14-02-2013, 10:27 AM
landing is all in the approach. If the approach isn't right then it's not going to end well!!
I allways say if the approach isn't comfortable then go around and have another go.
For some reason, with most new RC Pilots there is this compelling urge to get the model on the ground ASAP once the decision to land has been made. In general this is a mistake, one should allways land with the direct intention of going around if the approach isn't just right.
If the approach isn't ligned up spot on then corrections will have to be made close to the ground and this removes the pilots focus from concentrating on maintaining the sink rake, the air speed, the elevator and throttle settings. To land these have all got to be right and this needs to be set up a fair way out. You cant expect to keep all that together for a nice decent if your moving the ailerons and rudder about to correct a badly aligned approach. You may get away with it if the plane is a very forgiving one but it's a bad habbit and it will cost an airframe sooner or later.
Another thing I see a lot of pilots do is flair way too high. They come in from a nicely aligned approach with about the correct speed looking great and then when they are 6 or 8ft off the ground they flair the model, so it slows up and drops like a stone to the ground
The place to flair is 6-8 inches off the the ground not 6 to 8 ft. This seems like another barrier that takes a while to break through. What they are doing wrong is trying to slow the plane up using elevator. This is no good because what happens is, speed gets traded for height then the plane stalls way off the ground, drops like a stone and the under carrage gets damaged or worse.
The way to bring a plane in is, firstly get it ligned up a long way out!!
Then get it in an attitude where it will fly slow. This means holding a little elevator so the plane will fly slow but not enough elevator to make it stall.
Hold this attitude all the way from way out there to 6 inches off the ground!!
The plane will start comming down because it's slowing up, you are holding enough elevator so that if you open the throttle it will climb but not enough to make it stall. This is a key point, find that elevator setting early and maintain that elevator setting don't change it!!
Watch the model's verticle speed and make corrections with the throttle only. What you are doing is controlling the rate of decent with the motor while holding a constant angle of attack on the wing using the elevator.
Do not use elevator to slow up, land longer or if your too fast, go around.
It pays big divedends to do heaps of practice approaches, landings are a compulsory manouver after all
I allways say if the approach isn't comfortable then go around and have another go.
For some reason, with most new RC Pilots there is this compelling urge to get the model on the ground ASAP once the decision to land has been made. In general this is a mistake, one should allways land with the direct intention of going around if the approach isn't just right.
If the approach isn't ligned up spot on then corrections will have to be made close to the ground and this removes the pilots focus from concentrating on maintaining the sink rake, the air speed, the elevator and throttle settings. To land these have all got to be right and this needs to be set up a fair way out. You cant expect to keep all that together for a nice decent if your moving the ailerons and rudder about to correct a badly aligned approach. You may get away with it if the plane is a very forgiving one but it's a bad habbit and it will cost an airframe sooner or later.
Another thing I see a lot of pilots do is flair way too high. They come in from a nicely aligned approach with about the correct speed looking great and then when they are 6 or 8ft off the ground they flair the model, so it slows up and drops like a stone to the ground
The place to flair is 6-8 inches off the the ground not 6 to 8 ft. This seems like another barrier that takes a while to break through. What they are doing wrong is trying to slow the plane up using elevator. This is no good because what happens is, speed gets traded for height then the plane stalls way off the ground, drops like a stone and the under carrage gets damaged or worse.
The way to bring a plane in is, firstly get it ligned up a long way out!!
Then get it in an attitude where it will fly slow. This means holding a little elevator so the plane will fly slow but not enough elevator to make it stall.
Hold this attitude all the way from way out there to 6 inches off the ground!!
The plane will start comming down because it's slowing up, you are holding enough elevator so that if you open the throttle it will climb but not enough to make it stall. This is a key point, find that elevator setting early and maintain that elevator setting don't change it!!
Watch the model's verticle speed and make corrections with the throttle only. What you are doing is controlling the rate of decent with the motor while holding a constant angle of attack on the wing using the elevator.
Do not use elevator to slow up, land longer or if your too fast, go around.
It pays big divedends to do heaps of practice approaches, landings are a compulsory manouver after all
“The knack of flying is learning how to throw your machine at the ground and miss.”
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your thoughts turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." ~Leonardo Da Vinci