first flight! some questions....
 

.. So I set up out at the local field with every thing a go cept a trainer person. I asked the only two people there if they would help and we soon had some lucky straws to pick the trainer:eek:.
so with trainer standing behind me I set up for my first flight. we got the plane pointer down the strip, and thankfully the wind abliged us for a few minutes. the trainer said to move the throttle forward and try to keep the plane pointed in the same direction. I tried to ablidge him, but every little bump here and cow hoof imprint tried to throw me off the preselected path. then... finally.... AIRBORN!!! for 8 sec's [:@] the plane got up in the sky just enough to bank 90 degrees and fall right back down!! now I got a broke motor mount and two broke plane wing hold down screws (plastic, bought more plastic ones since they are the reason the wing was saved!) [:'(] :nonono:

So I have some questions after reviewing my nice little flight. I thought the plane reacted quickly to stick inputs, that is I thought it was supposed to roll slowly when I did the roll comand. But this thing did a Snap Roll when I failed to keep the sticks centered. which makes me wonder, is there a "high speed" and a "low speed" setting on the flight controlle surfaces?
All the connection clevices are set to the farthest out board hole (some were pre-set by the hobby shop so I figured that we all might as well be wrong if some thing is wrong with that) if I moved them to a more inboard controle hole would it slow down the responce to my inputs??
Just asking cause the instructor didn't act as if there was any thing wrong with the plane. just said, "well, that some times happens. just try not to let it do that" which left me -->[&:]

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

So if I have this story straight, you found a trainer and he let you take off and break your plane? Seems like there was no point and having a trainer in the first place! Find another trainer . Were you on a buddy box?

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

What kind of plane is it?

Secondly, I think it is pilot error, but not your fault. Every instructor I know would have taken it off, trimmed it out, and let you try flying it. After you have flown for a while, then let you try take offs and landings

The settings on the cotrol horns are the defalt settings, if you wanted to make your plane less sensitive, move the clevis on on the arm that is connected to the servo

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

was the radio on high rates?

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

buddy box not posible. his radio was a computer radio and mine is not that new. the other guys radio is even older. so we had to do it old timer style (pass TX around by hand, just didn't have time to pass it to him), and they are my only option next to going it alone soo......
they just like to fly so thats why they radio is so old, they are not in it to compete.
I was just trying to see if there was a way to tame this thing down so that it stay in the air for longer than 6 seconds. me no likkie playing stay on for 8 sec. with the plane.

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

where is this high rates switch lockated at? I can only find "servo reversing" switches on the back under the batteries.

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

Without seeing it, I am only of course guessing, but usually the snap-rolls right after take-off are stalls....

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

should be top right of radio

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

Sounds kinda familiar. A new pilot and a new plane doesn't usually mix too well. An experienced pilot should do the takeoff and trimming. Once the airplane is trimmed and found flyable the student should be given the controls at an altitude which will allow the student time to pass the transmitter off to the other pilot. Usually the student will not attempt takeoff until they are fairly proficient at flying a pattern and turning both directions maintaining altitude etc. After that landing patterns are practiced and when the student has decent control at all times landings are attempted. Buddie boxes speed this up quite a bit. When i learned to fly i was self taught pretty much and only had very limited help from pilots that were slightly more experienced than i was. Expect to have to repair the airplane quite a bit if you do not find someone who is somewhat accomplished at instructing and has a buddie box. Also do not fly where there are other people in the area. Airplanes can leave a big hole in a car let alone people.

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

id say rmj is right make sure you are hi enough and enuogh power be fore you make any turns

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

The instructor still should have done the maiden no matter what. It's obvious this was both the planes and Sarges first flight. And if my memory is still working I believe his plane was an LT-40

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

It is an LT-40. It probably is pilot error, that is why im asking how to make the plane respond slower so that I have more time to react. right now it seems that a little movement on the stick=Snap Roll. which is why I crashded, me= not prepaired for how sensitive the sticks are. thus why I want to make them less sensitive.

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

I just checked the manual and there is no servo high rate switch on mine. the only thing on the top right is the 5th chanel switch. my radio is a JR F400EX fyi.

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

Usually sensitive controls come from a center of gravity being too far back. Balance the plane front to rear and side to side. Check the control surface movement-if there is more movement than listed in the recommended throws portion of the plans reduce them by moving the linkage in on the servo horn or out on the control horns. Also new pilots tend to hold the aileron (and other controls) after making a turn or correction, This may not be apparent to the new pilot and results are generally not good.

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

Sarge,

On the control horns out on the surfaces make sure the rod is in the last hole away from the surface (ailerons, rudder and elevator) On the servo for each surface (not the throttle)you can move the rod in towrds the hole closest to the center of the servo. This will give you less throw and slow down the response of the surface.

I also agree that balance may be towards the tail heavy side. Balance must be done with no fuel in the tank. I do not remember right now the exact spot in inches but I can tell you that it is on the main spar of the wing.

The manual for the LT-40 describes this step fairly well and will give you the pont in inches back from the leading edge of the wing. This also normally is checked by the instructor for you on the first flight and really should be done on the first flight of every day you fly.

I just reread my last 2 posts and I sound cranky, please excuse me for sounding that way. It's time for nite nite YAWN [sm=redface.gif]

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

Cogburn: thanks, I remember that next time im at the field.

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

The least movement you can get on the control surfaces is with
using the inner hole on the servo arm and the outer hole on the
control horn... Now if you have a computer radio you can get
a bit more adjustment with it along with having dual(hi/lo) rates
What kind of transmitter do you have??.. Also even with it set
as low as possible.. By moving the stick all the way to the right
or left, will still roll the plane pretty fast...Same with up/down..
You need to make "SMALL" movements!! And really the best is
to have the trainer take your plane up and trim it before you try
to learn to fly without a buddy box... Also before doing the above
the trainer should have already checked out your plane to insure
all is correct...

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

check your cg again and make sure it is balanced perfect. but from what you say it sounds like the plane tip-stalled on you which to me says you did not have enough speed on your takeoff roll the good thing that came out of this experience for you is that there was little damage to your plane. the guys that were instructing you are idiots for letting you try to take off on your first flight what where they thinking [X(][:@].
I hope you find a good instructor soon
paul

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

not likly on the instructor part, kinda hard to come by in these parts. BUt I can allways hope!!!

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

Have you looked to see if there is somewhere near you at www.modelaircraft.org?

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

yep, that club I was at was 20 miles away. they are the closest. there is another in the springfield area and another in kansas but its like 40-50 miles away. joplin has a hobbie shop but doesn't show a chartered club :scratch: wonder how well thats gona werk? no club but sellin planes, HHhhhmmm.
well thats about the usuall around here any ways. out side of a resturaunt I pretty much assume I have to make a trip to one of the big, far away cities. Sucks to be me.

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

Sarge, sorry to hear about your trainer. But, you will get lots of experience in repairing! Sounds to me like the plane stalled because the planes's attitude on takeoff was too much of an angle on liftoff. And, you probably had too much throw on the controll surfaces.
It doesn't take all that much movement on the ailerons and elevator to climb and turn the plane. You may have had the stick jammed all the way which would cause too much movement in the surfaces. Causing you to stall the plane and plane then crashing.

Dave...

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

What are you guys telling him? The whole thing did not have to happen. High rates, CG and the rest of it is not the problem or the cure. The problem is he did a maiden flight on a plane he did not know how to fly and the plane was out of trim while this "Instructor" was watching. I am sure they probably placed blame on the plane too. An out of trim plane can be a handful even for experienced pilots. That was the problem.

He can change all the settings he wants and fool with the CG and its is still going to go right back into the ground unless he finds competent help. If you keep going back to those so called "Instructors", you better get use to fixing or replacing planes more than you fly them.

Let me ask you how you would feel driving back with your plane in one piece from a club 20 miles away or driving back from down the road with th eplane in a trash bag! We have guys drive that distance every day to fly.

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

im sure i said something about his lame so called instructor It went something like this

"the guys that were instructing you are idiots for letting you try to take off on your first flight what where they thinking .
I hope you find a good instructor soon
paul "

RE: first flight! some questions....
 

There are several clubs around Joplin and Carthage. The club in Joplin has "trainer days" on Thursdays. I'm down in Anderson, which is a little far, but if all else fails, Come down on a Saturday and I'll teach you to fly. Heck, I'll even supply the plane!

[link]http://www.modelaircraft.org/ClubZipLocator.aspx?z=64831[/link]