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The photo at right shows a typical 4-channel Mode-II transmitter and its various controls. Fore-and-aft movement on the right control stick operates the model's elevator, side-to-side movement of the stick controls the ailerons. In other words, when you pull the right stick towards you, the model will go up. Push the stick forward and the model goes down. Push it to the left and the model will roll left; right and the model rolls right.
The left control stick operates in a similar fashion. Side-to-side movement controls the model's rudder and normally also controls the nosewheel or tailwheel for steering the model on the ground. Fore-and-aft movement of the left stick operates the model's throttle. You'll notice that for the ailerons, elevator, and rudder, the control sticks are spring loaded to return to center, while the throttle stick is not. Instead, it has a series of ratchet "clicks" that enables you to set the throttle speed anywhere in its range and it will stay where you put it. The photos and diagrams below illustrate how the control surfaces react to certain control inputs. When flying, full deflection of the sticks (as shown in the photos) is seldom necessary, except when doing stunts. |
FLYING A 3-CHANNEL AIRPLANE WITH A 4-CHANNEL TRANSMITTER: With a typical 4-channel model, the ailerons are the primary control used to turn the model in flight. All turns are initiated by using the ailerons to put the model into a bank and ended by using opposite aileron to get the wings back to level. However, as we explained earlierrsome of the best R/C models on the market are designed to fly with only 3-channels (elevator, rudder, and throttle) or even 2-channels (elevator and rudder). In those cases the rudder is the primary control used to turn the model in flight. If you are going to fly a 2 or 3-channel model airplane with a 4-channel radio (very common), it is always best to plug the rudder servo into the receiver slot normally used for the ailerons. This enables the rudder to be controlled by the aileron stick on the transmitter. That way, regardless of how many channels your model has, the right stick is always used to make the turns. If your right hand becomes trained to do the turning, it will be very easy to transition between the different types of models without any difficulty. |
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