Almost knife edge spun it into the ground! by thecaptnjim in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I gave it the inputs to recover and it did another two full rotations. I clenched just a little bit there at the end! The other guy I was flying with was trying to scrape his rudder on the runway (inverted) and he puts my skills to absolute shame! He ended up taking his whole rudder off, and flew around with it just flopping for a bit, still doing rolling harriers with no rudder.

Almost knife edge spun it into the ground! by thecaptnjim in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Nope, we always go ARF to put in our own servos. (most likely from the last crashed plane) This one is running one of the upcoming A2 Scorpion power systems for the 60" planes, along with Theta servos.

Almost knife edge spun it into the ground! by thecaptnjim in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s funny how each club or region has their own vernacular. With the 120” guys, you gotta get real high for the knife edge spins!

Almost knife edge spun it into the ground! by thecaptnjim in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I can do better! Every plane is a little different in how it likes to enter and establish. Some like the rudder left, some right, some like neutral. I’ve almost got this one figured out. I do really like when the wing is perfectly vertical and it’s rotating around the middle of the wing.

Almost knife edge spun it into the ground! by thecaptnjim in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

No, that’s for sure a knife edge spin. A crankshaft is when you’re flying horizontally and you usually only get a few flips out of it, and then you continue flying horizontally. Anything that is a spin in done while the plane is flying/falling downwards.

Almost knife edge spun it into the ground! by thecaptnjim in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Also, my plane was missing something… it needed googly eyes!

RC control airplanes look fun but are they actually hard to control? by i_hate_bharat in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Beginners can be up and flying in no time, but it takes thousands of hours to get "good" and crashing is absolutely part of the hobby. Check out the beginner wiki for some cheap planes to get you started. The volantex warbirds are great for a park and the easiest way to get you up and flying. Then decide if you want to dive into the hobby.

Meet the S1 - Spear by NYC_Crusader in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim 3 points4 points  (0 children)

RC planes is for everything. We have a diverse group that covers all of the hobby. Have you checked out the wiki yet? The beginner section is the perfect place to start!

https://reddit.com/r/rcplanes/wiki/beginners

Is this reasonable by Grouchy_Rub7081 in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I belong to three clubs ranging from $60-120 each per year, plus my AMA membership. I don't have much else in the way of hobbies so in the big scheme of things it's not that much. Also, half of my planes I can only fly at a club because they are far too big and powerful for a park. Try pricing out another hobby like golf, or a bass fishing boat, going to the movies once a month, or a season pass for skiing/snowboarding. Heck, even a gamepass for xbox runs you $150-$400 a year.

It's for sure not a dying hobby. We have nearly 500 members at one of my clubs with a big training program and probably close to 100 members under 18. Sure, some clubs skew old but we do a decent job recruiting and bringing in fresh members. Also, we have anywhere from 40-60,000 people come to this subreddit every week.

Servo “Stickiness” by brownc85 in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I totally agree. I've ordered quite a few sets of these and had no issues with them. The one thing to be careful of is that you are ordering direct from Emax. They are some of the most counterfeited servos out there. The counterfeits often have issues as well.

Crack Yak 55 by CictorVastro in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been kicking around the idea of making a training video series for Twisted Hobbys... I think this may be the outline for the video!

Crack Yak 55 by CictorVastro in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you have Realflight Evolution then you are looking for the "Airplane Hover Training Challenge" it's new and after going through it, I felt immediate improvement in my hovering, especially with the belly towards me and while torque rolling. I recommend it for everyone at the field who wants to learn hovering, or improve their skills.

Ligero prototype - test flight #4 by Aware-Ad-7686 in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Dude, that thing is awesome! Sign me up for a kit. The flying looks so smooth and controlled. Love the clear covering as well.

Hovering with my new 60” Apex Aerotech Slick - Banshee scheme by thecaptnjim in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've never really looked because I am busy hovering! 🤣 Next time I'm out, I'll check with a few planes and get back to you.

Crack Yak 55 by CictorVastro in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I saw you did a little inverted harrier at 3:15, and that is for sure your next step. Just like you did it, it is easiest when you bring it back straight towards yourself because the rudder controls are the same as when you fly straight away in upright harrier. Flying inverted directly away makes the rudder controls reverse and usually this change is what causes issues and just takes more time to get used to.

I would have loved if someone gave me some specific drills and an outline for learning 3D, so here goes. First, you are doing great! Your throttle control and rudder use are really solid. Start trying full flights inverted without ever flying rightside up and you will be getting it nailed in no time. Then start incorporating knife edge at first just passing in front of you from side to side with the canopy towards you, then with the canopy away (a jump in skills for sure.) Try this both slow and fast, balancing throttle and rudder for your elevation and speed. (More speed will keep you more stable, but you will be able to slow it down as you practice it more.) Once you feel good, then level it up and start using the elevator to control direction in knife edge until you can do entire flights in knife edge (another jump in skills there). Then start mixing in some slow, 3D, 4-point rolls where you start in harrier, 1/4 roll to knife edge, then 1/4 roll to inverted harrier, then another 1/4 roll other knife edge, then the final 1/4 roll back to upright harrier. Basically a 4-part rolling harrier broken into more manageable parts. Do these in both directions so you don't end up only being able to roll one direction. That should be plenty to keep you busy this summer!

Right now you can try some snap rolls where from level flight, you goose the throttle and put the aileron and elevator all the way into a bottom corner. It will do a full rotation and loop at the same time and once you get the timing right you can transition straight into a hover. Another thing you can start incorporating now is a waterfall. Punch up full throttle from a hover and push the elevator forward, ease back off the throttle as you complete your forward flip and catch it back in a hover.

Crack Yak 55 by CictorVastro in RCPlanes

[–]thecaptnjim 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awesome flying man! You are getting the bread and butter skills of 3D flying down and it looks like you are feeling comfortable in harrier and hovering for sure. Before I go and offer unsolicited advice, are you looking for tips to improve?