Flights of radio-controlled models. Independent flight training. Learning to fly an electric plane

My Twin Dream is a radio-controlled aircraft model designed for long-distance FPV flights.

The flight range is estimated at 160 kilometers, and the flight weight can reach 5 kilograms.

At the end of the article you can see a video of a flight over a distance of 200 kilometers; the electronics configuration of the aircraft model and calculation of energy consumption for a long-distance flight are also attached there.

The aircraft model is further development multiplex TwinStar, has a more capacious fuselage and a nose convenient for installing FVP equipment.

Video review of the aircraft model and the first flight on it.

And here is a detailed video review of My Twin Dream in Russian.

Many people believe that the MyTwinDream RC plane is one of the best carriers for long-distance FPV flights.

Characteristics of the aircraft model My Twin Dream

Wingspan: 1800 mm
Fuselage length: 1230 mm
Overall height: 350 mm
Fuselage height: 160 mm
Maximum fuselage width: 134 mm
Empty weight: 960 grams
Maximum take-off weight: 5,800 grams
Maximum flight time: 210 min
Maximum range: 160 km
Maximum speed: 150 km
Maximum flight altitude: 5000 meters
Material: EPO

The aircraft model has been produced since 2015 and you can find a lot of information on it.

Equipment for radio controlled aircraft My Twin Dream

Motors (2 pcs) 900 rpm: like this or like this.
Regulators (2 pcs): such
Propellers (2 pcs): such
Battery: this or that
Servos (4 pcs): this or that
Servo extensions (4 pcs): such

This is the basic configuration for long-distance, not record-breaking flights.

FPV equipment for My Twin Dream

Let's start with the main thing - the course camera and video transmitter.

The heading camera can be installed simply, without any bells and whistles; Eachine 1000TVL CCD is well suited for these purposes

A simple, shock-proof, very robust camera with the ability to fly at night.

You can choose another one, see the article 6 cameras for FPV flights.
I also recommend looking at the section of a friendly site: Reviews of cameras for FPV flights. This section contains reviews of more than 60 course cameras, there is plenty to choose from!

Order Eachine 1000TV L is possible .

Long-range video transmitter for radio-controlled aircraft

It is better to take a video transmitter for long-distance flights at 1.3 GHz; with the same power, the signal at this frequency allows you to receive video at a greater distance.

Order a 1.3 GHz video transmitter and video receiver 1500 mW is possible, 100 mW - or 800 mW -.

With a directional antenna on the receiver (you will be flying in one direction, which means you don’t need an omnidirectional pin on the receiver) and a 400 mW video transmitter, people fly 25-30 kilometers.

In most cases, standard antennas are of crappy quality; usually a homemade Vee antenna designed for a specific channel is installed on the video transmitter, and a directional patch antenna (square) is installed on the reception.

However, in most cases, a beginner in long-distance flights already has 5.8 GHz equipment, so we will consider the most common ones, those who decide to set records - this part of the article will still be of little interest to them, and those who just want to fly far usually want to have compatibility and with their other aircraft models and quadcopters.

For long-distance flights, video transmitters with a power of 1000-2500 mW are used. A directional antenna is required on the receiver!

Order a video transmitter for long-distance flights at: 1000 mW, 1500 mW or 2500 mW.
5.8 GHz directional antenna: spiral or patch.

Attention! When installing the video transmitter, place it and the RC signal receiver as far as possible from each other!!!

In a budget approach, it is possible to use video helmets.

VR D2 Pro and EV800D have built-in diversity, while EV800D can split into an FPV monitor, but VR D2 Pro has better built-in flight video recording.

For more details, see the article Video helmets for FPV flights. And also in reviews: Eachine VR D2 Pro and Eachine EV800D.

Buy FPV video helmet: Eachine VR D2 Pro or Eachine EV800D

Camera for recording flight video on a long-range aircraft model

In my opinion, the most optimal camera for long-distance flights is RunCam 2!

It has a more aerodynamic body than conventional action cameras, can be powered directly from the on-board battery (5-17 Volts), it can also be used as a directional camera (low FPV latency), for more details see the article RunCam 2 Review.

Order the action camera RunCam 2 Can .

But, if you want to shoot a beautiful video without swaying from gusts of wind, then you often install a three-axis stabilizer and GoPro or GitUp 2.

Such a device will greatly increase drag and reduce flight autonomy, but what can you do for beautiful shots! :-)

The location of the suspension is chosen according to your taste, the main thing is to maintain the alignment of the aircraft model.

Order an inexpensive suspension Can .
Order an action camera: GitUp 2 or GitUp 3 Duo.

Autopilot for radio controlled aircraft

Since long-distance flights are accompanied by the risk of signal loss, an autopilot is needed to minimize the risk of a radio-controlled aircraft model turning into a free-flying one!

Is not mandatory requirement, many fly without it, but there is a difference - the aircraft model will return on its own to the take-off point or you will have to look for it 10-100 kilometers from the take-off point. The first requires an investment of money, the second requires time and has a real possibility of losing all the equipment installed on the aircraft.

Be sure to install a GPS tracker!!!

Even with an autopilot, your long-range aircraft may not reach the take-off point (for example, returning against a strong wind that changed direction after your departure). It's easier to search when you have GPS coordinates landings + recorded flight video (we write on a video helmet).

Without a tracker and without an autopilot, don’t fly more than a kilometer from the take-off point!

Video of searching for an aircraft model using a GPS tracker

Order a GPS tracker it is possible or .

It is better to take the first option - it has external power supply (12-100 Volts) + built-in battery. Robust shockproof design, even in the event of a total crash from a couple of kilometers in height, it will be able to transmit its location.

But, let's return to field controllers.

Considered optimal for a beginner autopilot FY-41AP Lite. Although it is old, it flies practically “out of the box without settings.”

Supports "auto-return", "air fence", "flight to points". There is quite a big discussion about this autopilot on our aircraft modeling forum.

Order autopilot FY-41AP Lite Can .

Remote control for long-range aircraft

In my opinion, Taranis is the optimal radio control equipment for flights. It has very great capabilities due to the use of LUA scripts, sticks on bearings, precision resistors that give an accurate response without bounce, and much more.

In terms of capabilities, it surpasses expensive (60-80 tr) control panels from branded companies.

In addition, FrSky Taranis normally allows you to fly at a range of 1.5-2 km versus the standard 850-900 meters of any other radio control equipment at a frequency of 2.4 GHz.

Order FrSky Taranis Can .

If you don’t need bells and whistles and want to use a budget remote control, then FlySky is your choice!

This is the most budget-friendly full-fledged control panel!

Order FlySky FS-i6 Can .

In any case, for long-distance flights you will have to modify your remote control.

The simplest option is to install an LRS module and receiver at a frequency of 433 megahertz. This frequency is allowed in Russia for domestic purposes. With the help of such modules, flights are carried out 50 kilometers from the take-off point.

Order LRS module with receiver Can .

If you have Taranis, then you simply insert the LRS transmitter into the socket of the external RF module and that’s it! The receiver is connected as usual.
In the case of FrSky, you will have to work with a soldering iron.

Well, we’ve sorted out the basic electronics for a long-range aircraft, now we can talk about the flights themselves on this aircraft model.

Flight 200 kilometers on a radio-controlled plane My Twin Dream

Electronics installed on aircraft models:

Motors: (2x) 470Kv MN3110-26 T-motors
Battery: 31500mAh 6S LiIon (2654 grams)
Regulators: (2x) 40A YEP ESCs - set to AFW and have worked flawlessly for 62 flights so far.
Propellers: (2x) Aeronaut CAM Power Props 10x6 (AER7226/22)
Remote control: Taranis x9D Plus
Flight Controller: Eagletree Vector w/GPS V2
Ground module: Eagletree Eagleeyes Diversity and multi video splitter
On-board catering: Castle Creations 10A BEC

Long Flight Characteristics:

Flight weight: 4617 grams
Distance to turnaround: 103.6 km
Total flight distance: 212.9 km
Flight time: 3 hours 54 minutes 31 seconds
Current consumption per flight: 21849 mAh
Consumption mAh/km: 21849 mAh/212.9 km = 102.63 mAh/km

As you can see, flying 100 kilometers from the take-off point and returning on this aircraft model is quite possible!

It’s good for Muscovites - there are many modelers in the city, there is someone for a beginner to consult and learn from. It’s good for St. Petersburg residents - they also have a lot of people. It's good for everyone who's in major cities lives. But what about those who live far from major centers modeling?

Now the model has been built, the equipment has been installed and debugged, and everything seems to be ready for flight. But...problems arise when you begin to understand that there is no one to teach you to fly. And point out mistakes too. So we will have to learn ourselves - from other people’s experience and our own “bumps”.

First of all, we will learn how to control the model in the simulator - mainly in order to memorize the movements of the transmitter handles and understand the reaction of the model.

Then we will carry out pre-flight preparation of the model on the eve of the flight day.

And finally, let's go to the field - learn to fly.

Benefits of the simulator

Goals

Bringing the movements of the transmitter handles to automaticity when controlling the model takes time. If you practice this at the airfield, on a flying model, 90% of the time you devote to your hobby will be spent repairing a broken plane - in flight you don’t need to figure out what to pull where, but steer without thinking. Therefore, the simulator seems to be an ideal means of saving both time and money during training.

What do you need to learn in the simulator before your first trip to the airfield?

to master and bring to automaticity the movements of the transmitter handles when controlling the model
learn to keep the model in the horizon when moving both “away from you” and “towards you”
learn how to perform ideal takeoff and landing (without “goofing”)

If you successfully complete training in the simulator, you will have a good chance of not crashing the model on its first flight.

You just need to remember that when you move the aileron stick to the right, the right (if you look along the model) aileron should rise, and the left one should fall. In this case, the model gives a right roll, and vice versa.

When the rudder control stick is deflected to the right, the rudder deflects to the right, turning the model again to the right.

When the elevator stick moves toward itself, the elevator rises up and the model begins to move upward. "From yourself" - down.

Throttle: When you move the throttle away from you, the carburetor valve opens and the engine increases speed. In the extreme position of the handle "toward" - idle speed.

Techniques

So, we installed the simulator, connected the transmitter to the computer and adjusted the rudder deflections. You can study.

It’s hardly worth describing every movement with pens for every maneuver of the model - it’s intuitive. We gave the gas - we flew, we wanted to descend - the elevator was down, we pulled back the gas. Let us dwell only on the most important features of model management.

The main controls for the model's course are the elevator and ailerons. With ailerons, the rudder performs auxiliary functions and is required only during takeoff. It may be better not to use it at the initial stage. And without him there will be enough worries.

If there are no ailerons, then the rudder becomes the main and only means of heading control, in which case it should be connected to aileron control channel.

Never pull the handles - in the literal sense of the word. Movements should be soft, smooth and just a little bit at a time. For example, you need to make a U-turn. Smoothly we deflect the aileron stick towards the turn by 5...10% of its stroke, no more. And - we are waiting. The model begins to increase its tilt in this direction. Upon reaching the desired roll smoothly We return the aileron stick to neutral, and compensate for the loss of height in the roll with a smooth and very slight movement of the elevator stick “towards yourself”. Different models behave differently when turning, and additional aileron deflection may be required to maintain a constant roll. This most often occurs when the model tends to return to a horizontal position on its own.

Particular attention should be paid to practicing the flight “towards you”. In this case, the ailerons and rudder work in reverse - when you turn the rudder to the right, the model flying towards you rolls to the left! Thus, when trying to correct the left roll of a model flying towards you, you can unwittingly give the rudder to the right. But in fact, the model tilts right, if you look from the tail! And you look from the nose. The result is an even greater roll, a spiral and firewood if you don’t think about it in time. However, most often there is no time to think...

How to bring automatic control when flying "towards you"? There are three options:

imagine yourself flying on a model
“support” with the aileron handle the wing on which the model is leaning
turn to face the model, looking at her over her shoulder

"Final exam" in the simulation room flight school"There will be an exemplary flight - take-off, circling flight, figure eight in the horizontal plane, box approach to landing and the landing itself. Landing in the simulator must be practiced perfect! In real conditions it is a little more complicated, and an ideal “computer” landing will mean a good “real” one.

Possible mistakes

Some of the most common beginner mistakes include:

convulsive "twitching" of the handles. Bug fix: constant control of the nature of movements.
so-called “taxiing” - you let the model go a long distance, and “taxied”, being unable to correctly assess the position of the model. Bug fix: constantly monitor the distance of the model. You should always have a flight plan in your head. You must guide the model, not the model.
"suspension" on landing - when the model reaches a critically low speed at too high an altitude. Characteristic signs: when landing a meter above the ground, the model nods or falls on its wing. Bug correction: do not take the elevator too much "on yourself" when approaching the surface, and most importantly - do not be afraid of the ground! Fear of the approaching ground is the most common cause of "suspending."

It’s different for everyone, but on average, you can move on to real flights when out of thirty to forty takeoffs and landings in a row you have never crashed the plane.

You can use the simulator for more than just learning to fly. By changing the settings, you can see signs of rear alignment, lack of engine thrust, and reaction to side winds. You can practice goating while landing. One of the main positive side effects of a simulator is that you can get the experience of identifying when something is wrong with the model. This is very important for a self-learner!

Unfortunately, the simulator does not allow you to use your eye to determine the distance to the model and its speed. The eye sensor will have to be trained directly on the field.

Pre-launch preparation

We learned to fly on a simulator, and now we can leisurely get ready for the airfield. As usual, “the flight begins in the workshop” (© G. Mil).

Model preparation

Before the first flight, it is necessary to carefully inspect and check the model again. The engine and all equipment should already be installed in the model. Before carrying out the test, it is quite reasonable to charge the batteries of the transmitter, receiver, power supply of the launch pad or running batteries, if any.

Alignment. The centering of the training model should be within 25-27 percent of the wing chord. On training models, the wing spar usually passes through this place. A higher value (>30%) will make the model almost uncontrollable for a beginner. It is better to have a very forward alignment than a little rear alignment. By moving the batteries inside the fuselage, you can bring the alignment to the value you need.

Horizontal balancing. The model must be balanced relative to the fuselage axis. If any wing outweighs, then it is necessary to add a weight (a piece of lead or a coin) to the end of the lighter console.

Wing. The wing should not have twists, distortions or other deformations. You can correct the situation a little by stretching the wing skin film using a hairdryer. If the situation cannot be corrected, the wing will have to be completely disassembled and rebuilt.

On models with a split wing - primarily gliders - special attention should be paid to the identity of the angles of attack of the left and right consoles.

Symmetry and angles. Next, you should check the symmetry and installation angles of the wing and stabilizer. The distances from the stabilizer tips to the corresponding wing tips must be the same. The angle of the keel relative to the stabilizer should be 90 degrees. In addition, it is necessary to maintain the perpendicularity of the axes of the wing and stabilizer to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage, as well as the parallelism of the axes of the wing and stabilizer, as shown in the figures:

Steering wheel costs. The flow rates, or, in other words, the maximum deflection angles of the steering surfaces, must be set in accordance with those recommended by the model manufacturer. If you built an airplane according to drawings, then follow the author’s recommendations. But in any case, the flow should not exceed 15-20 degrees in each direction for the elevator and 15 degrees in each direction for the ailerons. The rudder will not be required on the first flights, but for confident taxiing during the take-off run, it is desirable to deflect it by an angle of about 25 degrees.

Fasteners. Once again, make sure that all rods coming from the steering gears to the control surfaces are securely fastened. If you have plastic snap fasteners, then it would be a good idea to additionally secure them with a piece of silicone tube placed on the “antennae”.

All steering wheel connectors must be securely connected to the receiver, and the receiver itself, like the battery, must be packed in sufficiently thick and dense foam to avoid strong vibrations and damage from impacts.

Location of the receiver and batteries. The only rule here is that in front of the model is the battery, and behind it is the receiver! Otherwise, when the plane crashes, the battery, moving by inertia, will break everything that is in its path.

Receiver antenna. Must be fully deployed inside the fuselage. If it is longer, then its tip must be left outside, but under no circumstances should it be cut off! This will lead to a sharp decrease in the operating range of the radio control system.

Engine mount. The engine must be securely attached to the motor mount. You should also pay attention to the mounting of the muffler and propeller. Don't forget to connect the pressure take-off tube to the tank.

Engine shutdown trimmer. To turn off the engine, you must completely close the carburetor damper. To do this, configure the transmitter correctly. If you have computer equipment with electronic trimmers, set the engine to turn off on a specific toggle switch (the function is usually called THROTTLE CUT). If you have mechanical trimmers, then check that when the throttle trimmer is fully lowered down, the damper is completely closed. This will give you the opportunity to turn off the engine at any time. Without this setting, do not attempt to start the engine.

Engine lift. To compensate for engine torque, its shaft is installed at an angle to the fuselage axis - approximately 2 degrees down and 1.5 to the right. More accurate values can be obtained from model drawings. If your aircraft is an ARF, then read the instructions carefully - if no recommendations are indicated, then the slope is set by the manufacturer. This is not critical the first time, but you may still have to make adjustments later.

Be very careful at this stage. Check everything that your eyes and hands can reach - this is one of the conditions for flight safety.

Before your first flight, be sure to complete the break-in procedure for your new engine. The necessary recommendations are found in its operating instructions.

Don't forget the flight box

The fact that, in addition to the model, we will need more is described in the article about the flight box.

Learning to fly

From this point on, the narrative diverges into three similar, but still different branches. The following describes methods for independent testing and training in flight on models with internal combustion engines, models with electric drive and gliders.

So you took everything you needed for flying from home, made it to the nearest field and even managed to assemble the plane. What should you pay attention to now so that your first flight does not become your last because of some little thing?

Pre-flight check

Alignment. Check again, before refueling the tank, the alignment of the aircraft - let me remind you - it should be within 25-27% of the wing chord. This makes sense - at home you might have forgotten to install the batteries, propeller or spinner before checking. You can slightly correct the alignment by moving the on-board batteries. But don't forget - the batteries are in front, the receiver is behind!

Steering wheel neutrals. Turn on the transmitter first and then the receiver on the airplane and leave the controls in the neutral position. Check again the neutral position of all steering surfaces - they could have changed due to the fact that you accidentally moved the trimmers on the transmitter, the rods could have bent during transportation, in addition, temperatures and humidity on the field other than at home sometimes cause the neutrals to shift typewriters

If the steering wheels are not visually in a neutral position, be sure to adjust them, preferably not using trimmers - we will still need them. It is better to adjust the length of the rods and leave the trimmers in a neutral position.

An important note - after trimming the aircraft in the air, the rudders may not be in the neutral position! They should not be moved to neutral anymore!

Is everything secure? Here's what you should check again first: the reliability of the fastening of the wing, engine, muffler, batteries, receiver, as well as all rods and fastenings to the steering surfaces. Any play or the smallest but not fully tightened bolt can cause an accident.

If you have additionally loaded any part of the model, once again check the reliability of the “sinker” fastening.

If the wing is attached with rubber bands, then use the recommended amount of rubber for this - no more, no less. They need to be worn crosswise - this is safer.

It would be a good idea to lift and shake the model - if you hear anything other than the knocking of the weight in the tank, it is better to find the reasons and correct the defect.

Attention! Do not forget to correctly connect the aileron steering machine located in the wing. This is one of the most common “forgetfulness” that leads to an accident.

Hardware check. Fold the antenna completely, then turn on the transmitter, followed by the receiver. Without pulling out the antenna, move 25-30 meters away from the model, move your handles and check that the steering gears have not begun to tremble and are confidently responding to your commands. If they jerk erratically or do not respond to commands from the transmitter, the transmitter may be faulty or there may be a source of interference in your range. Try changing the frequency or finding another place to fly. Possible sources of interference are high-voltage power lines, Railway, military units, etc.

On electric aircraft models, it is necessary to check whether the operating range of the equipment decreases when the propulsion engine is turned on. If this problem is detected, take measures to reduce the noise generated by the engine.

If everything is in order, check that the steering surfaces are moving in the correct direction. The stabilizer control stick is "pull" - the elevator is deflected upward, the aileron control stick is to the right - the right aileron rises, the left one drops (if you look at the model from the tail). Left rudder control - the rudder moves to the left. The throttle control knob is "pull" - the carburetor opens completely.

Propeller installation. Proper installation and fastening of the propeller is important. When you turn it by hand and feel the compression, the propeller should be horizontal! Any other position of the propeller may result in propeller failure due to rough landing. After you turn off the engine, the propeller will rotate with the flow of incoming air until the compression phase begins - to a horizontal position - it is the safest for it, even if the model somersaults during landing.

Be sure to check that the propeller mounting nut is securely tightened!

To perform the first flyby of the model, choose a clear sunny day with a weak wind - no more than 1-3 meters per second.

Models with internal combustion engine

Starting and adjusting the engine

Fill the tank with fuel, unscrew the mixture adjustment needle to the position recommended by the manufacturer to start the engine, fully open the carburetor damper and close it with your finger. Spin the propeller several times to get fuel into the engine (5-10 revolutions). Next, close the damper to 1/4 position, check that there are no wires or other objects in the propeller rotation field and connect the filament. If you have a starter, then start it (be sure to check the polarity of the connection), but if not, then you will have to hand, sharply turning the propeller counterclockwise (if you look at the model from the engine side). Started up. Let it warm up for a few seconds, smoothly open the damper completely and turn off the heat. Lift the model nose up and in steps of 2 clicks with pauses, begin to tighten the mixture adjustment needle until the engine reaches maximum speed. After that, unscrew it back two clicks - this is its optimal position. Next you need to adjust the idle speed. To do this, reduce the speed to the minimum stable, let the engine run for 5 seconds, and open the throttle completely (in 1.5-2 seconds, but not sharply). If the engine “spits” and picks up speed jerkily, you need to lean the idle speed by tightening the idle speed bolt 15 degrees. If, when you open the throttle, the engine starts to pick up speed quickly enough, but then drops it and stalls - the mixture is lean - unscrew the idle speed bolt by 15 degrees. After tuning, the engine should respond smoothly and quickly to movement of the throttle control.

All idle adjustments must be made only with the engine turned off!

Possible problems with starting the engine:

Insufficient heat on the spark plug. When the filament is connected, the spiral should glow crimson. In any case, it is better when, in bright sunshine, the first turn of the candle seems to be not hot. This can be checked on a spare spark plug.
The engine will be "re-flooded". Signs: fuel drips from the exhaust pipe, a “smacking” sound is heard when the propeller is turned. Turn off the heat, tighten the fuel needle completely, turn the model over with the carburetor down and, turning the propeller in the opposite direction, pour out the excess fuel.
There is insufficient fuel in the engine. It's very easy to find out. Connect the glow plug to the spark plug and firmly grasp the blade with your hand (like a spanner), then slowly turn it past top dead center (overcoming compression). If there is enough fuel in the engine you will feel a "Flash". If there is no flash, this indicates either a lack of fuel or a faulty spark plug. Pump up the fuel, and if the engine still shows no signs of life, check the spark plug.
The propeller is very difficult to turn. The engine is "flooded". Under no circumstances try to start it with the starter! First, drain the excess fuel as described in step 2.

We can recommend the following method - before starting, pour 1 cube of fuel into the carburetor from a syringe. Spin the propeller several times, connect the filament and start it up. This is the average optimal amount of fuel required for the engine to start.

If you have problems setting up an engine that is already starting:

They forgot to connect the pressure take-off tube to the tank. Check and connect to the muffler.
Foreign objects or debris in the tank. Disassemble and check.
The fuel system is leaking. Remove the tank, plug all the tubes except one, blow into it and clamp it so that the tank is under pressure. Wait 20-30 seconds and release - if the air flies out with a whistle - everything is in order. Just don’t forget that the fuel is poisonous, and you need to blow into the tank not with your mouth, but, for example, with a medium-sized enema...
Due to strong vibration of the tank, fuel foams and goes with bubbles into the carburetor - line the tank with foam rubber on all sides.

The quality of the fuel you use is important. Low-quality or ersatz fuel can lead to problems with starting, tuning, and even breakdown of engine parts.

It is best to use fuel made from 80% methanol and 20% castor or special synthetic oil. 5-10% nitromethane will improve engine starting and transient conditions.

Pay special attention to safety!

ALL ADJUSTMENTS, PUMPING FUEL, OR PUSHING ITS EXCESS THROUGH THE CARBURETOR ARE CARRIED OUT ONLY WITH THE POWER PLUG OFF! A STALLED ENGINE MAY START UP ABSOLUTELY WHEN THE PROPELLER IS CROPPED (DUE TO THE RESIDUAL HIGH TEMPERATURE OF THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND THE PLUG, EVEN WHEN THE PLUG IS DISCONNECTED) - BE CAREFUL - LET THE ENGINE COOL!

BE CAREFUL WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE. IT IS PREFERABLE TO HAVE AN ASSISTANT HOLD THE MODEL, IF THERE IS NO ONE, HOLD IT FIRMLY WITH YOUR HAND. MODERN MODEL ENGINES DEVELOP SUFFICIENTLY HIGH STATIC THRUST.

YOUR CLOTHING SHOULD NOT HAVE OPEN OR OPEN PARTS, LONG SCARS, MITTENS, TRANSMITTER STRAP, OR ANYTHING THAT COULD GET INTO THE ROTATING PROPELLER. THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANYTHING IN THE CHEST POCKETS THAT COULD FALL OUT WHEN TILTING OVER THE MODEL.

A ROTATING PROPELLER CAN CAUSE VERY SERIOUS INJURIES, WHICH ARE MOSTLY RESULTED BY MODELERS DUE TO CAREFUL OR INATTENTION. WORK CAREFULLY WITH YOUR HANDS - WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING AT FULL SPEED, THE DIAMETER OF THE PROPELLER IS VERY POORLY VISIBLE - IT'S EASY TO GET YOUR FINGERS INTO IT. THE INJURY WILL BE UNPLEASANT: WITH A LOT OF RED COLOR AND VERY PAINFUL.

Let's fly!

The long-awaited moment to which you have been working so hard has finally arrived. We start the engine, place the plane on the runway (or any wide and more or less flat path). We clamp the tail of the model between our legs so that the stabilizer is behind you, check the engine response, and once again check the correct operation of all steering surfaces. We let off the gas.

Taxiing. It's time to learn how to fly an airplane on the ground. Smoothly and very slightly increase the speed so that the model starts moving and try to drive in a straight line, turn around and ride back. For models with a nose strut, the task is not as simple as it seems at first glance (be careful - during a sharp turn, the model may fall on its side). What needs to be done now: set the steering wheel trimmer so that the model rolls straight when the handle is released. It may also be necessary to reduce the caster angles in order for the model to respond smoothly to steering.

Monitor the speed of the model and release the gas in time - at this stage you do not need to take off. Once you can correctly and quickly control the movement of the model on the ground, you will have a better chance of not driving into roadside bushes during takeoff. Although, to be honest, it won’t be possible without it. Be prepared that the first few attempts to take off will turn your plane into a roadside lawnmower. It's okay - it happens to everyone.

Flight plan. For every flight you need to have a clear plan in your head. Most accidents occur due to inconsistency and lack of an in-flight plan.

Our first flight plan:

Take-off, climb, turn 180 degrees, horizontal flight in the opposite direction past yourself, turn 180 degrees, horizontal flight,... and so on. Horizontal flight with turns is your first task. Then - landing.

Takeoff. Well, are you ready? Fill the tank, start the engine, check the engine response and steering surfaces again. It's time to look at your psychological state. Usually this is strong excitement and irrepressible trembling in the knees. Oddly enough, you won’t be able to wait out this state. A few deep breaths, complete composure - and we began.

It would be useful to remind you that you must take off strictly AGAINST THE WIND. No sideways! A silk ribbon tied to the tip of the antenna will help determine the direction of the wind.

Give full throttle very smoothly - the model will begin to accelerate, while it will try to deviate from straight-line movement - here your task is to keep it in the direction of takeoff, against the wind. This must be done with very small deflections of the rudder. Be careful - on high speed the model will be very sensitive to control. If you realize that you cannot keep it in a straight line, release the gas and start all over again.

After the model picks up speed, smoothly, quite a bit, push the elevator stick toward you. But not completely - otherwise you can immediately make a loop and put the plane with its nose into the ground. The model itself will take off from the ground and begin to climb after it reaches the required takeoff speed.

At this moment, a slight roll may occur, which must be “gently” but confidently and quickly countered with the ailerons. Try to keep the climb angle constant using the elevator. After gaining 40-50 meters of altitude, release the gas by half and go into horizontal flight.

Take off from hands. It is significantly different from taking off from a runway, and if you do have the opportunity to take off with landing gear, it is better to take it. How it's done?

Your assistant holds the model with both hands, above his head, strictly against the wind. Smoothly give full throttle and once again check the correct operation of the steering surfaces. The assistant makes a short run and pushes the model, releasing it from his hands at an angle of 10-15 degrees to the horizon. The task is not trivial, especially if you and your assistant are doing this for the first time. After the assistant releases the model, do not jerk the transmitter handles sharply! Before the plane gains sufficient speed, your task is to counter the emerging roll with ailerons using smooth, but confident, quick and short movements and maintain a constant, but fairly small climb angle. After gaining 40-50 meters, release the gas by half and go into horizontal flight.

180 degree turns and level flight. After gaining altitude and transitioning to level flight, it is time to make a 180-degree turn. In order to make a turn, give a slight roll with the ailerons in the direction of the turn and pull the elevator stick towards you. The plane will begin to turn around. Control the turn speed by deflecting the elevator.

Remember: Sudden and “sweeping” movements of the control handles will only lead to an accident.

After turning (don't forget to remove the plane's roll - it is unlikely to do this for you), you will fly past you downwind. After 200 meters, again make a 180-degree turn and fly against the wind. At this stage, the main thing is to try to keep the model at a constant height and monitor any possible roll.

Don't let the model fly away too far - otherwise it will be difficult to determine what is happening when you see a small dot instead of the model. There is a chance to "steer".

If you feel that you cannot cope with the model or cannot level it (or indeed in any critical position), quickly reduce the gas to minimum and release all control sticks to neutral - this will reduce the flight speed (as well as the shock from the fall) and give you the ability to figure out how the model is positioned relative to the ground...

You will probably immediately notice that the plane is constantly going up or down, banking left or right. It's time to trim it.

Trimming. Let's say the model is constantly descending and is tilting to the left. To compensate, you need to move the elevator trimmer toward you gradually, 2-3 clicks at a time, until the model stops changing height on its own. We compensate for the roll to the left with the aileron trimmer, moving it to the right. Perform trimming when the model is flying strictly against the wind - this will make your task much easier.

Landing. For the first flight, a couple of minutes with trimming attempts is enough. However, if after fifty seconds you feel that you cannot control the model, it is time to land. Move the model about a hundred meters downwind and make a 180-degree turn.

Landing, like takeoff, is carried out strictly against the wind. The place for your first planting should be grass, and not a concrete strip - even if the planting is not very successful, the consequences will be much less.

Stop the engine using the trim switch or a specially programmed switch on the transmitter. Try to let the model fly past you at a distance of no closer than 30 meters - it will be easier for you to control it. The plane will begin a gentle descent, which is best not to interfere with - even if the model clearly falls short of the intended landing point or overshoots it. When the plane is 1.5-2 meters from the ground, begin to very smoothly reduce the speed of descent using the elevator - take it “over” Do not make sudden movements - otherwise the model will lift its nose, lose speed and peck its nose into the ground, bounce off and turns up his nose again. Then everything will repeat itself. It is unlikely that it will be possible to land it safe and sound with such a “sinusoid”.

Do not forget to counter the resulting roll, otherwise the plane will fall over and catch on the ground with its wing. When the model descends to a height of less than a meter, there is no need to make any movements at all with the elevator. It is better to let the landing speed be a little higher than when you stick the model in after the nose dives. Touch. That's all! Without turning off the transmitter, run to the landing site! First of all, turn off the on-board power of the model, and only then the transmitter.

Results of the first flight. The most difficult thing in the first flight is to properly trim the model and make your first landing. Only an experienced instructor will help you do this competently and with minimal consequences. Did everything work out for you? Congratulations. If, to your delight, the model remained safe and sound, then before the next flight it won’t hurt to do a full inspection and check of the model, as well as all its elements, again. In the meantime... for now it’s better to sit on the grass, finally relax and completely replay the entire flight in your head. What exactly was the most difficult? What should you pay attention to on your next flight?

Well, one last warning: if on your first flights you think that you control the model well enough and are ready to “unlearn” a loop or barrel, we hasten to assure you that you will take the plane back in a very small package. It’s better to learn how to plant the model correctly and safely first.

Gliders

If you choose a glider as your training model, be sure to learn how to fly it in the simulator. The glider has one big difference from any other models - it does not have a motor. Therefore, it will not fly up on its own, no matter how hard you try.

When flying in the simulator, note that the glider has a certain minimum speed, below which it will nose-dive or stall. A real radio-controlled glider behaves exactly the same. Remember this well, and when flying, always maintain a speed slightly higher than your stall speed. However, the glider itself perfectly selects the rate of descent it needs, and all you have to do is not interfere with it doing this by raising the elevator too much.

To fly a glider, you need to choose a day with a slight, even wind.

Model setup

Before you fly, you need to trim the glider. In addition, it is advisable to understand what the flight speed of the model is so that when starting from your hand you do not throw it too weakly or too hard.

First let's run. We don’t need to control the model yet, so turn off the power and put the transmitter aside. We take the glider by the fuselage near the center of gravity, and, gradually accelerating, we run against the wind, holding the glider horizontally - i.e. the way it should fly.

At some point you will feel that the glider has stopped weighing at least a little and is flying on its own. Unclench your fingers while continuing to run synchronously with the model, but do not remove your hand and under no circumstances push the model!!! Be prepared to pick up the glider again if it decides to deviate from the straight line. After letting the model fly a few meters, catch it again. Repeat the experiment several times.

Let's analyze the results of the runs. Firstly, we determined the flight speed of the glider - at this speed we will launch it during the first hand launches. Secondly, if you notice a repeating tendency from run to run in the model to lean to the same side or raise or lower the nose, it's time to turn on the transmitter and receiver and move the appropriate trim to compensate for the effect. Of course, this is done only after re-checking for twists. If any twist in the wing or tail is detected, it is better to correct it at home. After rearranging the trimmer, we repeat the series of runs. You need to achieve a smooth, straight descent of the glider - the glider flies straight and level, and your hand follows it without touching it. Have you achieved it? Now you can fly.

Flying by hand

In principle, you can fly alone. But it’s better for a friend to go with you, whom you ask to launch the glider by hand, while you steer. There are two advantages: firstly, your hand does not get tired, and secondly, you can completely concentrate on control.

The purpose of flying (or rather, flying) from the hand is as follows:

get used to the feeling of controlling a flying model
feel the model's reaction to your commands
learn to maintain the linear movement of the model - with constant speed and course

This is done extremely simply. Turn on the transmitter, then the receiver. Once again we check the correct operation of the steering wheels. We run up and release the model. We don’t push, but rather release - for this, of course, you need to run at the speed of the model’s flight. The nose of the glider should be pointed slightly towards the ground, right or left roll should be avoided during take-off. Your task is to compensate for possible deviations of the model from the course with smooth, “millimeter” movements of the handles - let it fly in a straight line away from us. Keep in mind that the airframe will most likely respond very well to elevator deflection (be careful with this!) and with a slight delay to rudder or aileron deflection.

By repeating this process a certain number of times, you will understand how the behavior of the model is related to the commands you give.

As a rule, with a careful approach, the right weather and a minimum of luck, one day is enough to feel confident in controlling a hand-launched glider. In this case, the model remains intact or receives only minor damage.

Key points:

sharp sweeping movements of the handles are unacceptable - only smooth small deviations.
do not “tear” the nose of the glider - i.e. Don't pull the elevator too hard. Otherwise, you will “hang” the model, and it will “peck” its nose into the ground.
do not interfere with the glider's flight. He himself is quite good at this - training gliders fly best on their own, and pilot intervention is only needed to perform turns.
When starting from your hand, you cannot “throw”, “throw”, or “throw” the model. The correct start is to run with the glider until it reaches its takeoff speed.

If you feel like you've gotten the most out of hand flying, it's time to move on to real flying.

Start from the rail

Since the glider does not have its own engine, additional energy is needed to raise it to altitude.

For this we will use a line - a fishing line with a diameter of 0.8...1.2 mm and a length of 150-200 m. It’s okay at first if you have to knit a line from several shorter pieces. A flag or parachute made of bright fabric is attached to the end of the rail, clinging to the glider - it will signal that the glider is leaving the rail.

The glider is launched like a kite - the one who tightens the model, holds the fishing line at one end and runs towards the wind. The one who releases the model holds the glider attached to the other end of the rope and runs synchronously with the one pulling it. After a short run, the glider begins to rise. The addictive one runs until the glider reaches its maximum altitude. After this, the glider is unhooked from the rail. To do this, the person tightening must stop and loosen the handrail, which itself will come off the hook on the glider.

If the tightening speed is not enough to tighten the model - for example, in a calm state - tightening through a block or even a system of blocks is used. In this case, the end of the rope, which should be in the hands of the person pulling it, is fixed in the ground, and the glider is towed through a block. With such a tightening, the towing speed doubles, but the force that the tightener has to apply also doubles.

What to do if you don't have an assistant? In this case, we take a rubber band with a cross-section of 10...15 sq. mm and a length of about 30 m. We fix one end of it in the ground, and tie the second to the end of the handrail that should be in the hands of the person tightening it. We hook the glider to the rail, turn on the equipment - and move 60-70 meters downwind, stretching the rubber. We release a glider that reaches the required altitude in ten seconds.

To be fair, it should be said that starting from a rubber catapult, as a rule, allows you to reach a lower height than pulling on a rope with an assistant.

Actually, there are no particular difficulties in starting from a handrail - just try to thoroughly explain to the assistant who is pulling the glider what needs to be done, and during takeoff, keep the glider on a “straight up” course.

Landing a properly tuned glider is very simple - just level it into the wind, drop the handles and it will land on its own. Did it sit a little hard? Well...on the next landing, pull yourself a little bit half a meter from the ground, forcing the model to reduce its descent speed.

Despite the ease of launching the glider, there is always a risk of breaking it - just touch the ground with one of the winglets during landing, and the model will start spinning. Or, instinctively afraid of the ground, on landing you will pull too hard, suspending the model. The glider will nod, and failure is almost inevitable.

Therefore - attention, attention and attention again. Do not forget that the glider will not fly upward on its own.

What should you pay special attention to during high-altitude starts?

Have a flight plan in mind. To begin with, this is: flying against the wind at a fairly large distance, turning 180, short passage downwind, turning 180 again and flying against the wind again, and so on until landing.
Don't let the glider go to the wind! It should always be upwind of you - otherwise you risk losing it.
do not fly overhead - when you are looking straight up, it is very difficult to determine the direction of flight and the position of the model
again, don’t interfere with the model’s flight. It flies perfectly without your control and, if anything happens, it will land on its own. At first, limit yourself to studying reversals.

Once you have perfectly mastered the control of a training glider, you will be able to fly more or less passably on a training aircraft... or switch to a more advanced glider, starting to learn how to soar in updrafts.

A little about motor gliders. It is best to start flying in the same way as on regular ones - start by hand with the engine not running. Once you get the hang of it, you can start the engine and raise the model higher. There is one important point: the motor glider does not have a large reserve of thrust, and the engine power is only enough for the model to slowly gain altitude. Do not try to force the glider to climb at an angle of 45 degrees - it will inevitably lose speed and fall into a spiral. Try to keep the climb angle no more than 10...15 degrees. If you see that the glider has begun to lose speed, immediately lower the nose and let the model accelerate again.

There are no other differences between gliders and motor gliders, except perhaps the slightly higher flight speed of a motor glider due to its greater mass.

Electrolytes

The method of teaching electric aircraft flights contains part of the glider and part of the aircraft methods.

Before entering the field for the tenth time, check for twists and distortions. Particular attention is paid to longitudinal and transverse balancing.

Ideally, the field in which the electric aircraft will be flown is covered with tall, thick and soft (!) grass, and the wind is not strong and constant.

Approaches

Let's remember how we learned to throw a glider from our hands, and we will do the same. We will rush around the field with the model in our hand until we are 100% sure that the model released from our hand will fly straight and level.

If you happen to buy an electric plane, the minimum flight speed of which exceeds the maximum speed at which you can run, you will have to take the risk of lifting the model into the air with the motor already running.

However, I would like to hope that this did not happen. Therefore, let's run around the field with an airplane in hand, identifying bad tendencies - turning up the nose, stalling, etc. How to run correctly and what to look for while doing so is described in the chapter on gliders, and there is hardly any point in repeating this again.

So, the model is trimmed. You can move on to the approaches. We turn on the transmitter and receiver - and off we go. We don’t need the motor yet, so we don’t need to turn it on. Now the task is to manage the planning model.

And again everything that happened with gliders is repeated. Having released the model on our own or with the help of a friend, we try to keep it in a straight line directed towards the ground. Any deviations from the optimal descent line are punishable by restarting the model by hand, which delays the moment of motor takeoff. Practice until you feel one hundred percent confident that you can handle a gliding model on landing without any problems. Did you feel it? All. We recharge the batteries and...

Learning to fly an electric plane

It is assumed that you have spent a certain amount of time at the computer learning to fly in the simulator. In this case, a flight on an electric plane has a high chance of ending successfully. In fact, you mastered landing (and this is the most difficult thing!) during approaches, launching the model from your hand, you mastered staying in the air in the winter in the simulator, but takeoff... takeoff is simple. Remember how you made the approach and repeat the same operations, with the only difference being that you need to do this with the engine running.

Having turned the engine on full blast, we take a good run and release the model. Caution: Do not under any circumstances force the model to fly straight up. Allow it to fly at a constant altitude for at least fifty meters so that it picks up speed, and then you can take a little control of the steering wheel. Why is that? But because models with an electric motor, as a rule, have very mediocre traction, and when trying to climb intensively, they lose speed and fall.

While we are talking here, the model has already taken off. Let's not let her escape, and, having turned her around, we will begin the flight according to the plan, which (remember the beginning of the article?) should already be imprinted in your memory and, in an amicable way, rehearsed in the simulator. That's all, actually.

Landing will not cause any difficulties, because we have already studied it by launching the model by hand. We turn off the engine, and placing the model against the wind, we allow it to descend on its own to a height of one to one and a half meters, after which we slowly select the altitude “toward ourselves” to reduce the speed of the model’s descent. This must be done so that by the time it touches the ground the model has a very low vertical speed, and the horizontal speed is minimal and close to the stall speed. Of course, this will not work right away, but this is precisely what a field with thick grass was recommended for. Even if you plop a fast-flying model flat into it, in 90% of cases nothing will happen to it. True, the grass will not save you from vertical “sticking” of the model. So try to keep the model “in the horizon” before landing.

But what to do if the electric aircraft is so heavy that it does not want to fly anywhere without a motor “by hand”, and there is no runway in the area? One thing remains. Having selected the most complex model in the simulator, learn to control it perfectly, and fly at the lowest possible engine speed. This way you will gain reaction speed, although you will spend a lot more time on it.

After that, pick a day with a steady, medium-force wind and head to the field. Take your time to check that the model is ready to fly. With the engine running at full power, run into the wind and push the model straight. Not up, not down, not left or right, but straight. Make sure that at the moment of launch the plane does not acquire any roll and does not lift its nose up. Practice longer if necessary. It’s better to run away half to death than to launch the model incorrectly and then painstakingly restore it.

After such a start, the model must fly. Compensate for roll with smooth but quick movements of the sticks and, again, do not try to gain altitude until the model has accelerated to the required speed.

That's all.

Conclusion

In fact, learning to fly on your own is a very, very difficult thing. Not everyone has the enthusiasm to complete what they started - on the fifteenth repair of a broken model, your patience may burst. And even if it seems to you that this is not for you and you will definitely learn on your own, still make every effort to find an instructor. Not only will you learn to fly much faster, but you will also learn a lot of useful things.

What is described in the article is just the beginning. But starting is the hardest thing. Further training will go by leaps and bounds, once you learn how to take off, fly and land independently.

Good luck in your studies!

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