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Member for

18 years 11 months

Posts: 144

I could never understand the appeal of RC flying. I am used to flying proper planes and thought that RC planes took no skill and were boring. I am so sorry I ever thought this. I got a RC aircraft for my 21st and got to fly it yesterday. Great fun and HARD! I was surprised at how fast and high the plane could fly

We were flying it in college and me and about seven friends were flying it and taking turns etc. Then there was some nackers shouting at us so one of the lads, probably accidently cause we're beginners, bussed them (which I know is dangerous but they had fireworks and bangers) which made them go away. Now there's even a bigger group of us about to go flying today!

Cheers!

Original post

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 1,193

I think it is harder to fly radio-controled aircraft simply because you are flying from the "side-lines" rather than from inside the aircraft.........you have so much more to consider and that's what makes it so hard.........it all comes with practice.

Buzzing them was probably not such a good idea.......... :D :D :D Mark :D LOL :D :D :D

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 18,353

I actually found it easier to do if I thought about being in the cockpit, and thinking what would need to be done if it was an actual full-size plane.

Still crashed more than I cared to remember, though! :diablo:

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 1,193

I don't want to crash my spitfire.........taken me about 2 years to build so far. All that work for nothing :( :( :( Mark :D :D :D

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 1,077

Spifire Pilot, Buy a foam park flyer to learn on, the main thing is to get your thumbs wired up to your brain, once you don't have to think which way to move your thumbs, you will find it much easier to move onto the Spit.
I also use a PC simulator as well, with the Ikarus Game Commander (4 channel TX that plugs into your Joystick port) that helps.

Kicks, if you think fixed wing is hard, I have been flying my Heli off and on for 2 years, and still can't hover nose in for that long!

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 1,193

I will do just that. I thought of getting hold of a cessna 152 or something of that sort and install the radio gear and engine from my spitfire into it. I haven't flown 4 channel since I was about 7.......it's always been 2 channel :D :D :D Mark :D

I have Microsoft Flight Simulator 1998 (as well as Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 1 & 2) at home..........I was extremely proud of myself yesterday when I managed to take an Extra 300 under tower bridge.........inverted and at over 200 Knots :D :D :D That made my day :D :D :D

Member for

18 years 11 months

Posts: 144

A helicopter is my next purchase. I'm surprised that you said it was harder, although I believe you, I suppose people i've seen flying them make it look easier. The plane I was flying had a setting on it to make it easier. So yesterday we took that setting off and it can do everything! It's now impossable to land but the stunts you can do are brilliant!

Spitfire pilot, you should get an plane with an engine behind the cockpit so you can crash it as much as you want without any damage to the props!

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 1,193

True, very true.............I'm going to have so much fun with my spitfire :D :D :D

I think I'll take off and do a quick circuit of the field before bringing her in on finals..........that way I've got plenty of fuel left if I have to go round again :D :D :D Mark :D Do that several times and then I should be sorted :D :D :D

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 1,077

First thing to do is to practice taxying it around to get the feel of the throttle and controlling the throttle and rudder on the same stick (you will need this on takeoff & Landing) then take off and fly an oval race-track above and to the front of you and get the aircraft trimmed to fly almost hands off. Then try and fly the racetrack in the opposite direction, when you are happy with that, do a figure of 8 in both directions, then try a few approaches (with height to spare), each one a bit slower to get the feel of the controls (they get mushy at slow speeds/near the stall).

Please don't forget that the Aileron controls will be back to front when coming towards you. :eek:

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 1,193

I'll try :D :D :D Mark :D

Normally, if I crash one of my aircraft it's because I'm not used to the handling of it once it's airborne. If it survives the first flight then it shouldn't be too bad :D :D :D

Member for

18 years 11 months

Posts: 144

I'll try :D :D :D Mark :D

Normally, if I crash one of my aircraft it's because I'm not used to the handling of it once it's airborne. If it survives the first flight then it shouldn't be too bad :D :D :D

That's what I thought. I was on my, roughly, tenth flight and I was trying to pull it out of a loop de loop and it smacked into the ground. The back end looks like it went up against an F-15 or something. Everythings in bits.

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 1,193

Christ :eek: :eek: :eek:

I'm not going to try anything too hasty for quite a while. I want to get used to the handling first and then work my way up.

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 1,077

Christ :eek: :eek: :eek:

I'm not going to try anything too hasty for quite a while. I want to get used to the handling first and then work my way up.

Good plan!

My wife expected me to crash less as I gained proficiency with my heli, all that has happened is that I try more complex manevures at higher speed, so the crashes are more spectacular!

The most common fixed wing crash I have had is to get the ailerons mixed up on approach, find yourself upside down and diving, and then panic and pull up.... :eek: I can rebuild the cowling on one of my trainers without the plans now!

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 1,193

:D :D :D LMAO :D I think the most spectacular crash I have seen was at one of the airshows at my grandparents farm. The pilot had 30 seconds to climb as high as possible before stall-turning and diving while doing as many rolls as possible, pulling out of the dive and landing successfully. The winner was the pilot who did all of this and did the most rolls.

One pilot climbed, stall-turned, rolled and when he tried to pull out of the dive he overbanked his aircraft, which then inverted and dived into the ground (probably for the same reason as you said above). That was funny :D :D :D