Flying Precision Aerobatics in Crosswinds Correcting Wind Drift in Crosswinds ° Straight Flight ¢ Point Rolls ° Square Loops ¢ Wind Correction Chart ¢ MUCH MOREI!!!! Learn * How to “Stealth” Wind Corrections * When to “Roll the Canopy” into the Wind « How to Use “Pitch Control” to Correct Drift © To Roll the “Right” Way in Cuban 8’s MUCH MORE!!!! Written by Wayne ApostolicoSrosswine Flyirig * A Pilot’s Manual * by Wayne Apostolico Flying Precision Aerobatics in CrosswindsAcknowledgement To my wife Judy who suggested that this publication be written and whose support, help and encouragement I've had for many years. Mi Gemstone Publications 3502 West 96th Circle Westminster, Colorado 80030 © Copyright 1993 By D. Wayne Apostolico All Rights Reserved PEERREEEEEEEEEE Table of Contents Subjects Page * Acknowledgement 4 e Table of Contents 3 e — Introduction 47 ¢ Techniques for Correcting Wind Drift in: Straight Flight 8-10 Vertical Lines 10-12 Loops 12-13 Stall Turns 13-17 Immelman Turns 18-20 Cuban Eights 21-23 Point Rolls 24-25 Square Loops 26-29 ¢ Tips for Beginners 30-34 e = Take Off Tips 35 e Landing Tips 36 e¢ CAD Illustrations 37-42 e Pattern Weight Tracking Charts 43 e Travel Check List 44 ¢ Crosswind Correction Chart 45-46 e Conclusion 47 e About the Author 48 e Charts 49-53 ¢ Order Form 54 aieIn a crosswind: # Do you roll the wrong way in cuban 8's ? * Do you apply rudder only in stall turns ? # Do you know how to use elevator in point rolls to correct drift ? # Do you know how to “Stealth” corrections in competition to obtain maximum points ? # Do you know how to make “undetected” drift corrections in level flight ? # Do you know how to “pull or push” your plane back on track ? The information presented in this publication has been written to assist aerobatic pilots to fly more precisely in crosswinds and will answer all of the above questions and others in the chapters that follow. While there has been an encyclopedia of information written on building and finishing techniques, engine operations and product reviews there has been very little written on the subject of flying in a crosswind, Crosswind Flying Many flyers, rather than fly in a moderate or strong crosswind, pack up and go home. If we did that in Texas we would rarely fly because the wind blows virtually all the time. A person does not have to fly “precision” aerobatics to benefit from the information in this text. The basic and advanced techniques presented apply not only to precision aerobatic pilots but to anyone who wants to fly accurately and safely in crosswinds. The techniques shared with the reader in this text will make it easier for the pilot to fly in crosswinds and is written by a pilot for pilots. The text is augmented with diagrams where appropriate. Aircraft graphics were drawn by the author on Design Cad 2D. From the pilot’s perspective, flying precision RC aerobatics is fun, challenging and is difficult to do because of the ever changing variables the pilot has to contend with. Pattern pilots who are good and smooth, make it look sooooooo easy! Little do many nonpattern pilots know how much work it is to fly a maneuver in all kinds of wind conditions and make it look consistently good. aFlying precision aerobatics is particularly challenging to do well because the maneuvers are expected to look the same in spite of the large number of variables that affect the flight track such as wind speed, wind direction, temperature, moist or dry air, engine rpm (rich or lean), etc. The beginner often can’t “feel” the difference in the aircraft, but as you “burn that fuel” (as my friend Gene Rodgers says), you develop the “feel’’. Sapphire Mk-Ill You may fly the same maneuver 10 times and fly 10 different sets of control inputs to get the plane to perform the maneuver so it looks the same every time. That’s the challenge! No boredom here! Those variables make perfection in precision aerobatics virtually elusive. No one, to my knowledge, has ever flown a flight in competition with competent judges and scored straight 10’s. The best pilots score 7’s, 8’s, and 9's with an occasional 10 sprinkled in. Crosswind Flying The excellent pilot is one who does not fly mechani- cally but by instinct. The mechanical pilot practices a set of maneuvers and virtually memorizes the control inputs to perform the maneuver. The mechanical pilot is one who, for example, does a Cuban 8 and always, regard- less of heading, track or wind direction, rolls through the intersection in the same direction. In order to fly accurately the pilot needs to constantly evaluate the wind conditions and apply the correct control inputs to compensate for the drift problems. ( See correction chart at the end of this text. ) The natural pilot will constantly evaluate the variables and fly the sai aircraft through the maneuver, rolling, adding rudder or elevator to correct the track, drift or incorrect entry (either wings not level or heading off). Done correctly and with finesse, the experienced pilot can disquise errors in track, heading and wind drift that the less experienced pilot aT wi i. would often not correct for “Er Tin or if it were corrected, would be obvious. Diamond Mk-lll Many of the techniques outlined below are practiced by top flyers. Used properly, you should be able to pick up 1/2-1 point per maneuver. Let’s say your schedule has 12 maneuvers. byta If these techniques help you on 3 - 4 maneuvers per flight, you can pick up several points per flight after K-Factors are applied. How many times have you seen the top spots at a contest separated by only a few points? So read on and, hopefully, the techniques outlined here will help you pick up those extra points needed to move you into the “hardware”. Several maneuvers will be discussed and ways to replace the downgrades with “stealth corrections”. The publication starts out with corrections used in basic maneuvers and progresses to describing the control inputs used in the more complex maneuvers. While every maneuver flown in competition is not described in this text, all maneuvers consist of the elements of straight flight, rolls and vertical lines. Once the pilot learns the correction techniques in the text, the pilot can apply this knowledge to any maneuver with success. STRAIGHT FLIGHT This is a maneuver that is often not corrected for wind drift. It may start at the proper distance, but the crosswind blows the plane in or out depending on wind direction. Done correctly, the pilot estimates the wind drift, in or out, establishes a heading that is into the wind and, if the pilot evaluated (guessed) the variables accurately (rarely), the plane holds a track parallel to the flight line. Crosswind Flyi In reality the plane is being moved in or out by the wind. The traditional method of correcting the heading is to bank the aircraft into the wind, establish a new heading and relevel the wings to keep the plane from blowing in or out. The judge sees the correction and zings you for 1/2 - 2 points depending on the severity of the correction. Now let’s finesse the wind correction where the change is stealth - voila! - no downgrade. As soon as you realize the direction and magnitude of drift - in or out - slowly start feeding in_ upwind rudder until the desired track of the plane is achieved. Too much rudder and you'll move the plane in the opposite direction. Bad Dog! Rudder added or reduced too fast will immediately produce a tail wag that 9 “7d signals to everyone you are correcting a tracking problem. If your rudder is too sensitive around neutral you ra may want to use some exponential to soften the neutral point. Traveling at 100+ miles per hour means that the fuselage needs to be cocked at relatively small angles to achieve the correction. These small angles are rarely recognizable from the ground, unless the pilot used abrupt input. Smoothness is the key! Good Dog! Top View Level Flight -a9~For those pilots not use to using rudder, it will feel awkward at first but with practice it is second nature. It is important that your plane be trimmed so that rudder does not induce rolling or pitching moments. A good design and careful building will go a long way towards minimizing trim problems. For those needing information on trimming there have been several excellent articles written by trimming guru Dean Pappas and many tips appear in the National Society of Radio Controlled Aerobatics Newsletter. Obviously, if you add rudder and your plane pitches down or rolls either proverse (in the direction of rudder) or adverse (in the opposite direction of rudder input) your stealth corrections will be seen by the judge, spectators, scribes, parking lot attendants and the concession stand workers. Not a pretty sight at all. Trim your plane and you will find that your flying will be easier and more accurate. CORRECTING VERTICAL WIND DRIFT There are many maneuvers that have vertical lines that are judged. Square loops, top hats, turnaround maneuvers such as 1/2 square loop, stall turn with 1/2 rolls up and down, etc., are examples of such maneu- vers. If the wind is blowing perfectly up and down the flight line, no wind drift correction is needed so stop reading this article and go fly. This situation rarely exists as the wind is usually blowing in or out on the flight line. ~10~ PREEEE EERE EERE Crosswind Flying Correcting wind drift in verticals can be done in2 ways: a. Before pulling the plane to a vertical line, you can drop the upwind wing into the wind by a few degrees. b. If you are on the vertical line and drifting in, apply upwind rudder to hold the track. Rear View Vertical Line ~~Let’s assume a left to right track with the wind blowing in. As you pull elevator to go vertical, a little left aileron should be fed in. The amount of aileron added is an estimate based on wind speed and direction. The stronger the wind the more correction is needed. If you have pulled to the vertical and are drifting in (too little correction), upwind rudder (left) is slowly applied to stop the drift. If you have applied too much correction and are drifting into the wind reduce the amount of correction. ( See Crosswind Correction chart at the end of this text. ) CORRECTING DRIFT INLOOPS Ideally the pilot would establish the proper crab angle into the wind as the plane comes out of the turnaround maneuver. Proper crab angle minimizes the rudder and aileron jockeying that must take place to compensate for a plane that is drifting in or out. Let’s take the plane that is moving left to right, is drifting in and is setting up to do a loop. To keep the plane from drifting in during the loop, the airplane can be banked slightly (see previous page) into the wind (left bank in this case). The bank angle can be adjusted as the loop is performed to maintain the track. In this example the left bank is established just as the elevator is pulled. What works best for me is to make additional corrections at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions. ~12~ Crosswind Flying The second way pilots correct for drift is to rudder the plane into the wind (left rudder) using just enough rudder to keep the plane from drifting in. See Diagram on page 9. STALL TURNS How often have you seen a stall turn maneuver done with the wind blowing in and the maneuver finishes with the plane swooping toward the flight line cleaning out the judges and scribes? The pilot didn’t apply wind correction to hold the track and as a result cleared the pits out! Let’s assume a left to right entry with wind blowing in. We have previously discussed how to establish or correct the level flight portion of the track. The upline drift in is compensated for by slowly adding rudder as the line is flown. Slower aircraft or a stronger crosswind component requires more rudder (left) to hold the line. The plane should be stalled into the wind (left) by increasing rudder throw to maximum just prior to the aircraft reaching its slowest point. Since the plane has little speed at this point, there is nothing that can be done during the turn to keep the plane from drifting in. Some pilots keep a little power on at this point to move air over the rudder which helps its effective- ness. If too much power is applied at this point the aircraft will not have a clean stall break and it will be apparent that the plane is being driven over the top. ~13~ce As soon as the break occurs and the plane rotates through the turn, smoothly release the rudder. It is at this point that upwind rudder is used to hold the track. It will take a lot of upwind rudder when the plane is moving slowly and progressively less as the plane accelerates on the downline. Just as you pull elevator to return the plane to level flight, the wings should be rolled a few degrees into the wind ( the plane would be rolling to the right ). As you make the pull back to level flight, the amount of roll determines the crab angle the aircraft will track at after it resumes level flight. The roll should be smooth and done immediately prior to pulling elevator. Do not roll on the downline, fly a few seconds and roll or the correction will become obvious. After the plane is in level flight, the wings should be leveled. Improper wind correction angle can be compensated for with rudder. 4 YS 120AC ~14~ Crosswind Flying Apply opposite aileron Needed Wind Use left rudder if needed to correct dhift Usa right rudder if needed a to correct drift | ‘Slightly drop wing to compensate for drift Stall Turn Note the upwind drift correction in the up and downline to compensate for drift. Remember to make smooth control inputs so as not to draw attention to the corrections. ~15~In addition to the points previously covered, there are other tips, not related to wind drift corrections, that will help those just learning to perform this maneuver. 1. Right at the top of the maneuver when the stall turn is performed, many pilots use rudder only to complete the turn. If rudder only is used, the wing on the inside of the turn is moving very slow relative to the wing on the outside of the turn. Since the outside wing is moving faster, it will generate unequal lift as it arcs through the turn. When the outside wing generates more lift, it rolls. You do not want the wings to roll through the stall turn. If your plane exhibits this tendency it can be corrected for by applying enough opposite aileron to compensate for the rolling component of the maneuver. In the above example when left rudder is applied, right aileron would be used to compensate for the roll component. Aileron is neutralized as the turn is completed. 2. A second technique to improve the presentation of this maneuver involves dampening the tail oscillation after the turn. To reduce the tail swing, do not abruptly let go of the stick which results in the rudder snapping back to neutral and the sticks going TWANG. In a wind right down the runway, hold some rudder in after the turn is complete and gradually reduce rudder as the downline progresses. ~16~ nm um Crosswind Flying If the wind is blowing in, the rudder release starts as soon as the wings arc through the 90 degree point and upwind rudder is fed in to compensate for wind drift. \f the wind is blowing out, rudder is applied to stall the plane toward the flight line (in this case, right rudder, and if your plane has a roll component left aileron). Rudder release starts as soon as the plane passes through the 90 degree point. If the maneuver is done correctly it’s not obvious that there is a lot going on during this relatively simple, looking maneuver! Failure to apply these correction techniques will often result in significant downgrades. YS-120AC “AbIMMELMAN TURN This is a fun maneuver and has several points where tracking corrections can be made to compen- sate for wind drift or improper entry. Since we've covered how to correct the track in straight flight and loops, let me say that the same techniques apply to the Immelman; however, this maneuver has one more point where a correction can be made and that is during the top roll. Let’s assume once again the plane is moving left to right and entering the maneuver with the wind blowing in and the plane is drifting in. The plane enters the maneuver and little or no drift correction has been used. The plane has climbed through the loop and continues to drift in towards the flight line. About 5% before the plane reaches the inverted horizontal, the plane is rolled to level. As the plane is rolled upright, up elevator is normally applied in the last part of the roll to keep the nose from dropping. Because the track was off throughout the maneuver, it recovers with the plane heading in towards the flight line. Sound familiar? Let’s now take the last part of this maneuver and “stealth” it back on track and correct the errors so the maneuver’s overall impression is good. As the plane reaches the 5% point inverted before horizontal at the top of the maneuver ( heading now from right to left ) the pilot sees the aircraft drifting in (nose towards flight line). This is very common and is very easy to compensate for. ~18~ BEEEEEGRR RR REEE Crosswind Flying The aircraft can be pulled back on heading by rolling the top of the aircraft into the wind. As the plane passes through Knife Edge up elevator is fed in to gradually pull the plane back on course. In this case that means rolling left. If the pilot rolled right, down elevator would have to be used through Knife Edge to redirect the flight path. The latter technique is not as natural to perform because we normally apply up elevator (not down) as a plane rolls through Knife Edge back to upright flight. Remember - roll the canopy into wind! Vertical axis Drift Apply up to pull Se Roll left plane on course Canopy toward wind Wing —— >¥ aa If the wind were blowing out and caused the plane to drift out during the first part of the maneuver, the same rule applies - roll the canopy into the wind and apply up elevator. In this case that means a roll to the right. As the plane passes through Knife Edge, up elevator is applied and the plane is pulled back on course. Additionally, a small amount of rudder should be applied (same direction as ailerons - left aileron, left rudder) to keep the nose ua dropping as the plane rolls to level flight. Sapphire Mk-IV ~20~ PERE GERRREE EEE Crosswind Flying CUBAN 8 This is a maneuver that has several points in it where corrections can be made. The techniques learned earlier in correcting wind drift during loops apply to the first and last looping portions of the Cuban 8 maneuver. The additional point where “stealth” corrections can be performed is at the rolling intersection. Let’s assume a left to right entry, the wind is blowing out and you’ve been a bad dog and not established the correct track prior to commencing the maneuver. The plane is blowing out because you've undercorrected for wind drift. You’ve also applied insufficient wind correction techniques to the looping portion of the maneuver and you are now inverted on the first 45 degree downline and your plane is drifting out at a noticeable angle. Without a correction at this point you are doomed to a deserved downgrade. Let’s stop here for a comment. This is where the mechanical pilot will lose to the natural pilot. The natural pilot will constantly assess the wind drift, direction of roll and elevator or rudder input needed to move the plane back on track. The mechanical pilot rarely changes his control inputs; therefore, drift corrections are typically not performed at this point. The judge sees the drift and downgrades your score. This tracking problem can easily be corrected if you remember to roll the canopy the win into the wind and apply up elevator as you go through Knife Edge flight. This is the same technique used to correct drift in the top part of the Immelman turn. This action ” pulls ” the plane back on course. ~21~In this example, the roll would be to the right and enough up elevator is applied to eliminate the drift problem. If you over or under correct, you'll get a chance in the second looping portion of the maneuver to make corrections. If you’ve still blown it, you get another opportunity on the second 45 degree downline to correct the problem. Once again, evaluate the drift and apply corrections to compensate. With all of the points in this maneuver to make corrections the opportunity exists to pick up not only fractions of a point but several points from the judges. Rarely does a pilot have a plane drifting in when the wind is blowing out and vice versa but the correction- chart shows the corrections if this condition exists. Remember, after the first roll if it’s still drifting: a. Drop wing into wind and pull elevator for loop. b. Use upwind rudder to stop drift. If the plane is still drifting out after all this, ro// the plane’s canopy into the wind (left) on the 2nd downline and apply up elevator to pull the plane back in track. Some may ask why “canopy and pull’? If you don’t like canopy and pull, use “belly and push’. You get the same result. It’s just a little more “natural” to pull (up elevator) than it is to push (down elevator) since when rolling to upright flight, up elevator is normally applied to prevent the aircraft from descending. These explanations, hopefully, clarify why the top pilots are able to make flying look so easy. ~22~ Crosswind Flying There are multiple points in this maneuver and others to apply corrections. The good pilots correct with subtlety and finesse, while the less experienced pilots don’t take advantage of all the points in a maneuver where “stealth corrections” can be made. The more practice you have the easier it is to recognize drift and correct accordingly. As a side note, when looping into the wind, less elevator is needed compared to looping downwind. That means increasing elevator pressure as the plane shifts from upwind to downwind to keep the loops round. Plane Blowing In Wind is blowing in Roll left Use up to pull plane on heading Cuban & ~23~SQUARE LOOP The square loop is a complex maneuver that has heading changes, rolls, verticals and horizontal straight lines. - Let’s say the plane is flying left to right and you are doing a square loop. The wind is blowing in causing the plane to drift towards you. This is a great maneuver to practice in a crosswind because it involves using the elements of correction for both upright and inverted flight learned earlier in this text plus correcting for drift in the vertical lines. Let’s first assume the plane is drifting in because the pilot has not established the proper track in the straight flight portion of this maneuver. That means when the pull is made to vertical, the track of the plane will be drifting in as the plane climbs toward the second corner. The pilot that does nothing is doomed to downgrades due to drift. This is a great chance to pick up those extra 1/2 points that can make a big difference. Loop Axis Bottom of Loop ~26~ Crosswind Flying The solution to a vertical line that is drifting in is to use upwind rudder to correct the track. The fuselage will be tilted into the wind to compensate for drift. Now as you get ready to pull there are 2 ways to handle the second corner: a. Continue to hold the rudder into the wind and pull the second corner and hold the track parallel to the flight line adjusting rudder input. b. The second way takes finesse to do without it being obvious. Just as you're ready to pull the second corner, the pilot can perform a slight roll into the wind. In Wind this example, it Src would be a roll to the left. The roll ie sorte must be slow so — as not to draw attention to the correction. Just as you apply elevator co to pull the corner, gradually get off the rudder. Since you rolled into the wind, the plane will now have a crab angle established when you complete the pull. If you judged the crosswind properly and rolled correctly you will need no rudder at all across the top line. Too much or little roll will affect the crab angle across the top line. Vertical Line Drift Correction ~27~2 If you did not judge the drift properly you would correct the track with rudder while inverted. Left rudder would hold the plane out and right rudder would move the plane in assuming the wind was blowing in. The plane will be crabbed into the wind with proper drift correction. Before we pull the third corner, let’s assume the pilot rolled too shallow and pulled the second corner. When the corner is completed, the plane will be drifting in towards the flight line. The solution to stop the drift is to apply upwind rudder (left rudder). If the pilot overrolled on the upline, the aircraft will be tracking away from the flight line as it flies inverted across the top. Feed in downwind rudder ( right ) to correct the track. The thir ner dri: jon is once again performed by rolling the canopy into the wind (in this example, roll left) and then perform the pull to establish the downline. If the pilot underrolls and pulls the corner, the aircraft will drift in. Apply upwind rudder (left) to hold the aircraft out. If the left roll was too great the aircraft will be drifting out. In this case, apply right (downwind) rudder to correct the track. a= The fourth corner is set up the same as the others. Roll the can: into the wind (le ni (It ner. Let me make a few comments about the rolls. 1. These are not 15% or 20% banks -_the roll correction maneuver is a few degrees. In most cases, unless the crosswind is very strong, the roll corrections should hardly be perceptible. In gusty air, since the wings are bouncing around anyway the correction banks shouldn’t stand out if done with finesse. 2. The second point is that after the pilot pulls the corner, the wings should be leveled to fly the straight lines. Careful application of aileron will not be notice- able to the judges. FP-R129DP Dogs rrowarsora Pe omen Dual Conversion ‘Modem Japan ARREPAREE Futaba PCM 1024 FP-R129DP Receiver & S9101 Servo ~29=Tips For Beginners 1. PRACTICE STRAIGHT & LEVEL FLIGHT One of the overlooked but hardest maneuvers to perform consistently well is straight and level flight. Many aspiring pattern flyers practice the ” Pattern ” often to be frustrated by their lack of progress. Many times the problem is that the plane is not set up properly to enter the maneuver. The predictable result is that the maneuver is performed poorly by the pilot. While straight and level flight is not as glamorous to practice as a beautiful four point roll it is just as important. 2. GET A COACH Our flying usually looks different to the pilot than it does to the observer. How many times have you done a maneuver that was a sure 10 only to have a spotter say the wings were low or the heading was off, etc. The pilot, toa certain degree, has tunnel vision focusing on the plane and not the background which can provide visual cues. A coach can help the pilot become aware of chronic errors that are correctable with practice. The coach need not be a pilot. There are many non flyers, many of them judges, that have an eagle eye and can spot an error by the best of pilots. ~30~ Crosswind Flying 3. DO YOUR MAINTENANCE AT HOME Check your plane over completely at home. It is frustrating to get to the field and have to fix something that should have been repaired on the workbench. Field repairs take away from flying time. 4, DO NOT FLY MANEUVERS IN CLOSE Keep the plane out far enough where you can see what it is doing . Flying in too close is a common mistake beginners make and often leads to a pilot clearing out the pits. This close in flying is not safe and gives the pilot little room for error if something goes wrong. Most maneuvers should be done 125 meters or more from the flight line. 5. PRACTICE FLYING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS Nothing is more frustrating for a pilot than to practice a left to right pattern for months and get it down only to have the wind blowing out of the other direction when you get to the contest. For the sport flyer to become a safe flyer it is important to_practice left and right turns so when the wind blows from the other direction a properly executed and safe flight can occur. Nothing is worse than to have a flyer, that can only make left turns, take off and turn the plane over the pits because the wind is blowing in the wrong direction. ~31~6. DRY FLY YOUR PLANE This is a technique used by many top flyers and -can be done at the flying field or at home . Simply take your transmitter in your hand and imagine that you are flying. Apply stick movements as you go through the various maneuvers. Dry flying also provides a great opportunity to freeze frame your flying so you can analyze the control inputs and have the luxury to think about it without the pressure of actually having to concentrate on your plane. 7. CONTROL SETUP AND CHECKS Reversed controls have caused more than one plane to go to the big airplane boneyard in the sky. If you haven’t yet experienced the thrill of hooking up or programming your controls backwards you will. It’s just a matter of time. With the new computer radios it is not difficult to inadvertantly make an input to the control screen while adjusting some other function, Check control travel and direction before every flight! The amount of travel is set to each flyer’s taste, For pattern flying soft controls ( sometimes referred to as loose sticks ) are used by most to acheive smooth flight. Soft controls require a lot of stick movement for a given response. Sport flyers generally fly tighter sticks meaning the plane is more sensitive to stick movement, ~32~ 8. 9. Crosswind Flying USE THE RUDDER To compete in the upper classes effectively it is necessary to use the rudder to enhance maneuver presentation and positioning. Flyers in other classes can give themselves a competitive advantage by learning proper use of the rudder early on in their pattern careers. It is apparent that many of the corrective techniques used in this text use rudder so go ahead and learn to use that other stick. ENGINE ADJUSTMENTS Once your engine is adjusted for peak rpm and richened one or two clicks, so your engine doesn’t go lean, leave the settings alone. Unless the weather changes drastically you shouldn’t have to adjust the engine. An easy way to check the settings on a two stroke engine is to run the engine up to peak rpm and then pinch the fuel line. You should hear the rpm increase slightly and then decrease. Don’t keep the line pinched or the engine will quit. If the rpm increases a lot then the mixture is set too rich. If the rpm drops immediately then the engine is running too lean. Use the same procedure to check the idle settings. Due to the low rpm the engine will take a few seconds longer to respond. When adjusting a four stroke engine use the needle valve and a tachometer as it is difficult to hear the rpm change due to the different sounding exhaust note. ~33~10. DEADSTICK LANDINGS * Sooner or later you will have a dead stick landing. A common mistake many beginners make is to immediately turn downwind to set up for the landing approach. If the downwind leg is a little long, altitude is lost. By the time the plane is turned back into the wind, there is not enough altitude or airspeed to make it back to the runway. The nose is raised to stretch the glide and suddenly the plane stalls and smacks the ground or snaprolls on its back and destroys the plane. A technique I’ve used successfully over the years is to keep the plane upwind while circling and losing altitude. As the plane gets closer to the ground it is then turned downwind and circled right around to final approach. The diameter of the circle can be adjusted to compensate for wind, altitude and airspeed variations. For example, if the plane is on downwind circling into the wind and is too high and fast, just open up the circle diameter to burn off the excess speed and height. The circling approach is very similar to the carrier approach used by navy pilots in WWII and works great! Crosswind Flying Takeoff Ti Takeoffs are challenging in a crosswind and the following techniques can be used to help the pilot maintain the track of the plane. 1. Anticipate the need to apply downwind rudder. The plane will have the tendency to weathervane into the wind while it’s on the ground. 2. Build up a little extra ait fore liftoff. This is a safety factor that full scale pilots use as well to reduce the chances of the plane getting off a little slow and stalling if the wind gusts. 3. After liftoff bank into the wind to correct for drift. After the correct heading change has been established to correct the drift, relevel the wings and the plane should track straight over the ground. 4. Rudder the plane into the wind. This technique is used by some to correct for the downwind drift that occurs right after lift off if the previously mentioned wind correction maneuver is not properly performed. It simply means that upwind rudder is applied to stop the drift. This maneuver is performed with the wings level. ~35~ling Ti 1. Carry a little extra airspeed on final approach. The little extra airspeed will help the pilot maintain control of the plane in gusty air. 2. Establish a heading into the wind on final. This can be done by banking and turning the plane into the wind until there is enough wind correction angle to stop the drift. The plane should track down the runway center line however the nose of the plane will be pointed into the wind. 3. Bank into the wind and apply downwind rudder, This technique is used in full scale and model aviation to align the fuselage centerline with the runway centerline just prior to touchdown. It is normally performed so the plane does not land misaligned with the runway and put a side load on the gear. Just before touchdown the plane is banked into the wind. This will cause the plane to have the upwind wing low and the fuselage will be crooked compared to the runway centerline. To align the fuselage centerline with the runway, downwind rudder is applied. When done properly the plane will touch down wing low on the upwind gear. This technique takes practice as the pilot is cross-controlling the plane. oab= Crosswind Flying Design Cad 2D Illustrations The illustrations contained in this publication were done on Design Cad 2D. They were drawn over a period of four years and represent many manhours. CAD drawings of pattern engines, radio and other components were added thruout the text to enhance the presentation of this material. The following pages of drawings are available on either 3.5” or 5 1/4” floppy disks. The files are saved in .de2 format; however, they can be converted to .dxf format upon special request. The drawings are done full size, in color and will print in color when compatible printers are used. For those modelers who design their own planes or rescale existing designs (either sport or pattern), these full sized drawings represent many of the typical items used in the design of a four stroke pattern aircraft. They can also be scaled to any size at the time of printing, if the desire is to print scaled plans. Rather than draw these items from scratch, the user merely imports the file into the drawing. These quality drawings are a real time saver for the active designer. A summary of the drawings available on disk are included for your review in this text on the following pages. You may order drawings by using the included order form. ~e7~YS - 120 AC Side View YS -120 Top View ~38~ Engine Views YS -120AC Top View YS-120 Side View Crosswind Flying Parts Wing Adjusters Clevis & 1/16" Pushrod OO Of~lo Soft Beam Motor Mount 4 Stroke Engine ~39~ 4 Stroke Motor Mount Gator RCGear & Tank Main Gear Retracts SS j=s Nose Gear Top View Nose Gear Side View Kraft Tank Top & Side View ~40~ Crosswind Flying Radio Parts Futaba S-136 Servo Oo Futaba NR4QB Battery Pack Futaba 129DP Receiver ae Futaba S-133 Micro Servo Futaba S-9101 Servo ~M41~YS - 120 With YS Header & Pipe True Turn Spinner & Prop —j— ~42~ Crosswind Flying mm Wei ‘ing Ch. Pattern planes that are light fly better than heavy planes. I’ve built and flown many lead sleds, in the 70’s and 80’s, that flew great at the Speed of light. The change to bigger, lighter, slower and more powerful aircraft in the late 80’s definitely improved the performance of pattern planes. The new type of pattern we were flying in constrained airspace, with tall verticals, needed the benefit that light planes could provide. As | built new planes | would keep track ( sometimes ) of the weights on scraps of Paper. It wasn’t organized and | didn’t always write the name of the plane on the paper. It got confusing as | looked at all of those little scraps of Paper. The Pattern Weight Tracking Chart is a building tool that | developed to help me systematically track the weight buildup by component as | built my new planes. The charts that you will find in the back of the text are catergorized by one major component for each sheet. The three sheets outline the typical parts that I weigh as | build my planes. They cover the fuselage, wing and stabilizer- elevator. These charts have helped me organize my notes about each plane as | build it. Stapling the charts together helps keep all of your notes on one plane together in one spot.Crosswind Flying yy Crosswind Correction Chart Trav Ki: The Crosswind Chart at the end of this text lists a : variety of maneuvers that encompass all of the ; mas are aero nye or competitor and travel techniques discussed in the various chapters. ‘o the in i il than to gonna npoting teat mer Basic and advanced maneuvers are outlined for the equipment or tool needed to do a repair is back reader. Let me take a moment and briefly comment on at your house. the chart layout and its terms. It’s happened to ali 7 The maneuvers referenced in the various chapters or anether inchadig mysett a0 Mbaea a“ are listed in the far left hand column. The following weight tracking charts into a traveling checklist. legend will help explain the remaining columns. You will find the checklist at the end of the text. | Bi hope it helps. A. Drift In-Out Refers to the motion of the plane relative to your position. B. Wind In-Out Refers to the direction of the wind relative to your position. C/D. Upwind/Downwind Rudder This represents the need to apply rudder in the designated direction. €/F. Bank/Roll - Upwind/Downwind If this column is checked the pilot will either bank slightly into or away from the wind, or perform a roll into or away from the wind depending on the referenced maneuver.G. Roll Canopy into Wind When this column is checked the pilot should roll the plane so the canopy is facing upwind as it rolls back to level flight. H/l. Upwind/Downwind Elevator This column is used in reference to rolling maneuvers. When the plane is passing thru wings vertical - knife edge - elevator can be used to pull or push the plane in or out relative to the pilot. This chart is meant as a guideline to help the sport or aerobatic pilot visualize the control inputs needed to fly more accurately and safely. The pilot will need practice to learn the various amounts of control inputs needed to correct the plane’s track under various flight conditions. The chart can tell the pilot what control to add but not the amount of input needed to correct the track. The amount of correction depends entirely on the magnitude of the tracking error. | Therefore, to become proficient you will need to practice - practice - practice! pnb — aa eres ~46~ Crosswind Flying Conclusion | hope the information presented in this text has been interesting and informative to the reader. The techniques described have been learned during the past 20 years of successful contest flying. In these pages the techniques described for level flight, verticals, loops, rolls and other maneuvers will allow the pilot to apply the lessons and tips to any aerobatic maneuver in the schedule, as all maneuvers consist of these basic components. Only practice will allow the pilot to properly estimate the crosswind component and use the appropriate rudder-roll-pitch combinations described in the text to maintain the proper track. When corrections are done smoothly and accurately, the pilot makes the maneuver look so easy to do. The sport flyer practicing these techniques will find enjoyment in being able to safely and accurately control the plane in adverse crosswinds that may ground other flyers . For the pattern and sport flyers who are thinking of enhancing their flying skills, the suggestions outlined in this text will help accomplish this only if - as my friend Gene Rodgers says - you BURN THAT FUEL! ~A4T~About the Author The Author has been flying aerobatic competition since the early 70’s with numerous contests wins across the country. In addition to being the recipient of the National Society of Radio Control Aerobatics Special Achieve- ment Award, he has been the first place Masters qualifier at the U.S. Nationals and has on four occa- sions placed in the top three at the U.S. Nationals. The author is also the designer of several gem series pattern aircraft which he calls the Diamond, Sapphire and Topaz. He has to his credit numerous magazine articles written on a variety of subjects, a few listed here ranging from trick painting, field and bench, product reviews and pattern aircraft evolution. As a licensed Commercial pilot with Flight Instructor ratings and holding an FAA Airframe and Powerplant rating, the author’s background in full scale and model aviation covers over 30 years. His modeling experiences in flying precision RC aerobatics are shared with the reader in this publica- tion, using plain pilot talk, to assist those aerobatic or sport flyers who want to become safer and more proficient pilots. ~48~ BERRPATTERN Weight Tracking Chart By Wayne Apostolico i —— Fuselage Item Weight Item Weight Comments Formers Base Color Firewall Trim Color Cowling Clear Coat Fuse Subtotal Vertical Stab Engine/Tank Rudder Fin Header Stab Mount Spinner Engine Mount Pipe Mount Nose Gear Servo Mounts Radio Miscellaneous Total Weight Complete Fuse Votes Base Coat Silkspan Glass ~49~PATTERN Travel Checklist By Wayne Apostolico Item Item Miscellaneous ieee Toolbox/tools ee a es Retract pump Glow plugs/wrench Wheel & collers Spare servo/cords Transmitter Chargers Ni-starter X-acto blade Allen wrenches Spinner parts Pipe/header/coupler Fuel pump Clamps Camera/film Tank & tubing Retract Spare Extra engine otes Neck strap oeCrosswind Correction Chart 1. Level Flight \2. Vertical Line x x x x x x x x 3. Loop Tracking x x x x ol x x x x 4. Stall Turn x x x x x x x x 5. Immelman. x x x x x x x x za x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 7. Point Roll x x x x |8. Square Loop x x In In x x Out Out x x In Out x x Note Various combinations of the above inputs may be needed depending on the amount of correction needed. ~53~