GaryB,

Great video. Looks like your having no trouble with hovering.

Your very close to gettting that knife to TR. Pull the nose up a little more while its hovering and its gonna spin around. Try it.

On your harriers, use the ailerons more to stop the wing rocking.

I enjoyed the video GaryB. Nice job!

...the video was the 3rd time out after switching to a 4 stroke (@ WGeffon's advice) - it really seemed to help - i think i'd seen your suggestion to use ailerons to reduce wing rocking before...but had forgotten - thanks for the reminder - i'm going to go try it right now - i think i'll try to torque roll it, too...but up a little higher!...

Gbond I saw the video, and if I can use these suggestions this year and get that good, I'll be happier than a 2-peckered puppy!!!!!!!!!!!( I hope I can say that on here?)

Anyone want to click print on there computer, put this info in a binder and make an instant How-to-hover book!!!!!!!!!!!

...wow! - perfect day for hovering - almost zero wind so i was able to hold it steadier than in the video...i tried feeding some ailerons in a few times and i can see where it will really help dampen the wing rocking...one of my tail touches was pretty vertical and a little too solid - close to a tail slam - i had some covering to reshrink on the rudder when i got home but nothing broke! - the Knife really is an impressive ARF...

Having the right plane is definitely a help, and as wgeffon says, the lower you go the easier it is! I wouldn't recommend going low until you are comfortable with recovering in the event that the plane gets too far out of position. In this vid, you can see the wind pushing my plane down the runway. The by time I had decided to pull it past vertical to keep it stationary, I wasn't sure if I was getting close to the ditch or not so it was time to climb. Oh, this was the second day that I had started to bring the plane in pretty low. The corrections came without any thought.

http://www.rcsites.net/johnvh/RyanUCD1movie.wmv

"Good pilots have dings and dents on the front of their planes. GREAT pilots have them on the tail."

What if the tips of your ailerons are all beat to BILLY HELL?<GRIN>...G

...good job, Ryan! - the UCD looks cool in a hover! - is that a Saito 100 your're running on there?...

I am not able to see the video, I just get a screen full of hyroglifics sp? Do I need quick time or something?

GaryB,
I'm running a Saito 91, 15% heli fuel, and a 14X6 APC prop. I kept it light by using 3001 servos on the elevator and ailerons and a 700mah battery pack. Hopefully I'll get more power from 30% heli fuel when the weather gets warmer.

Flipper,
I have heard this from a couple people; download the latest version of Windows Media and that should take care of it.

Go fly with Wayne for just one day and you'll either be hovering it low and/or taking it home in a body bag...

Yeah,

I've done both... :spinnyeye

My first attempts at hovering were just kind of "floating" the plane into about a 15 mph breeze, about 30' form the ground, while trying to hold it in one small area. Try it on the next windy day.

Hey Karl, I'd take your email out of your signature because these web spiders will grab it and next thing you know you'll be getting hundreds of spam emails a day...

I learned the hard way...

Done

I'm dying to go out and try some of these suggestions, but when I tried breaking in my ys 63, it would hardly reach full throttle. When it finally did, it shook and rattled real bad. I read a lot of posts on engine clinic about break in etc. So I think I'm doin' everything right. I'm tempted to send it to ys, called and they were closed for some fishing comp.. This may not be the thread to discuss this (I'm absolutely soaking up all your sugg.!) but here it goes. > I' using 15%morgan cool power w/20% oil, tried ys and o.s. plugs, checked valve clearence-.003", low end 1 turn out, high end 2 1/2 turns out(Dave from ys posted it should be 1 1/5- 1 2/5, tried that BRIEFLY), using 13x6 apc(balanced), noticed lifter noise was quite loud (click?) when turning over by hand. Man I'd hate to have to wait for ys to check it out, but for the $ I spent, I'm almost sick its's not running right (maybe it's me)???????????????????????????????????? P.S. I like to use my thumbs and forefingers on the sticks instead of just thumbs( thinking about trying one those trays that hang from your kneck
) anyone see any advantage or disadvantage to this? To me it seems more precise. ( I know, your going to say what ever I'm comfortable with) just curious what you hoverers are doing?

JIVE TURKEY,
first off, if you don't have one go buy a tach. That is what your going to need, to set this motor. If your not familiar w/ a 4stroke you will end up buring it up trying to set it by your ear. Get a tach. Your fuel is OK. I use bryon YS 20/20. I am also using a OS "F" plug.

Here is how you set the high end. Get a tach. Open it up about 2 1/2 turns. Start motor. let it warm up for about 30 seconds or so. Take off glow starter. slowly advance throttle to full throttle, while holding plane of course. then start leaning it out. Take it up to peak RPM then back it off about 800RPM.

Then I would run 2 tanks thru it at that setting on ground. Let it idle for a while, advance throttle to midrange, for a while, then run it at full throttle for about 30 seconds. Then take it back to idle and do it again.

Then after 2 tanks, then Full throttle peak it out then back it off about 800RPM, go fly it like this for the rest of the day. Before each flight check peak it out then back it off about 800. It will take about 1 gallon or so to break in this engine. After about 1 gallon you can run it off of peak about 500RPM. After your break it in. Set your needle the first of the day, then leave it alove for the rest of the day.

Dave Shadel is the YS GURU. Listen to him. I learned a ton of info about my YS63.

I am turing a 13x6APC at 11,400 peak here in memphis, TN. I set it to fly about 10,800.

you guys will think im crazy. Im useing a midwest citabria to hover. I thought it was about 12 pounds, but it come to 7-8 we think. powered by a ASP .90 2 stroke it has unlimited vertical. I have had it hovering for a few seconds till the engine couldnt suck fuel. A fuel pump in the mail now, and if its not here in a few days ill run rich so i can hover for a longer period of time. Do you think im crazy for hovering a bush plane, or is it just interesting it can do it?

it's coo.............I'd be happy to hover my knife, which is the king of hovering........... i'm told...........except maybe a 33% extra, or a pbf, but a citabria<>airbatic..............it's coo!

note to self; i WILL hover the knife!

I think youll be able to hover no problem. With a plane over powered, and you do it just right, i think you can do it. If I can do it with my citabria, you can do it with your knife!!!!!

GBOND

Enjoyed the video. I didn't see much (any?) Elev --> Flap mix on your Knife.

I think most developing tail-touchers* find it easier to consistently stay safe on the deck with the extra pitch response this mixing affords.

(I usually turn it off if I'm just torque rollin' to lessen the pitch response.)

At some point in your progess, it won't really matter. After a while, you'll be able to hover a Four-Star 60 on low rates just from knowing how to keep it upright & stable!

* - You'll know if this is you, because for a while, hovering & tail-touches consume all of your conscious thought.

I don't know what is going on with your YS, but you really ought to wait and talk to Dave or someone that really knows their YS engines. I could tell you how to break it in too, but that won't help you with your problem.

I would not run it again until you know more...Make sure you're using a fuel filter and clean out the regulator. If your tank has the smallest leak in the world, it will completely kill the performance of the engine and kill the engine in the process! Checking the tank won't do it, most of the time you have to replace it to know if that was the problem. Not getting to full throttle sounds exactly like a pressure problem. Get new lines and a new tank...MAKE IT TIGHT!

Do not fly if you're not COMPLETELY satisfied with how the engine is running. Talk about a way to ruin your day! Nothing is worse than a bad running engine, especially one that dies when you're trying to learn this stuff.

Keep us updated on the engine...

I also wanted to say, don't expect this hovering thing to come quick. It takes most people a good year to really get to the point to want to get to. Take your time, don't rush ANYTHING, and enjoy every minute of it.