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- Newsgroups: rec.models.rc
- Path: sparky!uunet!ftpbox!mothost!white!rtsg.mot.com!svoboda
- From: svoboda@rtsg.mot.com (David Svoboda)
- Subject: Re: Switching to Ailerons -- How easy?
- Message-ID: <1992Aug19.200541.23189@rtsg.mot.com>
- Sender: news@rtsg.mot.com
- Nntp-Posting-Host: guppie44
- Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
- References: <1992Aug17.205424.27800@beaver.cs.washington.edu>
- Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 20:05:41 GMT
- Lines: 37
-
- In article <1992Aug17.205424.27800@beaver.cs.washington.edu> tod@cs.washington.edu (Tod Amon) writes:
- |Any words of wisdom on switching from a a polyhedral based glider
- |to my almost finished Chuperosa with 7032 and ailerons? How easy
- |is it to make a fatal mistake when just learning to fly with
- |ailerons? After putting so many hours into my new plane, you'd be
- |right if you thought I was a bit nervous to actually go fly it!
-
- Wisdom? Let's just call it "advice", okay? :-)
-
- 1. Ailerons are more "immediate" than rudder, so you do not have to
- "lead" the airplane around so much. If you don't know that you are
- doing this, then the ailerons will seem rather sensitive at first.
- Be sure to use little enough throw on the ailerons that the roll
- rate is similar to what you are used to. There's nothing wrong
- with finding an experienced modeller to help you trim it out. (I
- was on my third airplane before I ever made a maiden flight.)
-
- 2. The ailerons may not be effective at very low airspeeds. You
- need to be able to use the rudder, as well. If you winch your
- sailplane, you should use rudder on the winch to steer, and ailerons
- to keep the wings level. Also, it is sometimes helpful to coordinate
- rudder with aileron for tight turns (a computer radio can mix this
- for you.)
-
- 3. A heavier bird with a more advanced airfoil will have a much
- higher top speed. If you put the nose down, the sailplane can
- easily gain enough speed to damage it (flutter, overstress when
- you pull out, etc), so be aware of your flying speed at all times.
- OTOH, it's fun to go fast. :-)
-
- 4. A heavier sailplane can cause more damage (to itself, and other
- property/people) in a crash. Be careful out there.
-
- Dave Svoboda
-
- PS, the one fatal mistake that many people make on their first aileron
- ship is having reversed ailerons. Stick right==right aileron *up*.
-