CHAPTER 8 PILOTING TIPS

The Sig Scamp is a quick-to-build sport model for . 15-sized engines and three-channel control. It features a molded foam wing, strong aluminum landing gear, and sprilely flight performance.

WAIT FOR PROPER WIND CONDITIONS: At this point every modeler is anxious to see his creation lift off and do what it was designed for, but poor weather conditions can spoil the fun. A new model generally needs a certain amount of trim corrections and windy weather conditions can make that difficult to perform, even for an experienced pilot. Be patient — wait for a wind velocity of less than 5 m.p.h. You should also try to fly when the sun is positioned behind you so that you don't have to contend with it during the flight. Many beginners don't even worry about the sun — until they fly their model right through it for the first time and lose sight of it!

FIND AN INSTRUCTOR TO HELP WITH YOUR FIRST FLIGHT: If this is your first attempt to fly an R/C model airplane, we strongly recommend that you find an experienced R/C pilot to help you make the first flight on your new model. A small number of lucky modelers have taught themselves how to fly R/C, but they are few and far between. More often than not, a novice pilot will crash and totally destroy his airplane without the assistance of an instructor — and he won't even be able to recognize what went wrong. Learning to fly R/C is not really hard, but it is a complicated hobby (a lot of things can go wrong) and having an experienced instructor on hand can often make the difference between success or failure. Many hours of work are involved in the construction of a model and it can all be tost in a moment of beginner's indecision. A skilled flyer can help you get past the first critical test and trimming flight without damage to the airplane. Most model clubs have several members that are experienced at giving flight lessons to newcomers and they will be happy to help you. Have your instructor look over the model. Even if you have followed this booklet from start to finish, an extra pair of eyes may spot something else that needs attention.

THE FIRST FLIGHT: Once the instructor has your model in the air and properly trimmed out at a safe altitude (at least "3 mistakes high", as the old saying goes), he can turn the transmitter over to you. The most common tendency for beginners is to overcontrol the model. Try to move the sticks smoothly and gently, and not very much! If the airplane has been properly trimmed out for level flight, it will fly pretty good and straight all by itself — all you have to do is turn it back before it flies too far away. You'll find that you don't have to move the control stick very much to make the model respond — usually it takes only a small movement. Learn the basics of level flight and turns first and save the aerobatics (at least, the "intentional" aerobatics!) until later. If you get disoriented or confused, quickly hand the transmitter back to your instructor so he can save the model.

Let your instructor continue to takeoff and land your model until you build up enough air time to start feeling comfortable flying the model. Then you can try takeoffs, and finally landings. Once you can put all three together in one flight, you'll be ready to make your first solo flight!

YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY A "BUDDY BOX":
Some instructors like to use a "buddy box" set-up while teaching. This is simply the linking of two transmitters (one for you and one for the instructor) by means of an electrical cord. There is a switch on the instructor's transmitter that he must hold down in order for your transmitter to have control of the airplane. If you get in trouble, the instructor simply lets go of the switch and his transmitter immediately takes over control of the model. This set-up eliminates having to pass the transmitter back and forth, which allows the instructor to respond more quickly to the situation. Not all radio manufacturers offer the buddy box option with their systems.

TAXI TO TAKEOFF POSITION: A little practice taxiing (driving) the model around on the ground can help you get used to operating the controls. Of course, you use the rudder stick to steer, and the throttle to go faster or slower. You may also need to use up elevator to help keep the model from nosing over, depending upon the field and wind conditions. You can even simulate a takeoff run by lining up on the runway and blipping the throttle all the way open for a second or two. Return to idle and concentrate on steering the model straight down the center of the runway.

TAKEOFF: Always takeoff into the wind. You may find it easier to steer during your first few takeoffs if you stand directly behind the model. That way you can immediately see and react to any changes in heading that the model makes during the takeoff run. Advance the throttle smoothly to full power and steer the model gently to keep it going straight. When the model reaches flying speed (in about 50 to 70 feet for most R/C trainers), feed in a small amount of "up" elevator to make the model liftoff. If it fails to liftoff, feed in a little more up. Be prepared to relax the up elevator slightly just as soon as the model lifts off to keep it from climbing too steeply. Allow the model to climb steadily, correcting as necessary to keep the climb angle from getting too steep or too shallow. If the model starts to bank to the left or right on its own, correct at once in the opposite direction to keep the wings level and climbing out straight ahead. Gain some altitude before attempting to turn, however don't let the model fly too far away and become hard to see. As soon as you are at a safe altitude, make a gentle 180° turn back towards you.

Remember that during the climbout the model is flying with a relatively low airspeed and all turns should be keep gentle.
The most common mistake made while learning to takeoff is over controlling with the steering during the takeoff roll. Often the model starts veering slightly to the left due to engine torque. The pilot then over reacts and puts in too much right to correct, making the model swerve hard to the right. Then another over reaction and the model is swerving back to the left. Soon the airplane is going back and forth from one side of the runway to the other and is out of control! If you get in this situation, quickly pull the throttle to full low speed and get the model stopped. Then taxi back for a fresh start. Never try to hurry your model off the ground by pulling full up elevator just because it isn't going straight. This could lead to a premature snap roll (due to too low of an airspeed) which will damage your model much more severely than anything that could happen on the ground. Always try to make all your control inputs as smooth and gentle as possible.

LEVEL FLIGHT: The first thing that every pilot must master is straight and level flight, which isn't as easy as it sounds! Even models that have been trimmed out by an instructor may want to wander off course due to air currents or thermals. Also, as the fuel tank in the nose of the model empties, it gets lighter, causing the model to start to climb as the flight goes on. The elevator trim needs to be readjusted during the flight to compensate for this. Learning to recognize an out-of-trim situation and being able to correct it while you are flying is one of the keys to being successful. Trying to fly an out-of-trim model airplane is a constant battle!

TRIMMING FOR "HANDS OFF" FLYING: Every once in a while during the flight, level up the model and then take your hands off the controls. Observe what the model does. If it wants to climb, dive, or turn, it needs a trim adjustment. Use the trim levers on the transmitter as necessary to correct the problem. For example, if the airplane constantly wants to fly with the left wing a little low, making it gradually turn to the left, then you need to move the trim lever to the right. Make very small adjustments to the trim lever, relevel the model and try the hands off test again. Keep checking and working with the trim levers until the model will fly hands off for several seconds without changing course. If you are a novice pilot, it may be easier to have a helper reach over your shoulder to adjust the trim levers for you, so that you can keep your hands on the sticks and your eyes on the airplane.
It's not unusual for a new airplane on its first test flight to be so far out of trim that full movement of the trim levers still won't provide enough correction to make the model f|y hands off level. In this case, you will need to hold the control stick slightly off neutral while you land the model to readjust the pushrod length. Readjust the R/C links on the pushrod enough to get the control surface neutral position within the range of the trim lever, then recenter the trim lever and fly the model again to check the result.

NOTE: In cases like this, a beginner will be glad that he had an experienced flyer