RC Scale Aerobatics
Mike Hurley
LET'S GET something straight: almost any airplane can do 3-D. With the right amount of power, control surfaces, and piloting skill, you don't have to have a specially designed airplane to perform 3-D maneuvers. I have a friend who often Torque Rolls his P-51 Mustang.
Having made that statement, some designs are easier to perform 3-D with than others. You wouldn't want to teach a new student to fly with a fast sport airplane or a tricky warbird, but it could be done; the same applies to learning 3-D. It's best to find an aircraft that gives you the best high-alpha performance to make learning easier.
The June Scale Aerobatics (SA) column was mostly about the Chip Hyde Vision 3D. It excels at 3-D flight. It can be a bit fast for first-timers but it's still quite good for learning. I made some statements in that column that may have taken away from the real intent, which was to highlight the model. Since I didn't fully clarify those statements, I'll do so here, and in the process I hope to introduce you to a form of 3-D extreme flying that is sweeping the country.
In the June column I wrote that many popular aircraft marketed for 3-D performance don't perform 3-D very well. I also mentioned the ProBros, and some took that to mean I was hinting that profile models can't 3-D. Oops, that got quite a few people upset. Most of the profile brethren made light fun of it, but a few were clearly unhappy. It's my fault; I shouldn't have made the inference without fully explaining my position.
What is interesting is that when I talked with some of the more knowledgeable profile-aircraft designers and pilots, we were in complete agreement about which airplanes and designs perform well and which ones don't. Again, let's be clear: profiles can 3-D! Let's also be clear that with all other types of aircraft, some profile designs fly 3-D better than others.
Now that I think we’re all in agreement, let me introduce you to the Profile Brotherhood, or the ProBros as they like to call themselves.
The ProBro movement started as a group of pilots who like to hang out on the RC Internet forums and discuss how to build, fly, and improve their airplanes. One of the profile devotees—Jim T. Graham (aka “Billy Rewl”)—came up with the idea of a more unified group, and the Profile Brotherhood was born! Since its inception the ProBro movement has grown in popularity, and the love of the profile design has grown with it.
ProBros like to fly what they call extreme aerobatics and 3-D, which include a lot of hovering, torque rolling, spins, tumbles, and general horseplay (safely, of course!). The ProBros put on fly-ins at various sites across the country and the events are well attended, with 50, 75, or even more pilots going about.
If you want to learn more about the ProBros, the models they fly, or just how you can get a great 3-D airplane without a huge cost, go to the ProBro Web site at www.theprofilebrotherhood.com. (Warning: This Web site is not for general audiences—rated R!)
I recently realized something about 3-D aircraft. In general, the performance of the smaller 3-D airplanes has improved immensely in the last few years. Four or five years ago I would have said it was extremely difficult to learn to perform 3-D on any airplane with less than roughly a 95-inch wingspan. And at that time I was right. Smaller airplanes didn’t perform 3-D well at all. Today there are still smaller 3-D types that aren’t very good, but the difference is that some are fantastic!
I’m a huge fan of the flat-airfoil foamie airplanes. I love them! Indoors or in no-wind conditions outdoors, they are hard to beat. They are low in cost, quick to build, they 3-D great, and they are loads of fun. My only problem is that they are so much fun that I usually end up smashing them up in five or 10 flights. Considering I usually crash and repair them multiple times before they end up in my “old foamie” pile, that’s pretty good.
A little more robust for outdoors and small fields or parks are my lightweight electric-powered models. I have a modified Stevens AeroModel Groove. At 24 ounces it still needs lower wind levels, but this airplane is a dream to fly. Patterns, rollers, 3-D, it will do it all. I also have a few of the little electric-powered ARFs, but I need to get them put together to give you an impression.
Jumping to the small entry-level, gas-powered aircraft, I just finished an Extreme Flight Yak-54 with a 50cc engine. This airplane and the Chip Hyde Products (CHP) Vision 3D are revolutionary in this size category. Both fly the pattern exceptionally well, with bullet-straight lines and neutral control input characteristics, but their ability to 3-D is what really impresses me. Both models are solid and responsive in high alpha, with exceptional control authority and a forgiving nature.
I flew the Yak and the Vision back-to-back, and neither stood out as the better airplane. They were so much alike in flight performance that I was amazed, but they look so different. There are some differences, but they are so slight that I could not, in good conscience, state them as absolutes.
I flew the Yak again today, and it is astounding. It possesses great manners in all attitudes, has neutral flightlines, and is as stable as a bridge in all high-alpha conditions. As is the Vision, the Yak is a fantastic 3-D platform.
RC Scale Aerobatics
Mike Hurley
Exceptional for use as a 3-D trainer is the Chip Hyde CAP-X. It is outstanding in an upright Harrier and is great for learning high alpha. Because of the dihedral in the main wing, it is unstable in an Inverted Harrier. But for those who are just starting to learn upright maneuvers, it will keep you busy for a long time, so don't worry about the Inverted Harrier during your initial 3-D training.
One thing that dawned on me while I was flying today is that when performing 3-D, your engine's performance will determine how well you do with 3-D flight. Getting low in a Harrier or a Torque Roll is almost impossible without complete trust in your engine. I'm flying the Yak with a Desert Aircraft 50cc along with a quiet and powerful K&S tuned pipe. The Vision has the DA-50 with a CHP quiet canister. Both give instant throttle response and worry-free performance.
Without question there has been a new dawn on the world of fixed-wing 3-D aircraft. From the small but nimble new profile designs to entry-level, high-performance 3-D electric- and gas-powered models, 3-D is no longer just for those who can afford a 35% or 40% SA airplane. Yeah, I'll keep flying and enjoy my big, slow, graceful 40% models, but I'll also get excited every time there is a new step in performance in the small aircraft. 3-D truly is for everyone. MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
