Basic Fixed Wing Aerobatics 101

By request,

Over the coming weeks i shall be adding some how too`s for basic aerobatics some writen by me some stolen taken from other sites hopfully this will be of use to somone

This section will cover:

Take offs
Loops
Rolls
Stall Turn
Bunt
Spin
Inverted flight
Landings

These of course all require a corectly trimed and balanced aircraft and this will be covered under a seperate title

M

Also if anyone else would like to add anything please feel free (less for me to do) particuly the compertition pilots amunst us

Mark when you get round to the trimming and balance section I've got a chart and an article as PDF files by Peter Goldsmith whose considered a guru on the topic

Biran thats great thats the one i was thinking of (its the one i use)

TAKE OFF

Now this may seem petty to some, or even seen as easy, But from my experiance traveling around the country aparently its not. The take off can set the tone for the rest of the flight hauling the plane into the air without enough airspeed will instantly demand a wrestle with the sticks to correct, a good take off will only require a small amount of Elevator!

• Its the very first thing you do, right at the start of the flight so why rush it,
  
• Check the wind and point the frount of the plane into it
  
• Make sure your engine is clear (hold the plane and give it a rev)
  
• slowly build up the engine revs (dont just slam it to full)
  
• alow the plane to build up speed (use small rudder corections to keep the track striaght)
  
• Tail draggers will lift there tail, Trikes will feel light on there feet
  
• Slowly feed in the ELE and get a feel for the plane (this is your last chance to abort)
  
• As the plane begins to "fly" hold just enough ELE in to climp out at a nice shallow angle
  
• Once suficiant hight is gained back off the throttle and begin your flight
  

Try to think about being on a plane, what dose that take off feel like, are you pinned back into the seat? I didnt think so

Hoppfully this will be of some use! of course if anyone wants to add or disagree please feel free

M

Thanks for that!
I need some tips and help for my A test!
Ive seen some people hold there model and put it full throttle, then let go and it SHOOTS off down the runway.

that just shows how worried they are about using the rudder, when it blasts down the runway there almost no need to use the rudder

LOOP

Normaly the first manover a newbie wants to do and a firm favorate of a seasoned flier, but i very rarely see on done corectly on my travels. Think of it as a big clock

• Fly into wind straight and level
  
• Increase the power slowly to full
  
• as the model passes 6 oclock you slowly feed in ELE
  
• as the plane begins to form a nice arc hold the same anount of ELE and use corective RUD and ALI
  
• The aim is to make it big and O
  
• as the the plane reaches 11 oclock slowly back of the power to just above Idle
  
• The plane should be striaght on dead inverted only as it passes 12 oclock you should just reach idle at 1 oclock
  
• dont be tempted to pull more ELE to get back to straight flight just let the plane come round
  
• As you pass 4 oclock slowly feed in the power again to aprox half to fly out the loop hopfully at the exact same point in the sky as you entered
  

Its all to easy to make a square, triangle or some other obsqure shape but a round loop thats where its at

As with every aerobatic move in the book practice is the key but what a good loop will give you is fine scence of using all the controls keep at it and you wont even think about it

One thing I like to see pilots do with their take offs is start to do it from the flight line ie across their line of vision. I don't expect them to do it straight away as standing behind the model makes steering orientation with the rudder much easier. I think by the time the "B" test comes around a pilot should have this skill under their belt. I know it's not a requisite of the test and it does require a well set up motor that you can leave idling at the end of the strip while you take up position on the flightline but it sure adds a degree of polish.Like many things it needs a degree of practice but I think applies no matter whether your flying aerobatics or a scale jobby. Tread carefully if you're going to give this a go keep the safety of others and yourself in mind at all times and as with all take offs if it gets out of hand abort the take off Keep up the good work Mark

Single Roll

Again a simple, easy move that requires little input apart from banging over the ALI stick or is it

Flying right to left rolling to the right

• Entrance is the same as the loop striaght and level into wind about half throttle
  
• Aply Right ALI and a little dab of up ELE (once you sart rolling dont alter the ALI as this will keep it looking smooth)
  
• As the plane reaches "wheels in " Knife edge (KE) aply alittle left RUD to keep the nose tracking straight
  
• As the plane passes KE feed out the RUD and feed in DOWN ELE (upstick) again to keep the track right
  
• once passed inverted feed out the ELE and feed in Right RUD to Canopy in KE
  
• Once Passed KE feed out the RUD as it roll back to straight and level (add a little ELE if required to sustaine level flight
  
• Exit the manover
  

As you can see to do it properly requires quite a few inputs that a good pilot will do without thinking, To this day ive never had a better insight to a roll than the one Rich B preaches "a good roll will last 2.5 secounds"

again practice, practice, practice its the only way you will learn, im found quite often doing a full 5 mins flying of just rolls

STALL TURN or Hamerhead

One of my fav`s, I do like a good stall turn and its one i struggle to get right as IMAC showed last year!

This is known as a turn around move and should be done at either end of the feild

• Same entrance as all the others straight and level about half throttle
  
• Fly out to a sensible distance
  
• Feed in Throttle to full
  
• Feed in ELE untill the plane is going vertical
  
• Use ALI to correct any roll and RUD to keep the track striaght
  
• Now slowly reduce Throttle asn see the plane loose airspeed
  
• With throttle at Idle the plane will slow almost to the point of stop
  
• It will take some judgment, With the plane still traveling up aply full RUD
  

It dosnt matter either left or right rudder BUT in the intrest of saftey (and to pass a B) its better to turn away from the flight line i.e Left side of the feild right stall turn Right side of the feild Left stall turn.

• The plane should spin around its wingtip once pointing striaght down get off the RUDD
  
• Contine with a vertical dive to build up some airspeed corecting any Roll with ALI and use the RUD to hold a straight track
  
• Begin to feed in some throttle and slowly feed in ELE
  
• Exit smoothly striaght and level at about halve throttle
  

Done properly there will be no fish tailing (plane wagging under rudder control) both the vertical climb and desent will be the same lengh (IMAC Tip : count to 4 on the way up and 4 on the way down) and NO power will be required to pull the plane over and this will take .................. yep you guessed it practice!

M

Bunt

This is my Dads method of detecting a good airplane, if your test flying a new plane i garante he will ask if it will do it

Basicly its a loop starting at the top, if flying from right to left

But be sure you have lots of hight

• Fly Down Wind striaght and level at hight
  
• Slowly reduce throttle to Idle and apply down ELE at 12 oclock
  
• Just like a loop set ELE travel and stick to it remeber your looking for a O
  
• With the plane at 9 oclock be sure you have enough hight if not apply power and ELE slowly to abort
  
• At about 8 oclock start to apply throttle
  
• 6 oclock plane level inverted
  
• 5 oclock your aproching full power
  
• 2 oclock begin to reduce Throttle
  
• 12 oclock Exit stright and level at the same hight you entered
  
• again you will have to make small corections throughout with ALI and RUD
  

When done corectly the Bunt is very pleasing on the eye, Practice will make perfect, this will also give you a feel for the plane being inverted, the ability to exit any manover confidently inverted will save you alot of plane repaires when you do get in a mess i garante it!

Spin

The spin is normaly a make or break move for the B test, and lots of hight is required (uless your Leigh)

For this example its a 2 turn spin

• Start at hight stright and level, half throttle into wind
  
• As the plane aproches 12 oclock reduce the throttle and Solwly feed in up ELE
  
• This will slow the plane up
  
• this will take some judgment but with the throttle at idle and ELE held in aply full ALI and RUD in the same direction
  

Once you have mastered this bit you need to get out of the habit of forcing the plane into a spin, you will simpley add the ALI and RUD to the droping wing

• Now the plane should be heading down verticaly spining
  
• Once the plane has completed 2 spins place all controls netural and the plane will stop spining (somtimes a quick dab of oposite everything will be needed)
  
• With the plane now flying verticaly down use this time to corect any over rotation
  
• Feed in Throttle and slowly apply ELE to exit the move
  
• If done corectly the plane should exit right in front of you and fly away in the same direction you entered
  

I storngly recomend you get a experianced pilot to try your plane before you try a spin, as a incorectly set up airplane can re kit itself faster than you would belive!

Practice is the key to the spin, a smooth entry and exit will impress you and your fellow fliers

Intrestingly at the WAC last year we saw examples of full size airobatic spins and they dont look right at all

Inverted Flight

Flying the plane upside down if and when you master this it opens up a hole new level of airobatic flying which you will find in "Advanced Airobatics 101"

Theres no real secret to inverted flight other than practice, practice, and more practice, Make sure you have lots of hight

• Start stright and level into wind at half throttle
  
• use ALI to roll the plane to inverted
  
• Remember the tips in the roll you, will need alittle down ELE to hold level fight
  
• Whilst at hight get a feel for what the controls do apply small inputs and see how the plane reacts
  
• If you get in trouble ROLL to level but DONT PANIC!!!!!!!
  

Panicing whist inverted will kill a plane! simple no if`s no but`s it will kill it,

Practice get a feel for the plane soon it will become secound nature and inverted curcits will become part of your "habit",

One tip I was taught, and have stuck to when flying inverted, is when holding what should be the small amount of down necessary to maintain level inverted flight is to just hold my thumb behind the stick and not on top. In this way you can ony push the stick which will make your aircraft climb if you give it too much, and it precludes you from pulling on the ELE stick which when inverted will take you towards the green stuff at a rate of knots. Pulling up elevator when inverted is one of if not the most common causes of a total wipeout. As Mark has said don't panic! if in doubt when inverted 1/2 roll out back to normal flight. One final point on inverted flight your ailerons still function the same unlike rudder and elevator which are reversed

Here's the links to the trim article and chart by Peter Goldsmith. I've hosted them on the club site as well. Don't know whether you want them in this thread Mark but I'm sure with your moderating powers you can shuffle them around
Trim Article
Trim Chart

The articles a bit heavy going but very useful nonetheless, the charts extremeley useful and I usually carry a laminated copy with me most times I'm flying

Rich B preaches "a good roll will last 2.5 secounds" . Everything Rich does takes 2.5 seconds

Regarding the Bunt or Outside loop, in Mark's tutorial, he mentions that you start into wind, normal Inside loops start into wind but with Bunts or Outside loops it is always better to start downwind.

From the BMFA handbook "B" cert. FW, fly downwind and complete one outside loop from the top ie. bunt.

Brian Colclough wrote:Rich B preaches "a good roll will last 2.5 secounds" . Everything Rich does takes 2.5 seconds

How did you know that Brian

Rich wrote:Regarding the Bunt or Outside loop, in Mark's tutorial, he mentions that you start into wind, normal Inside loops start into wind but with Bunts or Outside loops it is always better to start downwind.

From the BMFA handbook "B" cert. FW, fly downwind and complete one outside loop from the top ie. bunt.

there you go thats why mine are crap lol, I`ll change the description

M

intrestingly ive always considered the bunt and outside loop as 2 different things, a bunt starts from the top and a ouside loop i would start inverted at the bottom, must have that wrong to, see it was worth doing this to teach me somthing

M

Rich wrote:

Brian Colclough wrote:Rich B preaches "a good roll will last 2.5 secounds" . Everything Rich does takes 2.5 seconds

How did you know that Brian

Talked to the rally driver you used to service for

Landing

The landing is make or break for a good flight!, Nothing is more rewarding than a "greeser" and nothing more embarasing thank a dodgy one (ask me how i know)

I know some fliers that spend there hole flight worrying about getting it back on the ground. But every landing is different and even some of the very best in the world get it wrong somtimes, and you dont wont one looking like a galloping gerty



There is no definitive do this do that for a landing as there are many variables but follow a few basic gides and you will be reet!

• Land into wind
  
• Know whats going on around you call out "landing" and make sure people have heard you!
  
• Make your aproach Curcit nice and wide (gives you so much time to make corections)
  
• Have a run through to guage the conditions
  
• keep the glide angle nice a shallow (to steep and you will just gain speed)
  
• Use the ELE to "flare" out to level just before you touch
  
• If in doubt slowly power up and Abort (you will gain so much more respect from your fellow fliers for doing this than you will rushing a unsafe landing)
  

Once again the real secret to a good landing is practice, practice, practice, dont be scared of it, your flying the plane not the other way round

Take offs are optional landings are compulsory or inevitable

Nice thread Mark.

One thing that might be worth adding to the "take offs" post, well three things actually. The first is to check with pilots already on the strip/flying that it is okay to proceed (in case one is about to land or something). The second is to announce clearly that you are taking off. Finally, announce clearly when you are all clear.

Just think the message of talking to others whilst flying/taking off/landing should be hammered home really....

Anyway, when are we going to get to the really interesting posts on how to do that funky aerobatics move that ends in a crunch?!

Andy