RADIO CONTROL SCALE AEROBATICS
Mike Hurley, 11542 Decatur Ct., Westminster, CO 80234; E-mail: mike.hurley1@comcast.net
One of the most difficult steps in becoming a skilled pilot is mastering rudder control. If getting the left thumb to even move horizontally isn't hard enough, you also have to understand the orientation of the rudder in reference to the airplane's attitude. Every time you make a turn or a roll, the darn thing swaps direction on you!
In controlling flight in 3-D and correcting heading for precision figures, getting the rudder direction right the first time is critical. If you are continually moving the model and flying fluidly, using the rudder is not so hard. It's when you have to start from varying attitudes and need rudder input from a dead straight line that things really get tricky.
Rudder during rolls
For most rolls (except those started on up- or down-vertical lines), I use rudder input to keep the airplane on heading. As you get better, you can start using these inputs for point rolls and then later adjust your timing to nail rolling circles.
- During a full roll you will need rudder input twice—on the first quarter and the third quarter. The second rudder input during the roll will be opposite the first input.
- A roll started from upright: the rudder input is opposite the aileron stick direction. For example, if you roll right, a slight left rudder as you pass the first quarter keeps the model flying level.
- A roll started from inverted: the rudder input follows the aileron stick. So a right roll from inverted uses right rudder in the first quarter.
When you're starting out you might not use rudder during a roll, but as you gain skill you should add these small inputs to improve heading control.
Down-lines and orientation
For down-lines everything reverses again. If you are looking at the canopy on a down-line, the stick will move (control) the tail. If you are looking at the belly, the stick moves the same direction as the nose.
When the airplane is upright and flying away from you, it's just like being in the cockpit—you fly the nose of the airplane. But when it's coming toward you, how do you know how to make a rudder correction? Fly the tail. With your rudder stick, move the tail in the direction you need it to go to make the desired correction.
To generalize, think of this as controlling the far side of the model:
- Upright: fly the end that is farthest from you.
- Upright and flying toward you: fly the tail.
- Upright and flying away from you: fly the nose.
- Inverted: fly the end that is closest to you.
- Inverted and flying toward you: rudder correlates with the nose.
- Inverted and flying away from you: rudder correlates with the tail.
Upright — fly the far end of the model; inverted — fly the closest end.
Why this matters
Why go to so much trouble when all of this is confusing? Most of us who fly RC are visual people. We depend on visual references to control the model, and it's much more comfortable to see the airplane move correctly in reference to your input. When your model reacts opposite of what you expect, it can get confusing and disorienting quickly.
If you simply focus on the right end of the airplane as you make corrections, the model will move as expected and total control is simplified. When you begin to experiment with inverted Harriers close-in, an instant correction can save your skin. Controlling the rudder with first-input accuracy is paramount to scoring high in sequences and being able to control those low-and-slow high-alpha maneuvers.
Start out with just a few of these rules, practice simple up- and down-line corrections, and add the rest as they become second nature.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
