randii

How do I establish, maintain, and practice control of my fixed-pitch heli within the ground effect layer?

I noodled on this some here: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Trai...1493730/tm.htm
...but that was a rhetorical thought on CP/FP training.

My specific issue relates to what I see when I practice. As I spool up the rotor, I need to provide right cyclic to keep the heli in place (small other adjustments, as well, but primarily right cylic). As I continue to gradually throttle up, I can balance the heli on its right skid, but taking it vertical from there defies me, unless I've got the training gear strapped on (and that gear makes the heli vibrate horribly).

The heli has plenty of lift (I can burst-throttle it straight up) and is fairly well trimmed (it bursts nearly straight up), but I don't do too well transitioning from a burst to a hover, and I feel more secure closer to the ground (shorter falls), which keeps me in GE. Most FP guys I have seen fly still jump up and down through GE, spending as little time in it as possible, regardless of their skill level... is there no better way to approach this?

I am bidding on a coupla sims on Ebay, but I vastly prefer real-world training exercises (you've probably heard the saying: "A good simulator check ride is like successful surgery on a corpse"). Can anyone recommend exercises that practice establishing, maintaining, and practicing control of my fixed-pitch heli within GE?

Randii

leith

The skids should not make the Heli vibrate if they are securely attached and the blades are balanced both for CG nd weight. If you have the balls on take them off and try. I found the balls caused more problems than they solved. To overcome the tendancy to drift left, I permanently set a bit of right cyclic into the servo adjustment with neutral trim, then you can remove or add to it as required with the trim. While training its too hard to compensate for this left drift using the stick, you have to trim it out.
I found by using the least sensitive, inner holes on the servo horns while learning, you cant over compensate the drifts as easy

Smithaw

My Feedback: (2)

I have an Aerohawk and have succesfully kept it in the air now for almost two minutes =D. One thing that i would suggest doing is trying to get the heli about a foot in the air. This is how i really started to learn to fly because you are pretty much out of GE but if something does go wrong you can power off and the heli will fall completly harm free. Also at only a foot it doesn't really have time to turn on its side unless you really giving it some cyclic. Anyway i hope this can help you to learn a little bit more. Sometimes you have to be a little daring, even though you really try not to be as much as possible.

techcoast

About the landing gear, if you hav the training gear on, move the balls so they are only about 2" away from the skids. Then clip the remainder off.. I notice that my HB gets some nasty vibrations if I have the long stems on there. Once I cliped them, it runs very stable. You will encounter some GE until about 1ft off the ground as mentioned in the previouse posting. Just make sure everything is ballanced and having your blades tightend correctly makes a HUGE difference!!

techcoast

I should mention that the two inches is BEFORE the balls, and that you should continue the rod through the balls. Total length will be approx 6" for each individual leg of the training gear!!