Radio Control Helicopters - 2011/01

104 MODEL AVIATION
HI EVERYONE.
I hope 2010 has been
a good year for you.
As we transition into
2011, it is a good
time to reflect on
your involvement
with RC helicopters.
Are you just getting started with helicopters or have you been
flying them for years? Are you having fun? Remember, that this is a
hobby and it is supposed to be fun.
Helicopters are one of the most challenging and fun hobbies I can
think of. To truly get the most enjoyment out of these aircraft, you
have to put in some effort. That is true with most things.
One topic has received much attention lately: the progression path a
pilot should follow to advance his or her skills.
Pilots have various ideals about their flying style, but most agree
that complete control of the machine is one of the highest priorities. It
is tempting for an advancing pilot to skip a few steps along the way
while focusing on the next cool trick.
There is an organized schedule of progress specifically for RC
helicopter pilots, called the Pilot Proficiency Program (PPP). It is
available on the
International Radio
Controlled Helicopter
Association (IRCHA) Web
site. Click on the PPP
button when you get there.
Contest flying has seen
renewed interest, as an
influx of enthusiastic pilots
jumped into the Nats Class
I competition this year.
Contest flying is the
ultimate test of RC
helicopter precision
control.
There are four levels in
Discipline and a desire for precision will pay big dividends
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Helicopters Mark Fadely
Also included in this column:
• IRCHA’s Pilot Proficiency
Program
Canadian Scott Gray, a top F3C competitor, shows the incredible
speed—approximately 100 mph—that a modern FAI helicopter can
achieve. The aerodynamic fuselage helps it cut through the air.
Andy Panoncillo, an experienced 3-D pilot, decided to try contest
flying. His helicopter is a state-of-the-art Vibe 90SG with a
FunTech Staysee II fuselage.
Even inexpensive imports can help you learn hovering
orientations. Training gear can be installed to help stop the
aircraft from tipping over while close to the ground.
Steve Kaluf, who competes in the Nats with a glow-powered
model, practices hovering at the E-Fest in Champaign, Illinois,
during the winter. Indoor flying can help you tune your skills.
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which you can compete: Class I, II, III,
and the FAI schedule, or F3C. The FAI is
the world governing body for air sports,
and it holds the highest level of precision
competition.
Many newcomers get excited watching
3-D videos and try to copy what they see.
These pilots often become discouraged as
they realize that it takes a lot of work to
learn how to do the wild 3-D maneuvers.
Discipline and a desire for precision will
pay big dividends as your flying
progresses.
Pilots can benefit from practicing some
elements of contest flying. The goal in any
RC flying is to become comfortable with
the machine in any orientation. Flying 3-D
requires the pilot to make quick decisions
responding to orientation changes.
Contest/precision flying presents
essentially the same orientations to the
pilot, but at a slower rate. You might be
surprised to learn how many good 3-D
pilots struggle with the orientation control
of contest flying.
A good New Year’s resolution would
be to practice precision maneuvering. Try
doing a 1-minute pirouette while hovering
over a spot.
If you can fly inverted, flip the
helicopter over and try the pirouette
upside-down. At first the aircraft will
probably move around, but you should
improve quickly.
If you take the time to learn and
practice a few basic Class I contest
maneuvers, it will improve your skills.
Several fliers who entered this year’s
Nats were 3-D pilots, and Andy Panoncillo
was one. He signed up to fly Class I.
Andy lives in Muncie, Indiana, so he
did not have to travel far to get to the
AMA flying site. He built a Vibe 90SG
earlier in the year that he reviewed in
MA.
Andy has a long RC history that
includes many years as a national RC
Combat competitor. He has brought the
same intensity to his helicopter flying.
He told me that he wanted to fly in
the Nats to grow as a pilot. In Andy’s
opinion, flying in a precision contest is
one of the best things you can do to
improve your flying.
Congratulations on your fourthplace
finish, Andy!
There are classes to suit all skill
levels of pilots. Not all fliers are into
competition, though, and that is where
IRCHA’s PPP can be a great
alternative.
Following is an excerpt from Level I
of the PPP.
E. 3/4 Rear View Hovering
1. Take-off to Hover, Hold for five
(5) seconds.
2. Rotate the nose of the Helicopter
either left or right forty-five (45)
degrees, hold for five (5) seconds.
3. Rotate the nose of the Helicopter back
to straight ahead, hold for five (5) seconds.
4. Continue rotating the nose of the
helicopter forty-five (45) degrees to the other
side, hold for five (5) seconds.
5. Rotate the nose back to straight ahead,
hold for five (5) seconds.
6. Land with the skids completely within
the landing area.
F. Full Lateral View Hovering
1. Same as 3/4 View Hovering, but in steps
2 and 4 rotate ninety (90) degrees instead of
forty-five (45) degrees.
G. Diagonal Hovering
1. After take-off from the landing area
within center of a 10 meter/yard box, from
Stationary Hover, maintaining a constant
heading, move the helicopter diagonally to a
corner of the box, hold for five (5) seconds,
then return to the center of the box.
2. Repeat with the remaining 3 corners of
the box.
3. Land with the skids completely within
the landing area.
H. Circle Hovering
1. Tail-in Circle
a. Take-off, hold hover for five (5)
seconds.
b. Move the helicopter to the right;
keeping the tail pointed at the pilot, in a circle
around the pilot, until the helicopter is
hovering over the take-off point.
c. Move the Helicopter to the left,
repeating step b above.
d. Land with the skids completely
within the landing area.
2. Constant Heading Circle
a. Take-off, hold hover for five (5)
seconds.
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b. Move the helicopter to the
right, keeping the tail pointed in the same
direction; complete a ten (10) meter
circle in front of the pilot until the
helicopter is hovering over the take-off
point.
c. Move the helicopter to the
left, repeating step b above.
d. Land with the skids
completely within the landing area.
The PPP requirements are thorough.
After you complete a maneuver, you are
required to fly it in the opposite
orientation. To be official, you must have
a witness sign off on your
accomplishments.
I hope this has given you some food
for thought for future flying. You can use
a little of this information or become
fully involved by actually flying in a
competition next year.
Now go fly!
That is it for this time. See you back
here next month. MA
Sources:
IRCHA
www.ircha.org
Vibe 90SG
(800) 338-4639
www.horizonhobby.com
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
(FAI)
www.fai.org