Whats the best finger postion on the radio?


Thanks

The one that you feel the most comfortable with...There is no definite answer. If you like the thumb method, that's perfect. If you like the thumb and finger method, that is just as good!

Do whatever you like and whatever you have learned. No matter what some guys will tell you, nothing is best.

I fly with my thumbs. I have heard that flying with your fingers allows you better control of the aircraft. Confort is the main thing but I have seen good pilots do both so I would say it is your personal preference.

Agree. I too have heard that finger and thumb holding the sticks allows finest control, and it's the way I learned, but some of the best RC pilots in the world fly thumbs only, so....

Find what works for you.
Dennis-

Ditto, I also fly thumb and forefinger, but everyone does it different. What ever works best for you.

And the rest of the best fly with their finger and thumb take you pick but go with what feels the most natural for you

I'm a thumb-and-finger guy.

I've seen dozens of different grips on the transmitters with beginners, and some of them even ask me about how I do it. The right answer is always "whatever works for you".

I will say that many transmitters are laid out in such a way that some grips make it hard to work the switches and knobs.

I also happen to like to shorten my control sticks as short as I can, and reduce the stick tension way down. I've had guys who try my transmitters say they really feel funny to them. I have short, stubby fingers, so this stick arragement works for me.

You would have to use a lanyard to use finger and thumb right?

No. I fly finger and thumb with no lanyard, tray, or anything else.

I just tried and your right. But those tray things are cool.

I personally have a better result when I am using the neck stripe. In this case, I can use the thumb-and-finger on both sticks. Without it I could use only the thumb on my throttle-rudder stick, because I am holding the radio with my left hand. Also my radio is pretty heavy ( Futaba 9C), so after 15 min flight you start filling it, but I want my hands and fingers to experience no tension, my plane depends on it... . BTW I am not against the "thumb only" style, but I saw the guy who almost crash his plane just because the control stick had slipped from the thumb. This will never happened if you have thumb-and-finger.
Thank you.

I fly finger and thumb without a "lanyard" as well, but I have long fingers and can comfortable hold the Tx with palms on the sides and the other three fingers on the back. Reaching switches is probably a bit more difficult than if I flew thumbs only, but it's what I'm used to.
Dennis-

I do actually use a neck strap (most of the time). I feel I get better control of things with it. With out it, I don't feel I get a good grip on the transmitter, but as I mentioned, I have short fingers, so what works for me might not work for you.

Thumb and forefinger works for me.

Is there anyone out there like me that flys with the transmitter down at waist level?

Yes, my Tx is at waist level when I fly. Maybe that's why I can hold it the way I do.
Dennis-

yup, but i use just thumbs, might have to try the other way, i am new enough to this hobby where i am not too accustomed to anything yet.

This talk of holding a TX, and which fingers do the work started me thinking back to my early days in this hobby. I built my first radio. A Heathkit. They had just come on the market and Heath sold them in kit form you assembled yourself. I had never handled a soldering iron, or done anything remotely related to electronic assembly, but I sent in my money and plunged in. It was a snap thanks to Heath's methods. The TX, RX and 4 servos worked right off and did so for many years. There were two types of TXs. A square 4 channel and a vertical 3 channel. I got the vertical type. It was shapedn sort of like an old military 'Walkie Talkie" radio. It was a 3 channel, single stick, but I got the 4 channel conversion. This was a control pot inside a knob placed atop the aileron/rudder stick. After assembly, the knob was the rudder, the stick then was aileron and elevator. Throttle was a lever, like a trim lever. Up was High throttle, down was Low. It was on the right side of the case. Slipping my hand through an elastic stap on the case back the TX sat in the palm of my left hand with the middle finger of my hand falling on the throttle lever on the right side. The strap kept me from dropping the TX. It was all very comfortable. I'd set the heel of my right hand on the case front just below the stick, put my thumb and second finger on the knob and fly! It was a great system. I still have the case and am planning to put the guts of a Futaba 4 ch. inside. Just have to get the correct pot for the rudder. Funny thing, after learning to fly on that single stick and becoming proficient enough to help other newbies I then had to learn to fly a two stick, which is what all the other guys had! I have another single stick radio I fly once in a while, and when I do everyone stops to watch.

all THUMBS here, do whats comfortable for you. no right or wrong way to do it, as long as you keep it up in the air!

Ok, last time I flew, I made a point to notice exactly how I hold my Tx.

Left hand does most of the gripping with just the thumb on the Throttle/Rudder.

Right hand; pinky under Tx, 2 fingers on stick.

i fly thumb finger on the right stik and on the left but on the left i do most of the work with the thumb

I started flying thumbs, I couldn't separate controls and kept adding unwanted mixing (eg. pulling up elevator netted some unwanted aileron).

I've been flying finger and thumb "pinch grip" ever since and never looked back. I'm trying to transition to a tray but it's one more thing to pack and moving the TX from the case to the tray and back is a bit of a pain.

Fwiw, I fly mostly with a neckstrap about bellybutton height. pinky under the Tx, next two fingers for switches, finger and thumb on both sticks.

i tried the thumb finger method today, but couldn't control the plane nearly as well, so i guess i am a thumb guy

I've been flying just thumbs for years but this year I started aerobatics and some pattern.....

....It wasn't going as smoothly as I envisioned it would.

The award-winning pattern guy came over and said: "You're flying just thumbs only, aren't you?" ....."Yes, why?" ...."I can tell, you're not smooth".

"Try this" and he had me put my thumb on top of the stick and then slide my index finger in back of the top of the stick. Not a pinch but a 'staggered-grab'.

That made a big difference but I still found myself going back to the thumbs only by habit.

Whichever method you started with, it's sure hard to change to a different one later (at least for me it is).

yup, and i have only been flying my plane for about 2 gallons of fuel.