Conference vmszoo::rc

    interesting but (I don't have the exact figures)
    
    a study was done where three groups of individuals were asked to
    try and sink free throws. The data of their success was developed
    into a baseline.
    
    The first group was asked to proctice one hour per day on a basketball
    court.
    
    The second group was asked to not even step foot onany basketball
    court.
    
    The third group was asked to practice in their minds shooting free
    throw for one hour per day.
    
    After 30 days the three groups were brought back and again went
    through the test of shooting the free throws.
    
    I don't have the specifics but group number one improved by app
    12% over their first test.
    
    Group number two improved some 3% over the test
    Group three improved some 11% over the test.
    
    
    
    What this was trying to show is that the physical task was achievable
    by all three groups.  Practice whether physical of mental is ment
    to (for the most part) improve the mental aspect of the activity.
    
    
    Tom

    
    	Great stuff John, thanks for getting us all back on the proper
    "plane". My practice tonight will be "focused"
    
    Remember "dont just practice, practice perfection!!"
    
    			Bob Page
    
    PS I hope Mark reads this!!
    
    

    I feel I have to learn to fly all over again. Maybe this isn't the
    place for this but yesterday at the field I was flying with a gentlman
    who told me I have to educate my thumb and use rudder when I fly
    (turn's, and landing mainly). I thought I was doing O.K with just
    the ailerons and elevator and saveing the rudder for take off's
    and landing (with the exception of snap rolls and hammer head's).
    I know three chanel ships fly and turn quite nice with rudder and
    elevator, thats the way I started, and going to four chanel was
    a bit of an adjustment. Now it seems I've got to change my way of
    thinking again and confuse myself a little further. I know this
    sounds like a complaint but it's not. What I'm looking for is, first,
    how many of you out there use your rudder as a primary flight control,
    and second, because I'm always willing to learn something new, is
    there any way or manuver's that would help someone get used to using
    the rudder (does the same rule apply, push the stick to the low
    wing when heading twords yourself in the case of the rudder, it
    must huh?) I've been fly four chanel about three + years now and
    think I do pretty well for myself but I want to be a good pilot
    not just good enough. Thanks for listening.
                                                          Jim 

    Jim,
    
    While a flier can get by pretty well without it, especially on smaller
    aircraft, the rudder is, indeed, a primary flight control.  This
    may be harder to accept for those who've never done any full-scale
    flying where the absence of correctly co-ordinated rudder can be
    felt in the seat of one's pants but the fact is, it's very true.
    
    Remember that rudder controls the yaw axis where ailerons control
    the roll axis.  True enough, a turn can be executed using either
    control separately, the "correct" method involves co-ordinating
    _both_ controls.  Basically, the idea is that ailerons alone create
    drag which tends to swing the nose in the direction opposite the
    turn (this is called adverse yaw and _all_ aircraft exhibit this
    behavior to greater or lesser extents).  To counter this undesireable
    effect, rudder (in the same direction as the ailerons) is used to keep 
    the nose swinging in the desired direction.  Failure to use
    co-ordinated rudder results in a sloppy turn which either "skids"
    or "tucks-in" around the corner.  These effects are woefully obvious
    when sitting in the cockpit but less so with our models, however,
    take my word for it, they _are_ occucrring!
    
    Larger models, especially high wingers, exhibit adverse yaw to the
    extent that the uninitiated pilot may feel his radio has quit as,
    when he applies aileron, the ship almost ignores him or, in extreme
    [but NOT rare] cases, it actually tries to turn in the opposite 
    direction.  More than just appearing sloppy, this can actually be
    deadly while low and slow (like in a landing approach) when, already
    close to stall, you apply aileron only and the drag actually induces
    the stall.  The cure for all this, and the only way to become a
    complete pilot, R/C or otherwise, is to USE RUDDER..., educate that
    left thumb (or fingers).
    
    How?  By practicing making turns with rudder and elevator ONLY.
    Start at a safe altitude 'til you get the feel of things.  BTW,
    this is good drill anyway for that time when you have to emergency
    land a bird with crippled or failed ailerons.  Oh, and yes, the
    perspectives and rules are the same as for aileron when the airplane
    is coming toward you.  This exercise will feel a bit awkward at
    first, banking with the left stick and rotating the turn with the
    right but you'll get a bit of a feel for what mode-I feels like
    in the bargain.  Practice this a bit each and every flight then,
    when it begine to feel natural, start working the rudder into aileron
    turns.  In time, it'll feel automatic and the "visual" quality of
    your flying will take a quantum leap, not to mention the fact that
    you'll actually be flying more safely as well as being a much more
    accomplished pilot. 

      |
      | |      00	 Adios,      Al
    |_|_|      ( >o
      |    Z__(O_\_	(The Desert Rat)

RE: < Note 924.6 by DISCVR::JONEILL >

    Jim,

    Yes, it IS important to use the rudder for takeoff and especially
    landing.  The reason is that when you're flying slow, the plane is
    much more likely to stall only one wing and snap roll into the dirt
    if you don't use rudder.  Using rudder with your turns helps to keep
    both wings flying together.  So much for the layman's explanation,
    now for an attempt at a little more technical one:

    When you make a turn with ailerons only, a condition happens called
    "adverse yaw".  This is easiest to explain with an example.  Imagine
    the plane is flying straight and level and you then give it some
    left aileron.  As you know, this causes the left aileron to go up
    and decreases the lift on the left wing, causing it to drop.  At the
    same time, the right aileron goes down and increases the lift on the
    right wing, causing it to rise.  Now here's where the adverse yaw
    comes in.  Assuming the ailerons go up and down the same amount
    (like most beginner and sport planes do), the following happens: 
    The amount of drag created by the right aileron going down is
    greater than the drag created by the left aileron going up.  Thus,
    the right wing is pulled back as if you had given it some right
    rudder.  In other words, if you give the plane LEFT aileron with no
    rudder, the plane will bank to the left, but it also yaws to the
    right, behaving as if you had given it RIGHT rudder in the process.

    "So," you ask, "why is this a bad thing?"  Imagine the situation
    GREATLY exaggerated.  The plane is in a 45 degree left bank and
    suddenly you crank in full right rudder.  This causes the right wing
    to move backwards, slowing it down while the left wing goes forward,
    speeding it up.  If you are flying slow and near stall speed, this
    can cause the right wing to stall.  So even though you are in a left
    bank, the plane will suddenly snap roll to the right (usually into
    mother earth).  (Believe me - I know.  The Electrostreak did this at
    least 2 or 3 times.)

    To avoid this VERY unpleasant situation, when making a left turn
    with ailerons, also add a little left rudder to keep that right wing
    forward and above stall speed.  When you're in a situation where you
    have to fly very slow (as in a dead stick landing), concentrate on
    using the rudder more than the ailerons.  Also remember that the
    stall speed INCREASES with tighter, steeper and more abrupt turns.

    So, when you're flying low and slow, go VERY gentle on the ailerons
    and be generous with the rudder.  Keep the turns as gradual, smooth,
    and flat (un-steep) as possible to get to where you want to go.

                - Dan "Snap-Roll-on-Landing-Expert" Miner

                       _____
                      |     \
                      |      \                          Silent POWER!
      _        ___________    _________   |            Happy Landings!
     | \      |           |  |         |  |
     |--------|-  SANYO  + ]-|  ASTRO  |--|              - Dan Miner
     |_/      |___________|  |_________|  |
                      |       /           |     " The Earth needs more OZONE,
                      |      /                       not Caster Oil!! "    
                      |_____/

    Al, Dan,
    	Thanks for sharing that.  I too use ONLY ailerons while turning.
    And last weekend while flying in a pretty good wind, I had something
    similar happen.  While going down wind at a good clip, I fed in full
    left aileron, the plane started to bank left, but kept going until it
    looked like it was turning to the right!  Being very concerned at this
    point, I fed in full left rudder and the plane finally responded.  I
    couldn't figure out what had happened,,,,,until now.  Thanks!
    
    That also explains why last summer when I took a introductory ride
    in a Cessna 152 I ended up using rudder during a bank.  I wasn't
    sure why, since I didn't use it on my Eaglet.  But now I know. 
    Isn't this a great notesfile?!
    
    Ken

    Ciao flyers... I'm new to RC (past exper'ce in U-Cont when I was
    a kid many, many yrs ago) and have a WorldEngines EXPERT radio
    and a powered-glider (super-Quark), 6' wing, 1.5CC, weight ~1.5lb.
    Managed to get up and down (several pieces..)5 times. I am working
    over the net so can't do alot of searching for info on 'how to fly'
    so am looking for some pointers on procedures. For example some
    folks here told me to use both sticks while learning, left for elevator
    and right for rudder, others say use left for both.. Hell, I have
    a hard time figuring out the language... and can't find any info
    here in Italy on getting started.. For instance when making a turn
    should I use some up elevator of just turn slowly? 
    Getting her up under power (hand launch) is ok but when I get close
    to earth then the fun begins. The first flight, after engine shut-down,
    I managed to get into a dive (I think by too much rudder, but I
    can't be sure..) and all but ripped off the wings... At least I
    modified the wings into a V shape but all held together until I
    stalled at about 10' and really modified the whole plane.. All back
    together but I am getting tired of rebuilding after each flight..
    
    Having a ball, though, but could use some basic pointers and/or
    some idea where I might order a basic magazine. Nothing here in
    any language except the high-tech stuff.
    
    Grazie e ciao a tutti! (thanks and high to all), Ed