I have a trainer and don't know why a 3D radio is set up differently. I mean the rudder and elevator is on right stick on a trainer but not on a 3D. Wouldn't this make the transition to 3D harder with controls different???

We're not on the same page here. For instruction with a 3 channel plane on a Mode 2 transmitter, they'll often be set up with rudder & elevator on the right, since there are no ailerons. A 4 channel plane with a Mode 2 transmitter would have the ailerons and elevator on the right, and the student would have no problem with the transition.

You could set up your 3 channel plane, no ailerons, on a Mode 2 transmitter with rudder on the left stick and elevator on the right stick. That might be valuable, especially when learning to taxi.

Mode 1 transmitters have ailerons and throttle on the right, rudder and elevator on the left. Both Mode 1 and Mode 2 are common. If you learn on Mode 1, you'll probably fly or do 3D on Mode 1. If you learn on Mode 2, you'll probably use Mode 2 later.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

Thanks Dave
My question is once you learn on a trainer with the rudder and elevator on the right isn't it a problem to switch to 3D with elevator and Ailerons on the right. When you try to turn the rudder it starts doing , I guess ,barrel rolls. Wouldn't it be better if the trainer was set up like the 3D minus the Ailerons or 3D like a trainer with the Ailerons? Maybe rudder elevator on right and Throttle Ailerons on left. Just asking! Thanks again Ron

Hi Darticus,

The normal setup for a three channel mode 1 plane is to put the rudder and throttle on the right stick, rather than aileron and throttle on the right stick (as you would for a 4 channel).

The transition once you are ready to move off your trainer is easier because of this, not harder. In a trainer with high dihedral the rudder makes the plane roll in a *similar* fashion to the way the ailerons would in a 4 channel. In contrast the rudder on more advanced planes wont make the plane roll the way it does for the trainer - it will just sort of shunt the nose in that direction but wont make the plane roll.

If you practice with your trainer you will find when you transition that the ailerons will make the plane behave similarly to your rudder in your 3 channel.

HTH.

Cheers,
Oz.

Thanks for the info Oz.
In the USA the set up on the 4 channel is aileron and elevator right stiick and rudder and throttle left stick. For a 3 channel trainer its rudder and elevator right stick and trottle left stick. Your explanation does help answer my question as I'm not good enough to go to 4 channel yet but thought the conversion to 4 channel when I'm ready would be very hard. What you said explains a good portion of it.

Darticus -

The thinking behind the Mode 2 assignments is to always keep the main "turning" controls on the right stick. With a 3-channel plane, that's rudder and elevator. With a 4-channel plane that's ailerons and elevator. This is designed to actually make the transition from 3 to 4 channels easier, since you'll always do your turning with the right stick.

- Jeff

I believe I mentioned, it is really no problem. You are describing a system with no ailerons, throttle on the left, rudder & elevator on the right. It is no problem for students to switch from that setup to a 4-channel setup with ailerons on the right, rudder on the left stick.

Which makes me want to ask, have you flown either?

After you've done it, I believe you'll have no worries about the process.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

Keeping it simple here. You essentially replace the rudder with the ailerons, same actions occure via. your input, yet the ailerons are going to make it a little more difinitiave in response. Technically, a tail feather controlled only plane is a bit harder to fly because it's waging the tail around, making the wings change pitch where an aileron control plane simply moves the wings directly so there is no micro hesitation when it comes down to it and there are plenty of new pilots that can and should ommit rudder control in favor of ailerons very early on, if not from the beginning, given the ailerons throws and surface area are scaled down to noob style specs.

You are still flying exactly the same as you were before, in a nutshell, no need to relearn the controls at all, but adding the rudder into it after the fact, moving it onto the left stick really is only used very rarely by most pilots in the general arena and in fact, most of my planes have the rudder disabled for that very reason.

3d planes, they beg for as much control surfaces and options as possible, so yeah, they keep the rudder in place, they also have larger control surface areas and *****g out the throws is invaluable since they are geared towards hovering type manuevers which require alot of input in the sticks to maintain control, similar to a helicopter.

The only bit that nobody seems to have clearly put is:
If you don't have ailerons the thing that turns the plane is the rudder which is controlled by moving the the right stick left and right !!!!!

When you have ailerons on a plane you then really only use the rudder for aerobatics and the thing that now makes the plane turn is the ailerons instead so they put it in the place that you're used to and don't have to now switch. Don't think people realise how little they'll use the rudder when they have ailerons if they've never had them before you can totally fly a plane from take off to landing without moving the rudder at all.

It's true that most R/C planes turn just fine with ailerons only.

However, it's worth mentioning that a few planes turn better when you use both ailerons and rudder. A good example is the J3 Cub, both full-size and models. With ailerons alone, turns are sloppy and slow. Using both aileron and rudder results in a nice, smooth turn, called a coordinated turn.

My 47" Cub definitely needs its rudder for good turns. So does the giant scale 12-foot Cub belonging to one of our club members. And so does the full-size Cub.

Search for the term "coordinated turn" for an explanation.

- Jeff

Thanks for that clear explanation. Finally a simply answer.Thanks