OK All,
I just received one of those fancy computer radios as an anniversary gift from my wife ! I would like to know if you, as a Warbird pilot, mix in some rudder with your ailerons to coordinate your turns or do you "fly by feel" and do both sticks manually? I like to think of myself as a purist and don't want to insult the integrity of the planes we model so I would tend to think I should fly the left stick but I would like to know what you do. Thanks for the reply...

Justrfb (checking all my options)

To get the full effect and thrill of flying a warbird use the sticks! Your not flying it otherwise the radio is.

The best method is to get used to using the rudder naturally. You will never learn how to deal with a crosswind situation if you do not learn to handle the rudder.

Vince

If you ever progress to multi engines you will HAVE to learn to use the left hand.
While I have pushed the idea of gyros, I do not agree to mix the rudder with ailerons. Mix the rudder to the engines ok, mix the elevator to the ailerons ok, rudder to the ailerons. no
Warbirds are squirrely on the ground and the rudder is very strongly needed to ever progress.
I will now get off my squeeky soap box.
Good Luck,
Twinman

Well, I have to admit that I do both. I use the left stick for takeoffs, landings and other maneuvers. I use quiet a bit of rudder input in a barrel roll. For general flying I use aileron to rudder mixing and flap to elevator mixing. I use a mixing switch to turn it off for axial rolls, etc.

Why not use the versitility of these fine radios if you have it available?

See my gallery for a few warbird photos. Right now my Corsair is my favorite.

Ken

The only mix I make is for the elevator to compensate the flap control. It seems that most of my warbirds balloon with flap.

fw190

i don't use mixing, but i do use exponential on the elevator, for landing mainly. my warbirds seemed touchy to me when i slowed them down- my stupid thumb had a problem applying the right amount of elevator to flare them without porpoising, and tending to bounce. so i started putting about 35-40% expo in the elvator, which makes it less touchy to me for landing. works great!!

by the way where did you find a great wife like her? man you are a lucky guy-

ed

Mixing is cheating.

-Mustang51

So I guess if I use a mix to gain independant throttle controls with idle hold on my P-38, I am cheating. Or if I use a compensation mix to run my rudders and nose wheel on seperate channels, I am cheating. I'm a cheater, I'm a cheater, doo daa doo daa............................

Terry,

We're talking about mixing rudder\aileron here.
JUSTRFB posed the question.

-Mustang51

Terry,
I agree with Mustange51. We are only talking about rudder to aileron. One of my P-38's uses nine channels to control the plane, but to aid another pilot, most of us would offer advice to make someone else a better pilot. (Admittedly, in our opinion)
My two cents is that mixing is to make a plane do things it cannot do normally, or make it do them better. Not to take over flight of the plane.
One of my twin engine sport planes used so many mixes that I had to get a better radio. (Story I told wife and sticking to it!!!)
Twinman
Now time to get off my squeaky soap box.

This reminds me of "Kits or Arfs. Some people feel less of a pilot because they bought an Arf over a kit. Frankly and Arf saves me alot of time.

Actually, I agree about mixing flight controls, with the exeption of ele-flap mixing. Some planes do really strange things w/ flaps are added , and at a time w/ your hands may already be full, its less to worry about.
I just had ab onery attitude last night so I though I would "stir the pot"