Lesson 9: Fast Forward Flight
This Lesson is all about flying fast. You will learn why fast flight is easier, but also harder, than slow flight. You'll start to fly 10 feet or higher above the ground. You will also learn, practically, how to predict and correct for translational lift. Finally, you will have a ton of fun! Fast flight is much more exciting than slow. Ready?
Approximate Lesson Length: 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours of flight time
Note: when you start getting more comfortable with this lesson, visit Lesson 10 and start practicing the Pre-flight Exercises; this will save you time learning to fly nose-in and give you something to do while waiting in between charges.
Approximate Lesson Length: 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours of flight time
Note: when you start getting more comfortable with this lesson, visit Lesson 10 and start practicing the Pre-flight Exercises; this will save you time learning to fly nose-in and give you something to do while waiting in between charges.
Throttle / Pitch Curves and D/R and EXPO
Now that you are beginning to fly faster, you'll want to increase your D/R and maybe EXPO again. Increase D/R to 70% (for those of you with a non-computerized radio - ouch you've probably crashed a lot - just stay at 70%) and EXPO can be set to 30%, if you like. Make sure you're High D/R is set to 90-100%; yep you're going to move up during this lesson. Note, travel adjustment should still be set to 75% for aileron and elevator.
Now that you're flying faster and are going to deal with translational lift, you'll want to adjust your pitch curve. At Low, you'll want 40%, with Position 2 at 55%, Position 3 (Mid Stick) at 67.5%, Position 4 at 80%, and High Stick at 95% (Remember: 50% pitch is Zero Pitch, 0% is full negative, and 100% is full positive). These are much more responsive pitch percentages that will allow you to adjust for translational lift much easier and more accurately.
Now that you're flying faster and are going to deal with translational lift, you'll want to adjust your pitch curve. At Low, you'll want 40%, with Position 2 at 55%, Position 3 (Mid Stick) at 67.5%, Position 4 at 80%, and High Stick at 95% (Remember: 50% pitch is Zero Pitch, 0% is full negative, and 100% is full positive). These are much more responsive pitch percentages that will allow you to adjust for translational lift much easier and more accurately.
Translational Lift Practice
First off, you need to have a working understanding of translational lift. We'll start off this lesson practicing translational lift. With you standing back in position 1, hover about 15 feet to the left of your helipad at about 1.5 feet in the air. Then, without touching your throttle / collective (obviously using rudder if you need to) stick, turn to the right and move forward at about 6 mph. You should notice that as you move forward at this faster pace, the helicopter gains altitude for no apparent reason. This is translational lift (click for the definition), and from now on you are going to have to correct for this (assuming you are in Fast Forward Flight - FFF).
Stop 15 feet to the right of your helipad and descend slowly to about 3 feet. Now turn around and go back to the left 30 feet at about 6mph and try to keep the helicopter at about 3 ft up. Then stop (increasing the throttle / collective, when you have lost translational lift, to stay at 3ft up), turn around, and move to the right 30 feet again. Repeat this exercise a few times until you feel confidant correcting for translational lift.
Stop 15 feet to the right of your helipad and descend slowly to about 3 feet. Now turn around and go back to the left 30 feet at about 6mph and try to keep the helicopter at about 3 ft up. Then stop (increasing the throttle / collective, when you have lost translational lift, to stay at 3ft up), turn around, and move to the right 30 feet again. Repeat this exercise a few times until you feel confidant correcting for translational lift.
FFF Recovery
Now is a good time to mention safety - for yourself and your heli. Don't fly in a crowded area or even lightly crowded area when doing this lesson. It is inconsiderate of others and dangerous. Also don't fly in a residential area (so you don't crash into a telephone pole or a house or the old lady across the street). The best place to fly today is at a field or large park. But if you do start flying too close to something, back away.
Most important of all, at least for your heli, though, is to keep it functioning! I like to imagine that I'm a pilot and that my RC Heli has passengers aboard. With the safety of the lives of others (even imaginary) in mind, I tend to fly safer and avoid most crash situations. This is good. Whatever you need to do to stay cautious in this lesson, do it. Remember the Flight School Motto:
"Always land in one piece"
If you do find your self beginning to get out of control, the best advice is to stop movement and slowly climb (or quickly if you are near the ground). It is much easier to slowly land from high up than it is to crash - especially on the wallet.
Most important of all, at least for your heli, though, is to keep it functioning! I like to imagine that I'm a pilot and that my RC Heli has passengers aboard. With the safety of the lives of others (even imaginary) in mind, I tend to fly safer and avoid most crash situations. This is good. Whatever you need to do to stay cautious in this lesson, do it. Remember the Flight School Motto:
"Always land in one piece"
If you do find your self beginning to get out of control, the best advice is to stop movement and slowly climb (or quickly if you are near the ground). It is much easier to slowly land from high up than it is to crash - especially on the wallet.
Fast Centered Circle Circuits
Stand over your helipad, then hover about 20 feet ahead of you at about 4 ft up. Now, fly a slow centered circuit (either clockwise or counter-clockwise) around you, just like as in Lesson 8, except this time with a radius of 20 feet and finishing in about 15 seconds. How did this feel? If you think this was really scary, go back to lesson 8 and practice some more. If this was a piece of cake, then fly the same size / speed circuit, this time in the other direction. Once you feel confident with this larger circuit, its time to fly higher and faster.
You will notice in this and other FFF circuits that you need to bank to counter the centrifugal force of your flight path. This will probably feel natural; it is because as your helicopter gets faster and faster, it acts more and more like an RC airplane. Banked turns are more exciting than flat curves anyways.
Fly a centered circle circuit of radius 25 feet now, this time at 8 feet up and completing it in about 12 seconds. After practicing this a few times in each direction, try a 30 foot radius circle at 10-12 feet up, perhaps finishing in 10 seconds. Next, fly some 40 foot radius circles at 15-20 ft up and then some 50 foot radius circles at 25-30 ft finishing in less than 10 seconds.
You will notice in this and other FFF circuits that you need to bank to counter the centrifugal force of your flight path. This will probably feel natural; it is because as your helicopter gets faster and faster, it acts more and more like an RC airplane. Banked turns are more exciting than flat curves anyways.
Fly a centered circle circuit of radius 25 feet now, this time at 8 feet up and completing it in about 12 seconds. After practicing this a few times in each direction, try a 30 foot radius circle at 10-12 feet up, perhaps finishing in 10 seconds. Next, fly some 40 foot radius circles at 15-20 ft up and then some 50 foot radius circles at 25-30 ft finishing in less than 10 seconds.
Words of Caution:
If you find yourself getting too high and / or far away, slow down, reduce throttle / collective, and slowly come backwards towards your helipad (with you on it). Make sure that your descent is nice and slow with adequate use of your throttle / collective stick.
As you start flying faster circuits, you will need to be careful to stay high above the ground so that a change in the wind (which will change your translational lift) won't send you into a high speed crash into the ground. You will need to frequently pull back on your cyclic to avoid loosing altitude; the biggest mistake you can make in this lesson is to fly too near to the ground. If you start getting low, increase your throttle / collective and slow down until you've adequately regained control. Can I say it again, fly with CONTROL! Otherwise you aren't learning and you'll regress in your flight skills.
You may want to switch your D/R off and fly at 100% (at 75% travel, though). Make this change when you feel ready or when you feel like you don't have enough cyclic control to make these turns easily. Keep practicing flying these circuits, always staying in control and high enough above the ground that you don't crash. If you do . . . ($$$$). Aim for caution while flying rather than quick (literally) learning; take your time with this lesson. The safer you fly this lesson, the better you'll do in Lesson 11.
As you start flying faster circuits, you will need to be careful to stay high above the ground so that a change in the wind (which will change your translational lift) won't send you into a high speed crash into the ground. You will need to frequently pull back on your cyclic to avoid loosing altitude; the biggest mistake you can make in this lesson is to fly too near to the ground. If you start getting low, increase your throttle / collective and slow down until you've adequately regained control. Can I say it again, fly with CONTROL! Otherwise you aren't learning and you'll regress in your flight skills.
You may want to switch your D/R off and fly at 100% (at 75% travel, though). Make this change when you feel ready or when you feel like you don't have enough cyclic control to make these turns easily. Keep practicing flying these circuits, always staying in control and high enough above the ground that you don't crash. If you do . . . ($$$$). Aim for caution while flying rather than quick (literally) learning; take your time with this lesson. The safer you fly this lesson, the better you'll do in Lesson 11.
Back to the Basics . . .
Okay this was really fun, right? But now its time to buckle back down and practice Nose-In Hovering in Lesson 10. This is not a fun lesson, but very important for success in Lesson 11 and beyond. If you aren't looking forward to nose-in hovering, practice this lesson a bit longer; extra practice never hurts. When you are very comfortable with these centered circuits and start feeling risky when you're flying, however, you need to move on or you will start crashing. Get Ready for Lesson 10: Nose in Hovering!