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RE: Three Channel or Four?
Here's my experience. I learned on a 3 channel plane. Since the rudder provided the only "steering", it was on the right stick. This meant that I learned to control it on the ground and in the air by moving just the right stick. When I learned to fly that plane I started building my second plane, which had 4 channels. Since I had not learned to use the left stick for anything other than throttle, I had to learn to use it for steering on the ground and for corrections during landing. IMO, I would have been better off learning 4 channels from the start. However, I will say that the 3 channel plane was great fun and I continued to fly it until the wood was so fuel soaked that it wouldn't stay together any longer.
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RE: Three Channel or Four?
Touche' I guess I deserved the radio box shot over from the age one in the other area
Yes, it can transmit both ways as well as on different bands by changing the frequency module. I've never seen an aircraft with a radio box, have you? I'm thinking balloon the rx and battery pack and hope they don't leak. I figure that I also won't be the only one flying this thing once it gets floats and to the lake, so I don't really want the 9C in others hands until I get to know and trust them. |
RE: Three Channel or Four?
Interesting thread for a newbie. I just started flying a brushless SlowStick a week ago, built per instructions with plenty of dihedral and no ailerons. Having a blast, but at the same time am building another wing flat with ailerons, so it will be like having two different planes. On the 3 channel plane, I do have the rudder on the right stick, as do many of the more experienced flyers at my local dry lake bed do. I also used to fly real gliders, so as long as rudder was my only steering method, I felt it had to be in my right hand. When I put on the aileron wing, I will put the rudder on the left, and see if I can confuse myself beyond belief.
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RE: Three Channel or Four?
Well I've read this thread, and maybe I've missed it. Is there a consensus (from experienced flyers/trainers) on what is recommended for rudder control on a dual stick radio for a three channel plane? Should the rudder go on the left stick, to help in the migration to 4 channel, or go on the right stick? I understand the much flying on 4 channels is right stick (mostly) with ailerons and elevators, so keeping the rudder on the right stick with a 3 channel would better mimic that control.
I have this scenario - I'm moving up from a 3 channel radio (low-end Hitec) that has only the right stick, the throttle is in the back of the transmitter, so I'm used to right stick turning. But now I'm going to a dual stick radio (Spektrum DX7). At first I want to continue to fly my 3 channel plane (EasyStar) on this new radio to get used to it before taking off with my new 4 channel Mini Pulse XT. Should I go ahead and set my rudder to the left stick for this three channel plane? I've flown it once (tonight), and it felt like I was a newbie again. But I'll hang with it if it's generally believed it will be best in the long run. I actually used to fly gas in the eighties, but I had a high-end Airtronics single stick (rudder control was a big nob on the stick that you rotated), four channel radio back then. It's apparent that the single stick just didn't win out (can you say Beta vs VHS?), so here I am. ...Ron |
RE: Three Channel or Four?
ORIGINAL: Hydro Junkie This goes out to the flight instructors on the forum. When I went to the Northwest Hobby Expo this last weekend, I had a couple of things I was looking for. The first was some good deals, which there were very few of, and the second was local flying clubs with instructors. There were two flying clubs represented, one in the host city of Monroe(30 minutes away) and the other is 5 minutes from my house. I explained to both that I was looking for a site that had instructors available and that I have a plane under construction with a modified wing(no dihedral and barn door ailerons instead of 1.75" dihedral and no ailerons). The replies I got were the following: Local Club-"You need to put the flat wing aside and build the wing correctly because you can't learn to fly using ailerons, but will learn with the three channel set up." Monroe Club-"It would have been better with half the dihedral left in, but since you have ailerons, with one of our instructors it won't be a problem. The plane will just be more of a hands on type of plane." Now my question to the instructors is who do you agree with? The local club instructor is a guy in his mid to late 60's who claims to have taught hundreds to fly since the mid 1960's, while the Monroe club instructors are in the mid 30's to 50's and seem to be more open minded. Considering how many 4 channel trainers are on the market, it seems odd that the local instructor would look at an aileron trainer as a second plane rather than a first. Now that you all know as much as I do, I NEED OPINIONS If you were to desire instruction from either club, you should start taking the instruction with their first advice. And their advice is what's going to work with them. And they've both successfully taught lots of beginners. So what they do and what they saw works for them. Which one is "more" right? The Monroe Club. Now, some advice you've not asked for.......... You're already nitpicking on way too small an issue. You need to look at a lot more things if you're going to be that critical. And since you did not apparently talk to the instructor you'd be working with, you should discount that advice greatly. It's the instructor's ideas, not just a club member's that you should be considering. I wish I had a nickle for everytime someone said, "well, JoeBlow said that you think that.............. etc" or was told, "well, DufusDorky said that you said that.......... etc" and the "etc" was something I'd never thought nor ever would have said. Don't get hung up on something somebody else says. Go talk to the instructors. |
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