Flight Techniques

Tips to become a better pilot


The Master shares his secrets

The Master shares his secrets

What maneuver does the “Father of 3D” Quique Samonzini most enjoy flying? Quique says, “I like them all, but if I had to choose one, it would be a well-done torque roll. It’s a really popular maneuver now. But when it is done show center, low to the ground with constant rotation that never stops […]
Master the Waterfall

Master the Waterfall

When you’re flying a stable elevator, you can perform an inside “waterfall” (micro loop) by maintaining full up-elevator, and applying full power and a little right rudder to correct for increased propwash and P-factor. On the back side of the loop, quickly cut the power and neutralize the rudder. Then, at the instant the fuselage […]
Secrets to Inverted Flight

Secrets to Inverted Flight

Regardless of the type of airplane you fly, whether it’s a warbird, an EDF jet or a Piper Cub, nearly all aerobatic maneuvers involve some inverted flight. So to keep improving your flight skills, you need to develop proficiency with inverted flight. To start, let’s do away with the often repeated reference to the elevator […]
Flight tips for Knife-Edge Flight

Flight tips for Knife-Edge Flight

On your first attempts, it’s wise to enter your knife-edge maneuvers from a slight climb to buy yourself some extra time to think through the steps so you don’t finding yourself rushing to recover. You’ll also find it much easier to build your first sustained knife-edge if you initially roll the airplane in the same […]
Perfect the Positive Snap Roll

Perfect the Positive Snap Roll

At the start of their flying careers, some pilots can only perform certain maneuvers from a particular direction. The proficient pilot, though, must be able to execute figures in all directions. Being able to apply corrective inputs in all directions, no matter what orientation the aircraft is in, is a critical skill. The positive snap […]
Slow Rolls — Wow the Crowd

Slow Rolls — Wow the Crowd

Want to spice up this weekend’s flying? The slow roll is a challenging classic maneuver that’s actually much harder to perform than it looks. With a little practice, though, you’ll be ready to put on a show!  Enter straight and level, full-power roll left Slowly add right rudder Maximum right rudder Smoothly release right rudder […]
Rudder: Use it to Fly Better!

Rudder: Use it to Fly Better!

Actually, pilots should begin their flying careers by using rudder from the very beginning. One of the ways we used to help beginner pilots is by programming in an aileron/rudder mix from the very start. This improves the plane’s performance by eliminating adverse yaw, which is the opposite yaw or skid inherent with aileron deflections […]
Fly the Figure-6 with a half-roll down

Fly the Figure-6 with a half-roll down

This maneuver  takes elements from both the roll and an outside loop. It is known as a turnaround maneuver as once executed, it will change the direction in which the airplane is travelling. During this maneuver, you should orient the aircraft parallel to the runway, flying upright at an altitude of about 600 feet. The […]
RC Airplane Flight Tech: Prepare for landing!

RC Airplane Flight Tech: Prepare for landing!

Someone told me once that landing is the only maneuver that we fly that is absolutely mandatory. If you think about it, this makes complete sense. We don’t have to take off, but once we do, the only thing that we must do is land! So, once you have takeoff down, it’s a good idea […]
Fly a Negative Snap from an Inverted Climb

Fly a Negative Snap from an Inverted Climb

There is no doubt that many aerobatic enthusiasts are interested in performing extreme moves. It is important, however, to build your aerobatic sequences on a solid foundation. Years ago, when I first became interested in aerobatics, 3D flying did not exist. Instead, we concentrated on precision aerobatics and honed our skills while competing at various […]
Model Airplane Flight Tech: Windy day? Expert landing advice

Model Airplane Flight Tech: Windy day? Expert landing advice

A common landing mistake is pointing the fuselage toward the runway during the approach in a crosswind. Note that while an airplane will crab into a cross-wind, it will continue to fly in a straight line as long as the wings are level. Therefore, rather than pointing the fuselage where you want the plane to […]
RC Airplane Aerobatics: Master the Rolling Circle

RC Airplane Aerobatics: Master the Rolling Circle

One of the most challenging and admired maneuvers in all of aerobatics is the rolling circle. As a rule, you can achieve early success learning most maneuvers as long as you first understand the proper control inputs, and hand-eye coordination adds the final touches to perform the maneuver nearly perfectly. The rolling circle, however, is even […]
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