That might be a little too high, might get a litle small to see! Glowplug boy is correct, once at altitude throttle back. 88fps is fast and limits recovery time, and you will get the plane into attitudes you will need to recover from. Slow down and increase recovery time. Can't tell you how many guys I have watched struggle for several years after they have soloed because they refuse to throttle back some.

Forecast looks good for the next few days.  Today will be filled with other duties, as will tomorrow.  Sunday???  A hope and a prayer...
TruBlu: I asked for input, I appreciate your thoughts.  My thoughts were to start out slowly then integrate additional flight surfaces.  Since some planes only employ a rudder and an elevator, I thought using the rudder first would be a way to only have three things to concentrate on.  Full Sized you can horse around with a rudder if you have enough authority.  So my thoughts were KISS.  Start with the minimal input necessary to fly and build upon those skills.  You suggested using ailerons.  I wonder if you meant in addition to the rudder or alone, without the rudder.  Using the ailerons alone, until comfortable, would follow my thought process, add control surfaces as needed when comfortable with the basics.  Flying with either alone won't be pretty but for a newbie, it is less demand on the brainpower.

Please clairfy
1. Use ailerons without rudder to start out.
2. Use rudder without ailerons to start out.
3. Use 'em both you wimp!

Just looking for op's here.

Thanks!

K3,

Why do they put throttles on airplanes if your not supposed to use them??? The most enjoyable full scale flying I do is low and slow.... After I learn the stall parameters!
Also, in my Kart racing, throttle mgmt is the key to everything... so I do intend for my left thumb to get a workout!

Thanks,

Paul

I have to agree with TruBlu02 on what he said about flying with ailerons vs rudder. I am a beginner and i fly mostly with elevator and aileron, i usually only use rudder to steer on the ground, to experiment with smoother turns, or to crab on final(which can be risky). The ailerons better control the roll than the rudder, even though the plane can just fly on elevator and rudder. Focusing more on just aileron and elevator help keep your hands seperated on the radio (left hand power, right hand controls). In my opinion that seems to be a simple way to start, then throw in the rudder once you're comfortable with the charactersitics of the plane. But i'm sure this doesn't work for everybody, so do what feels comfortable, and you'll be fine.

Hopefully the weather will let up for a couple days so you can get er up there.


Jake

I taught myself to fly using a Sig Kadet which I built from a kit and powered with a K%B 40. Crashed it once and rebuilt it (easy since I had built it ). Flew the Kadet for a couple more years until it was lost in a midair.

I am very skeptical of comments that one cannot be self-taught.

Good luck Kennelmaster.

jess

Farr,

Your thoughts make a lot of sense......   ruminating on all possibilities now.</p>

</p>

However, another possibility exists.  Mayhaps I won't do a thorough pre-flight and not have rudder or not have aileron.  That would make the choice simple!!</p>

Another thing to consider is these trainers are really meant to be flown (turned) with ailerons. I always teach the right side of the transmitter first, ailerons and elevator. That is, putting the airplane into a shallow bank, and apply incremental amounts of elevator to keep the nose level. The rudder is used initially for control on the take off roll to keep things straight, and then as basic turns and landing are mastered, the rudder can be used for cross wind landings and so on. Rudders don't tend to be real effective on these trainers anyway....

Unless someone really convinces me otherwise, AILERONS it is....

Thanks all....


Paul

Just go out and have fun Thats how most of us started 50 years ago. Buy used planes and equipment - Fly, crash, rebuild fly crash rebuild That's how it went for the first summer.

Enjoy the Hobby !!

If you dump it in a corn field, let those dogs out. They'll find it for you!

Kennel I think your choice to use ailerons is a good one. At the slower speeds you will be flying at initally. The left turning tendancies of the engine will not be as powerful. As farr301 mentioed it is acutlly easier to seprate your hands and use your left only for power then use the right for all controls. I learned this way and it seems to work for alot of people as well. I sitll fly my trainer from time to time and I use the rudder alot just cause I like to put it into spins and fowards slips on approach. Plus the rudder is very useful when your start getting more confident in your landings and start to learn cross wind landings. I won't wander off into that topic as I will end up writing to much like always!

BigDan: There is one fundalmental problem with your suggestion. Two of my dogs are Jack Russell Terrorists. Let them loose and they'll eat the damn thing.

All others: While waiting for a customer to arrive, I fired the Alpha up and did some fine tuning on the jetting. Smooth advance through throttle application, smooth idle, stuff like that. WHAT A SWEET SMELL!

Of course I will probably have to do it all again as the Wx will change but at least I got my hands slimey!

TruBlu,

Ailerons it is. I have spent waaaaaaay too much time on MS Flight Sim and the right thumb will act like the joystick for elev and Ail. Actually, as I come to think about it, my left hand controlled the throttle.....

Thanks....

Lots of chit-chat. Kennel just needs to go fly.

FWIW, you know what got me using rudder? My GP Cub .40. Sufficiently "authentic" Cubs (with the big ailerons) will make you learn rudder. After putting some time on that plane, I found myself using rudder on everything, even in normal turns in my CG Tiger (low-wing sport plane), especially in the landing pattern. Also realistic slips and crosswind landings are much more intuitive now.

A boxy .40 trainer is a good start...it will teach you how to control an R/C plane. A Cub is an excellent second trainer once you have the orientation and other basics figured out. And then it will teach you how to FLY.

Kennel,
Glad I could help. I have been following the thread and I wish you the best of luck!

The tuning window for model engines seems to be pretty broad. From one day to the next you might need a click or two richer or leaner but it is pretty consistent. I think it's the methanol. I had a drag car in the late 80s, initially running gasoline. If we left the jetting alone we had to change the dial-in on the car quite a bit from round to round. Or, we could constantly rejet the carburetors to try to keep it consistent. Switching to methanol (lots of money to modify two carbs) made the car much more consistent without changing jets all the time.

Any first timer (with no instructor) that has used a flight simulator has a much greater advantage over one that has never used one if they are going to try it on their own.

All there is is up, down, left or right. And when the plane is coming towards you just move the right stick towards the lowest wing and you will level it out.

Get her going straight down the runway using the rudder for steering and when you think it has enough ground speed for lift off, pull back gradually on the elevator and you'll be airborne.

Don't yank the elevator back on your initial liftoff and you'll be fine.

If you get into any trouble, just cut back on the throttle.

Now feed them dogs and lets get this plane up in the air! I'm tired of waiting for the results on the maiden flight.

good luck

Hey Kennel,

You seem to have a very good if not advanced working knowledge of how this whole thing is supposed to work for a beginner. I wish I had the working knowledge of these things as you appear to do when I started out. Would have made my life much easier and easier on my pocket books.. I have a SNEAKY feeling you won't have any problems, especially if you have been on the flight sim.

Hoping you get to make the maiden flight soon.

I prefer to do all my maiden flights during the night hours. The winds are usually calm about 11 PM.

Kennel,  I started RC flying around 1988.  I flew maybe 3 dozen flights over a couple of years.  I was in Dallas so weather was a factor that grounded me frequently.  I was an avionics tech with Braniff also so work also got in the way alot.  I got a new job as a maint rep for UPS in 1990.  I was transferred to San Antonio so with my new responsibilities, ( I travelled ALOT) there was no time for RC.  I semi retired back in 2000.  Bought a GP PT60 and started flying again.  But I only flew around a dozen flights before I started working heavies again and travelling again.  I fully retired last March so I am D checking my trainer.  I shoud be back in the air in around 30 days.  So this all boils down to I have felt like a total beginner 3 times now.  The first time I started in Dallas I had a friend take off and hand my the transmitter at altitude.  A quick transfer when I would get into trouble.  The second time I started flew entirely on my own.  I was just as nervous that time as it had been over 1o years since I flew.  And I had never gotten all that good the first time.    I didnt crash but I did have some hard landings.  Its a grass strip with tall grass everywhere so I had a soft landing strip.  After I re-cover my PT60 and get the D check complete I am sure I will be just as nervous when I go out to fly this time as I was back in '88.  Even tho this is a small club there are plenty of guys who would be glad to help.  If someone has a transmitter that is compatinbe with my Tower radio and they want to buddy box me I will jump on that.  But if noone is there when I go to fly I am just gonna take off.  I never was much of a rudder man.  I am all about Ailerons and throttle.  I have a thread going in Kit Building (Covering and Paint).  I will be posting pics there.  Wish me luck brother.  I know what you are going through.  Been there 3 times now!!!  I'll Be watching this thread, waiting to see how it goes for you and wishing you rock your world.  Go for it.   
'   

Your welcome. I was reading my first post and I realized that by the way I said it it sounded like I was telling you THAT YOU SHOULD GET A BUDDY BOX AND INSTRUCTER.What I meant to say was that just recomend getting an instructer and buddy box. So sorry for the misunderstanding.

airplane400;

11pm sounds about right.... Even the horses won't be watching then.

Max 50;

Building will bring me great joy also. I hope to scratch build my own designs. I will steal airfoil designs but I have some ideas... That comment is not inteneded to stir the pot. It is all about excitement.

carrellh;
Tuning is a habit I picked up in full size two cycle. Seems a millibar or two, 10% humidity change, 10 degree temp change and you are rejetting for top performance in gas engine. Good to hear that meth is different.If I understand it right,there is less of a ratio to 02 with meth than gasso the fudge factor makessense.</p>

</p>

To all others lurking and waiting I sincerely apologize for delays in the maiden. It just has to be the right time. If you are spending time reading my blatherings, GET A LIFE! But this is sure getting exciting isn't it!!!!</p>

I'm already having fun.....</p>

</p>

Thanks,</p>

</p>

Paul</p>

Shut up and fly Paul!

Well French,

You beat me to the punch, wish I understood all the engineering jargon:
http://www.seawings.co.uk/sprucegooseplan-5.htm

Now you just have to figure out the conversion and start hackin at the numbers, or leave it to the boy

I have been training with my dear friend John for quite a while now. I HAVE A 90 jOSS STICK. Similar to most stiks but with a bit of dihedral. It sports a 100 Saito. It is an awesom plane. It flyies great but lands like a basket ball. John can manage to get it in so-so but what he is doing is by instinct which doesn't translate through a buddy box. Any suggestions?