Radio Control: Scale Aerobatics
The IMAC (International Miniature Aerobatic Club) National Championships will be in Toledo, Ohio at the Flying Tigers' field, August 22-23. Contact your local IMAC representative if you want more information. It should be a great event to attend, even if you won't be competing. This is the time of year when you can probably find a Scale Aerobatics contest fairly close to you, no matter where you live in the US. I strongly recommend that you go to one of these competitions, even if you feel that you're not ready to enter one (or never intend to). You'll most likely see many people having a great time, and you'll see some very interesting airplanes. Check the contest listings in this magazine and on the IMAC or other Web pages.
Radio Control: Scale Aerobatics
Since my last column I've received three phone calls from pilots who were frustrated with their airplanes; two were Giant Scale Aerobatics models, and the other was a Pattern aircraft. All of the pilots were convinced that their airplanes were either designed poorly or set up incorrectly, because of problems that they were experiencing with one maneuver: the Stall Turn-specifically, the "pivot" at the top of the Stall Turn. (The Stall Turn and the Hammerhead are the same maneuver.) The Stall Turn can really make a pilot question his/her abilities or aircraft. Through the years, the most common complaint I hear from aspiring Aerobatics pilots involves airplanes that "won't" Stall Turn.
Radio Control: Scale Aerobatics
LAST TIME we met, I discussed Stall Turns and some hints that may be helpful for pilots who are having difficulties with them. Several people wrote that they really enjoyed that column and hoped for more like it. That's good for me, since my primary focus is on flying. The Stall Turn is one of those maneuvers that won't usually impress the "locals," even if done well. It's not obvious to the casual observer that there is a fair amount of skill required to do a really nice Stall Turn. This time I'll look at some maneuvers that have a slightly bigger "wow factor." In fact, I'll look knife-edge flight: the flight regime that usually separates the "men from the boys," to be politically incorrect.
Radio Control: Scale Aerobatics
WHEN WE LAST visited, I gave you a description and a chart to help you work on the four-point roll. Although I wrote about knife-edge flight before that, you probably found plenty of challenge in perfecting the four-point roll. For many pilots, the most uncomfortable part of the four-point roll (from upright) is the quarter-roll from inverted to the second knife-edge. That's because most people only work on knife-edge flight by rolling fairly quickly from upright to the 90º position, then quickly quarter-rolling back to upright.
Radio Control: Scale Aerobatics
THE FIRST order of business is to beg for input-especially photographs of your Scale Aerobatic machines. Readers like to see what others are flying, and you can enjoy seeing your favorite airplane in print. Written input is also appreciated; tell me what you are flying, what you need help with, your latest discoveries, or secret tricks. Living in the outback as I do, I can't personally provide all of the information that readers desire and deserve. To continue on the path of discussing Scale Aerobatic maneuvers, I'll look at a couple of basic autorotative events.
