rudder or engine thrust

[pipercub123]

	Quote: Originally Posted by zoomer260
	Me thinks I have wondered about this a little too. Most planes I have had required a little rudder imput on the uplines. But the plane does not "yaw" when I feed in a little rudder, it just goes up straight. Seems I had at least one kit that the vertical stab was actually built with it in on the plans ? Next season I am going to do more of what most seem to do these days and really try to get a plane to fly as completely neutral as I can.

I agree, pilot that plane sonny and use the rudder stick to make corrections! For pure contest like IMAC I can see going the extra to trim it out, but what has happened to the good ole days where flying a straight line was merely how well the pilot can feed in the inputs?

I too would like to get my plane to fly as neutral as possible so I'll likely be doing the same. I can't afford to wreck up a plane and I'd rather fly than build so I feel I'll have it longer by doing more IMAC flying and only careful 3D a few mistakes up!

[zoomer260]

I agree, it's getting interesting. Seems my planes back when had no built in right thrust but did have built in right vertical stab.

These days they all (I think) come with about 3 degrees right thrust and a straight stab. 'Course I've forgotten most of what I used to know back when. Quite a few times I "re-learn" something and remember that I used to know it already.

[nate428]

i do this thrust angle on maiden flights, i will only trim ale and start doing vertical climbs till i get a good read on what its doing. i want both elv and rudder centered and thrust angle on the motor adjusted to achieve near straight climbs. afterward i can worry about cg by flying canopy up, trim it, and then inverted. since i know my thrust angle is ok the planes reaction is probably going to be cg related only.

i found that if my rudder isn't centered it will cause wing rock in harriers.

[3D-Seth]

Trim the rudder first. Once the rudder is trimmed, then do your upline to see if you need more/less right thrust. All of my airplanes have a slight hint of right rudder trim when neutral to fly STRAIGHT. This has no effect on any maneuver if trimmed correctly. One thing to be sure of though: BE ABSOLUTELY SURE WHEN YOU PULL VERTICAL, THAT YOUR WINGS ARE LEVEL BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR PULL. EVEN IF YOUR WINGS ARE OFF 1º WHEN YOU PULL, YOU WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT YOUR UPLINE BY SEVERAL DEGREES.

Seth

[off2fly]

Good stuff!

[flyin woodbutcher]

you are not the only one. "Quite a few times I "re-learn" something and remember that I used to know it already. "

[octanehuffer]

Trimming a plane by my standards consists of noticing an adjustment being needed, flying the plane for a couple of days until I forget that it was never adjusted, then changing something on the plane and having to take 5 steps back in the trim process-- only to never adjust it again. I have been fighting one particular plane for over a year because I moved the Cg. Now it has a different amount of coupling. Its not much though. and yes I am a putz.

[RTK]

Carl Goldberg wrote an excellent article along with chart on how to trim an IMAC/pattern plane. As for thrust I run a few degrees and correct the rest/fine tune with a rudder to throttle mix and sometimes a throttle to elevator mix for down lines.
If I am lazy I do nothing and just correct with the sticks

[octanehuffer]

Wasnt that Pete Goldsmith. I have a printed 30 something page on how to do it by Pete.

[SportFlyer]

	Quote: Originally Posted by octanehuffer
	Trimming a plane by my standards consists of noticing an adjustment being needed, flying the plane for a couple of days until I forget that it was never adjusted, then changing something on the plane and having to take 5 steps back in the trim process-- only to never adjust it again. I have been fighting one particular plane for over a year because I moved the Cg. Now it has a different amount of coupling. Its not much though. and yes I am a putz.

Almost the same as I do...I learn to fly around it...but now that I'm bringing it closer to the ground I want to have less to fly around so that I don't fight it as much and lose the plane...

[RTK]

	Quote: Originally Posted by octanehuffer
	Wasnt that Pete Goldsmith. I have a printed 30 something page on how to do it by Pete.

Yes, I had a brain fart, must be getting old

[zoomer260]

I'm guessing that I have been lucky enough to not have a plane that flew so screwy that I had to adjust the thrust of the engine. But I have always just assumed I need to actually fly the plane in some attitudes. Knife edge being the most to fly straight. If I ever do actually pull the trigger on my next Extra I will put more time into it if needed.

As in a prior post maybe in a competition setting I too would strive for a hands off plane.