Flight Techniques Archives - Model Airplane News

RC Aerobatics: Fly the Avalanche

Let’s discuss a maneuver called the “avalanche.” You can learn from the fundamentals in this exciting move. For example, I’m sure a lot of you have performed a basic loop. In fact, the loop is the first aerobatic maneuver that many people perform. The avalanche is a basic loop, but has one addition to it. At […]

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 […]

RC Aerobatics – Mastering the tailslide

A typical tailslide begins from upright level flight parallel to the runway. The pilot then applies throttle and performs a 1/4 loop to enter a vertical up-line. After the vertical line is established, the pilot gradually pulls the throttle back to idle. The aircraft will slow down and eventually will come to a stop. At that […]

RC Airplane – Aerobatic Flight tips: Knife-Edge Flight Secrets

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 […]

RC Aerobatics – Master the Harrier Pass

A major cornerstone of 3D flying, the harrier pass consists of flying an airplane at a very high angle of attack at a very low airspeed. In this “high alpha” or post-stall position, it can be said that the plane is flying more on the prop than on the wing. Control during a harrier is […]

RC Aerobatics: Fly the Cuban-8

This precision aerobatic maneuver looks like a figure-S lying on its side. It consists of a 3/4 loop with a 1/2, roll as the plane flies inverted downward at a 45·degree angle, followed by another ¾ loop and another 1/2 roll during the second descending angle. It is especially impressive when performed close to the […]

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 […]

Fly the Avalanche

The Avalanche will cause spectators to gasp, especially when performed close to the ground. The surprise is that both maneuvers date back to a time long before 3D was even an aerobatic style. We enlisted the help of our good friend, aerobatic pilot and designer Mike McConville, to guide you through this maneuver and offer some tips […]

Flight Technique: Secrets to Inverted Flight

Nearly all aerobatic maneuvers involve some segment(s) of inverted flight, so to keep progressing, you need to develop proficiency with inverted flight. To start, let’s do away with the often ... Continue reading ... Join our premium membership!

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 […]

No more flat loops!

Guard against making the common mistake of releasing too much elevator, aka “hunting,” during the float and thus creating a flat spot on top of the loop. This occurs for the same reason people overcontrol at every skill level: they want to see their inputs doing something. Instead, you should concentrate on smoothly reducing the […]

RC Airplane Stall and Spin Recovery Tips

The stall, or more accurately the inadvertent stall, has probably caused more RC planes to crash than any other cause. The safety of your airplane depends on your knowledge of its slow-speed handling and stall characteristics. To minimize the number of crashes due to stalls, the pilot must understand the principles of what makes a […]