8 Tips for a Successful First RC Airplane Flight
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- čas přidán 28. 06. 2024
- 8 Tips for a Successful First RC Airplane Flight
Follow along as I discuss 8 tips for a successful first flight of your radio control model airplane.
Tip#1: Ensure you check the control surfaces. All controls move in the proper direction and you are in low rate for dual rate transmitters. Check also that your tail or nose wheel is set straight.
Tip#2: The Center of Gravity is correct. Balance your model at the CG noted on the plans or instructions. Check the battery is installed or the fuel tank is filled.
Tip #3: Wings and tails surfaces must be warp free.
Tip #4: Airplane and transmitter batteries are fully charged.
Tip #5: Safety considerations
Tip #6: Range check. Discussion of DX6 built in range check system.
Tip #7: Initial takeoff game plan. Sun angle, wind direction, first turn, clear runway and airspace.
Tip #8: Airspeed
If you can follow these eight steps, you will be well on your way to a successful maiden flight of your new RC model airplane.
Here is a link to my CZcams Channel:
/ timmckay56
Many thanks in advance for a post of this video on Facebook, it truly helps the channel a lot!
Regards,
Tim
Chapters (simply hover over video timeline):
00:00 - Intro
00:40 - Tip 1, control surfaces
05:37 - Tip 5, safety
11:38 - Tip 8, airspeed
Great video. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. I am interested in getting into electric motor RC airplanes. I've never had electric motors I read that there is brushless and brushed motors do they require breaking I don't know anything about these electric motors please looking for help
Bob: Virtually all electric motors used in RC planes these days are brushless. Brushless are far more powerful and reliable than the older brushed electric motors. No need to break in brushless motors, as there is no commutator brushes.
Note that some of the micro electric motors are still brushed, as they use gearing to provide power and too hard to make the smaller brushless motors.
www.HorizonHobby.com is a great place to start, lots of info and RTF models. www.RCGroups.com has a wealth of information, as well as you local model airplane club. Tim
@@TimMcKay56 thank you so much Tim for your help and advise.
great video, but i think especially beginners the best tip was to have the mental plan alot of beginners take off with no real plan and it can go south fast, just picturing what you want to do and concentrating on doing that is the best advice i ever had!
Robert: Thanks for checking in and your kind words! Tim
Great video, Thank you
Glad you liked it! Tim
Thx 4 all the good advice
Brian: No problem! Tim
Excellent video..
Thank you
MF: Glad you liked it! Tim
Excellent! Thank you🙏🏻👍🏻
You are welcome! Tim
Great tips, thank so much for sharing!
🎄❄️👍🏻 Tim
Amazing tips!Thank you.
😊👍🏻 Tim
Great video Tim!
👍🏻🎄❄️😊 Tim
Thank you for your tips
My pleasure 😊 Tim
Your last point was the best. Never struck me that the groundspeed/airspeed perceptions would differ when flying from the ground (as opposed to when we are at the cockpit controls!)
Thank you sir!
RG: Glad it was helpful! Tim
Really great information
Thanks! Tim
Thanks! very useful tips 🥰
😊👍🏻 Tim
amazing video
Thanks! Tim
Thank you Tim - wonderful advice and a great refresher for a returning RC pilot (was a private pilot some years ago). My son (becoming a flying nut like his dad...) and I have just finished scratch building a 1400mm ws high wing trainer and are waiting for the wind to die appropriately for its maiden, hopefully this afternoon. Armed with your wisdom, we are much better prepared for success! Many regards and thanks from Sydney, Australia - David and young Will
David & Will: Many thanks for your comments, and hope that first flight went as planned! Tim
@@TimMcKay56 Thank you Tim. We put together a short build and test video here if you're interested (czcams.com/video/_hjK549euos/video.html). Will - age 11 - wanted to do this for his term break project. It was a great learning experience and with my engineering background, he learned a lot about aerodynamics, weight and balance calculations, electronics choices using eCalc and wing profiles using Airfoil Tools. We chose a USA35b airfoil from the Piper Super Cub. All in all it was a fabulous time together and we hope to build and fly many more in the future! Warm regards and thanks - David
@@deldridg David: Many thanks, will check this out! Tim
Great tips for a seventy year old beginner like me!
Al: Glad it was helpful! Tim
Thankyou Tim.....as a retired from flying ex ultralight owner operator I appreciate your tips.
I am maybe a bit late to be starting in RC flight at 69.....I am getting my first RC aircraft this Xmas.
Hope it gives me similar fun that my Ultra lite did.
Nick from the UK.
Nick: Thanks for checking in! No worries on starting to fly now, especially with your ultralight background. Do work to local an instructor from a local RC club. I use Google here in the US, should work fine in the UK. Also, RealFlight computer simulator a huge assist. Good luck! Tim
4:22 Very useful hints! To check the charge level of my LiPo batteries, I use my Lipo Checker.
Harald: Great tip, thanks! Tim
Thank you for the tips, very interesting. If I had to do over again, when I was younger I would have followed a dream of being airline pilot. But I am enjoying my journey of becoming an RC airplane pilot. Not sure what took me so long as I have always been in RC Hobby just not airplanes.
No worries! Thanks for checking in and enjoy this wonderful hobby! Tim
Thanks so much, great tips! I managed to crash once because didn't check my aileron directions. A classic, as I later learned. I don't take off without a full check anymore!
Mate: Always good to learn from mistakes like this, best of luck! Tim
Some wings require wing warping (washout) like model sailplanes.
Correct! Tim
Unfortunately I watched this great video too late. I had my first flight yesterday and made two mistakes on your list. The ailerons acted the other way around and the tail was heavy. As soon as I buy a new propeller, I will try again this time, taking into account everything you mentioned in this video. Thanks for the video full of knowledge
Dzi: Sorry to hear of your test flight, but best of luck with your next try! Tim
thank you sir for putting this video together, I appreciate and respect your knowledge as a commercial pilot...I had picked up and learned to fly RC helis a few years back ( Blade 200S / 230 's ) but now want to get into airplanes.... I do have a lot of sim experience and with that in mind, what would you recommend as a first plane for me...I will also be sure to have an experienced pilot at my side when I do fly for the first time.....thanks again...
Gary: Best approach is to join a local RC club. Google search will fine them. Most clubs have their own trainer for new members, and they will have some tips on the trainer they like best. Plan B is to look at Horizon Hobby, new trainers all the time. RealFlight computer RC plane simulator is a huge help with learning to fly. It really works (Windows only), available at Horizon Hobby. Good luck! Tim
@@TimMcKay56 yep..I was planing on joining a local club for some help this spring, hopefully after the COVID has dissipated too.....looking for something to piece together this winter and have ready for spring....I will keep searching for a mid size electric high wing training type plane, with some fun handling traits and was thinking a Spectrum receiver with SAFE to help me out ....I do like that Hangar 9 Ultra Stick 10cc model a lot......I have checked out the Horizon site but not crazy about their somewhat over-priced stuff.....thanks again Tim ....Gary
Great video, thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge.
Just one question, Im a little confused regard battery voltage as all Lipo batteries are ranged with a minimum of 3.7 volts to a maximum of 4.2 volts per cell capacity.
Dave: The usable voltage range for a standard lipo battery cell is 3.2v to 4.2v. Any lower than 3.2v and the battery may be permanently damaged. Any higher than 4.2v and you significantly increase the risk of a battery bursting into flames. My game plan with lipos is to always purchase a high quality pack (no discount specials from overseas) and use a quality charger to balance and charge. That can catch and prevent a lot of bad issues with the battery packs. Tim
I had been practicing in a simulator a few days and i thought i was ready to first ever fly a 4ch airplane. I took off and my ailerons were inverted, i managed somehow in my first ever fly to take off and land safely with my ailerons inverted. I felt so stupid and proud at the same time
Hey, these things happen. Great you made it back, and guess what: This error will never happen again! Tim
Thanks for this, you sound like Robert Kiyosaki - compliment by the way
👍🏻😊 Tim
👍👍
👍🏻😊 Tim
Just aquired an old avistar 40 from my father in law who never flew it. Ive never played with nitro rc before, let alone an airplane. Always stuck to cars. But im pretty excited to try it out. Just got it cleaned up, started, and running well and did a prefilght check on everything. Hoping for a good first flight tomorrow. One question, should i find the CG with a full nitro tank or empty, seems you would rather it start a little more nose heavy so its nit so tail heavy at the end of a flight. Thank you for the tips Tim.
Mike: Sounds like fun! Check the CG with a full tank. CG is really a range, not just a point. As fuel burns down if handling gets a bit sensitive just land. But you should be fine. Tim
Good video here folks. Most of the time i watch this type of video i have to add a few in the comments. Not needed here, I could add a couple but the big ones are all here:)
Keith: thanks so much for checking in! Tim
Your videos are good and I appreciate them. Have you ever considered making a video for the aging RC flyers like me (69) who feel their skills have diminished as well as their physical abilities? I'm losing my interest because of the fear of crashing, hot shot younger flyers intimidating me, lack of feeling successful. I've been flying model airplanes since the '60's and my interest is waning. Of course eyesight has diminished, and even just standing I like to rest against something. Any thoughts for a guy who has a hangar full of airplanes even a Tower Uproar with .46 on it to my very first trainer that I built a Sig Kadet Senior?
BF: Hey, I'll be 67 years old in a bit! First thing is to ensure you have a current eye exam and glasses. You will need your top vision, ensure your glasses are completely up to date. And this includes prescription sunglasses for sure. Use of a computer flight simulator is a huge help, I use RealFlight. Great to stay in practice. At the field, ensure you are flying on a day with calm winds and a larger size trainer airplane. Also, seek a club instructor to stand by you for the first few flights. Best of luck!! Tim
In Europe they don't sell nice gliders with a small motor and RC. They only sell Cessna and fighter jets.
Thanks! Tim
Sir, how van I calculate the time of flight for the RC. Like the battery which I used, it will be used both for the take off, landing and for flight.
Nilesh: The amount of time any electric setup uses depends on use of power. High throttle setting, more power, shorter flight time. So best way is to charge battery and fly for, say, three minutes. Check battery capacity remaining once you land. Increase flight times until you finish with at least 40% capacity, that should be a good normal flight time using the timer on your transmitter. Tim
Just a quick note -- you should always monitor the charging of batteries(especially li-po batteries) as they can explode due to overcharging. Even if you have a good charger its not worth the risk.
IG: Fully agree, and excellent safety point! Tim
@@TimMcKay56👍👍
I have a question , built an f 35 about 1.2 m in wingspan haven't done its maiden yet ,however there's a slight mistake in the main frame like the left backside of plane from which left elevator and rudder are connected to is slightly inclined than the right side , i wanted to know if it will affect the flight?
Muizz: I think the slight inclination should not be a problem for normal sport flying. Tim
@@TimMcKay56 ohhh thankssss
High wing 40 size trainer, how much throws and expos would you recommend on each surface for maiden?
Don’t have instruction manual:
Praveen: + or - 0.5” up and down for the control surfaces should be fine. 30% expo if you wish, not really required for a trainer. Good luck! Tim
Thank you!
Did you monocoat a foam plane?
Yes. Foam was strong enough to accept the heat needed to apply iron on covering. Easy to do, looks great! Tim
@@TimMcKay56 it does look great.
Airspeed is altitude and altitude is airspeed.
Fair enough! Tim