I posted this on the E zone and got no responses, so I thought I would post it here too.
Hello,
I've been flying for a while now, but have never used any mixing on my setups. Until now, it's all been pure stick and rudder. That has been fine for my pleasure flying, but I wanna start getting serious about my pattern flying. My question is this, I'm familiar with the different types of mixes, but I'm not sure of what points most pilots turn off certain mixes. For example, Knife edge mixing. Once you set this up, when do you leave it on, and when do you turn it off. I guess I'm trying to figure out is what maneuvers would be hurt by leaving this mix, and say rudder to elevator, and rudder to aileron on all the time. Is there some mixes that are left on all the time? Any help would be appreciated .

Thanks,
Steven

I leave all mixes ON all the time. If the plane needs some up elevator when you give it rudder (left or right) to keep the knife edge on line, then it's going to get a little up anytime you deflect rudder. this turns out to be OK.

Originally Posted by dmcquinn

I leave all mixes ON all the time. If the plane needs some up elevator when you give it rudder (left or right) to keep the knife edge on line, then it's going to get a little up anytime you deflect rudder. this turns out to be OK.

I run it the same way!! I mix my plane only to knife edge. I want a perfectly straight line when I am on a knife edge. And I want it to knife edge straight down the runway hands off with only holding rudder. The way I have my plane setup it gives very little inputs so if I am straight and level and I feed rudder the plane hardly does anything. Same with upline corrections.

None of my mixes ever are turned off.

Seth

I turn my mixes off. I set them up along with high idle on the mix switch on my 10X. I turn them off for takeoff and landing.

I always leave my mixes turned on. Prefer to leave them on all the time. I set up different flight modes to incorporate take off (higher idle) and landing (lower idle).

Well I don't need an aileron to rudder mix on landing for knife edge. I don't need high idle on landing and I don't need elevator at idle mix for downlines at landing.

I want my plane to fly without mixes at landing. That way I can tell what the wind is or isn't doing to my plane.

Just personal preference. I've landed with the mixes on by accident a few times and managed fine.

Steven: We are all the same, mixes on all the time. To test this to be sure about it, fly straight and level and start to feed in rudder (like in KE flight, except be in level flight), you'll notice the nose will drop, needing up elevator. KE flight needs up elevator. Mixes on all the time for best results, esp. in pattern flying.

Hope this helps,
Dan Baker

Thanks everyone for your advise. Can't wait to get my mixes set up.

I agree with Dan Baker except for the hammer! I could never get a decent hammer with the rud -elev-ail turned on so I set up a Flight Mode with the mixing turned off. I turn the mixes back on when on the downline of the hammer.

flight Modes are a great invention!

Bobby aka TDD

Originally Posted by sweetpea

Well I don't need an aileron to rudder mix on landing for knife edge. I don't need high idle on landing and I don't need elevator at idle mix for downlines at landing.

I want my plane to fly without mixes at landing. That way I can tell what the wind is or isn't doing to my plane.

Just personal preference. I've landed with the mixes on by accident a few times and managed fine.

I am with Sweetpea on this one, on heavy cross wind landings I do not want to be wrestling with mixes and high idle throttles. I switch mixes on during climb out and mixes off on the downwind to land. Other than that the mixes are on. The mixes sure help on long slow rolls and long 4 points but you have to be on the rudder and off the rudder near the inverted portion or the mixes start working against you.

landing idle turns off my down elevator down line mix only.