole trick to landing) reliably, you're ready.

And, ensure that plane idles totally reliably...totally. And make sure it'll respond to a panic-stricken jab at the throttle - every time!!!! Otherwise, you'll be set up, you'll be happy, the plane will be idling - and something will happen...a case of nerves or whatever, right? You jab the throttle for a go-around - the engine dies, you're too far down the field for a decent roll-out - and that's too bad cuz you're landing anyway..... Engine reliability is key to happiness.

I used to pride myself (this is an old-fashioned thing because everybody used to do it) on going to the flight line with my plane, a glow lighter, chicken stick and my radio. My engines always ran and started reliably. It just takes time in the backyard. I'll tell you what - hand-starting will familiarize you with your engine. An electric starter can mask problems.

If what you have is a trainer, you certainly won't be able to land the plane with anything more than idle. Make sure that when you let go of the plane (on the ground of course) that the idle is low enough that the plane doesn't move forward by itself. As to when you cut to idle during landing, wind will decide that for you.

Actually, I can almost garentee that you will over-shoot the runway most of the time with your trainer, and you'll start wishing for some wind during landing (makes a landing much easier). The wind helps to slow the plane down.

As for me, I usually cut to idle on the downwind and do my turns onto final. If I see that I won't make the runway (not likely, more likely to overshoot), I just put in a click or two of throttle and it gets me to the runway.

And don't try to land the plane (sounds funny doesn't it?). Seriously, once you get near the runway, keep the nose up, and it will come down when it's good and ready. If by the time you reach half the runway the plane still hasn't settled down on the runway, give throttle and go around for another try. Trying to force the plane down will only cause it to start bouncing up and down because it has too much speed.

We generally teach landings by having the student go to idle on the downwind leg, and get up a glideslope there. The student is told to "feel" the amount of elevator required to keep the proper descent speed. Then it's a matter of judging your altitude and descent rate to decide when to turn cross wind and final to arrive over the runway at the approprate altitude. If they are coming down a bit sort, it's no trouble to just add a bit of throttle.

Part of the reason for this kind of approach is that it's simular to how you land deadstick, so it gets guys used to judging altitude, distance, and glideslope with out making a big deal of it.

We also have a field that, due to a no-fly zone at one end, and an annoying swap on the other isn't very friendly to long, flat approaches. We have to teach them to hit the field with a fairly short final approach. Some guys actually learn a circle approach (carrier approach), with no cross-wind leg, just a constant flat turn from downwind to final. I don't recommend it, but it works.

Of course, as mentioned above, for planes with heavier wingloadings, you have to cary more power though the pattern. There are dozens of ways to land once you are past the beginner stage. But idling early and establishing a good glide is a good way to learn on a trainer.

As said it is a difficult question to answer. On my Avistar trainer, I use full idle, my 4*60 is a little heavy to do some mods and I have 1 to 2 clicks of throttle (especially into a headwind) this keeps it from stalling when the speed is reduced, and lastly, my Ultra Stick I have at full idle since the prop has enough pull to keep the plane up till it is ready to land. It is as much wx, prop, engine, and plane all rolled together that determines the best place to have the throttle at. As far as landing without the engine running?......only for deadstick practice, and if it really dies.

From reading this I assumed that faisalk was flying a trainer. Trainers aren't usually set up for acrobatics, but rather as slow flyers to help teach beginners to take-off, fly and land. They usually require little to no power for landing. If it's windy you may need to move the throttle a couple of clicks above idle. You'll know what to do if you pay attention to the plane. If you get to the end of the runway and it looks like you may not be able to put it down in front of you then give it some down elevator. Bring it down some then level it off and resume your landing. Spend the whole day doing nothing but take-offs and landings. Take it off then bring it right around and land it. Practice in all conditons, calm, wind and crosswinds.

David A,

Yep, all that's true, except I would take a small amount of issue with the idea of giving down elevator to assist with adjusting the height before landing. For a beginner, giving down elevator while only 20 feet of the deck can be a bit traumatic!!

All of us, at some time or other, have to learn that elevator is to adjust the speed and throttle the rate of descent.

I know that sounds the wrong way round, but that's why it has to be learned as opposed to being obvious. It's true in all aircraft, and even truer in aircraft with high wing loading.

However, as you said, trainers do act differently, but I would suggest we shouldn't lose sight of what's going on, even if it's somewhat hidden by the design of trainers.

To get back to the original question, losing the effect of the engine as a control, makes controlling the height more difficult.

-David C.