Aircraft orientation and overcoming optical illusions?

[Zamzara]

Does anyone have any tips for overcoming the illusion that my plane is flying away from me when it's coming towards me? No matter how certain I feel I've tracked it correctly it can just surprise me out of nowhere, often after a slight random twitch or gust.

 

[Hondo76251]

No real advice other than practice, it just takes time...

 

[LitterBug]

Part of it is just experience. Knowing what direction it should be moving based on your last control inputs. You can add lights or paint it in a way that makes orientation more obvious.

LB

 

[Bricks]

I will use either use rudder or ailerons input a little and watch the plane if it banks the same way I push the sticks it is going away, if it banks apposite is is coming towards me.

 

[Aireal Anarchist]

like Bricks I rock my ailerons a little if it goes the opposite way its coming at me

 

[PsyBorg]

like Bricks I rock my ailerons a little if it goes the opposite way its coming at me

I do the same with quads as they are even easier to lose orientation when flying LOS. Specially these quick lil 2 and 3 inch buggers I play with hehe.

 

[LitterBug]

I do the same with quads as they are even easier to lose orientation when flying LOS. Specially these quick lil 2 and 3 inch buggers I play with hehe.

LEDs on the. Back of multirotors that I los....

 

[moke]

Does anyone have any tips for overcoming the illusion that my plane is flying away from me when it's coming towards me? No matter how certain I feel I've tracked it correctly it can just surprise me out of nowhere, often after a slight random twitch or gust.

like they said. practice or a little 'rock and roll'. On some of my 'invisible models' I put on wing tip position lights
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0861WMCJ8/?tag=lstir-20

 

[PsyBorg]

LEDs on the. Back of multirotors that I los....

PFFt LED's... have you seen my builds? I cant afford to lose those precious milliseconds of electricity hehehehe

 

[BATTLEAXE]

One good tip is to always keep the sun at your back so you are always looking at the sunny side of the plane. Another i will do is paint orientation minded stripes or colors to the plane. The top will be a different color then the bottom, and the leading edge of the wing will be a different color then the rest of the plane, either a bright or dark color that contrasts with the rest of the plane. Contrasting colors can be deceiving if you don't choose them right. Like if you are using black for stripes don't try to contrast it with red. Red at a distance along side black will look just as black that you are trying to contrast against. However red works really well with white as a distance contrast. If you are using black, yellow or orange is a great contrast. Blue and Green will blend at a distance so you want to contrast it with a third color, something bright, again yellow or white or silver. You just kind have to play with it some

 

[Hai-Lee]

I use one of three methods:
Wait - if the model keeps getting smaller then it is going away.
Climb - If I pull up on the elevator and I see the top of the plane then it is going away if I see the underside it is coming towards me.
Colour- Fit a colourful spinner and a strip on the wing leading edge. If I see the colour then it is coming towards me.

Simple but all work.

 

[Brett_N]

Dollar tree comes to the rescue again. They sell shiny pattern'd duct-tape. cut it in half lengthwise and tape the leading edges of your wings. That way you can only see it when it's coming at you.

Or, just fly everything in a knife-edge.

 

[Bricks]

Dollar tree comes to the rescue again. They sell shiny pattern'd duct-tape. cut it in half lengthwise and tape the leading edges of your wings. That way you can only see it when it's coming at you.

Or, just fly everything in a knife-edge.

AT my age if I could see that little bit of color on the leading edge at distance I would not need any markings to fly. .

 

[sprzout]

I run different patterns on top vs. the bottom. I recently put lights on a Versa Wing, and did one long strip going lengthwise at an angle on the bottom, and two short strips on top of the wing. At night, you can't see the leading edge, so having it pointing in a certain direction, with different patterns, made it a lot easier to identify which way was which.

I've also put different patterns on the bottoms vs. the tops for when we do combat - maroon triangles on the bottom, bullseyes all over the top. The colors might look similar at a distance, but the patterns are easily recognizable and I can determine top vs bottom, and orientation easily.

Plus, I get my wife to use her Cricut machine to make stickers for my planes.

 

[shadeyB]

I find flying under 1 meter to the ground works great to figure if your the right way up or not 🤔😜🎮😊💫💥🔥

 

[Bricks]

I run different patterns on top vs. the bottom. I recently put lights on a Versa Wing, and did one long strip going lengthwise at an angle on the bottom, and two short strips on top of the wing. At night, you can't see the leading edge, so having it pointing in a certain direction, with different patterns, made it a lot easier to identify which way was which.

I've also put different patterns on the bottoms vs. the tops for when we do combat - maroon triangles on the bottom, bullseyes all over the top. The colors might look similar at a distance, but the patterns are easily recognizable and I can determine top vs bottom, and orientation easily.

Plus, I get my wife to use her Cricut machine to make stickers for my planes.

I will also add 3-6 white LEDS either at the leading edge or tail, helps me to know if coming towards or going away.

 

[Piotrsko]

I find flying under 1 meter to the ground works great to figure if your the right way up or not 🤔😜🎮😊💫💥🔥

That won't work on my KFM wing since it prefers inverted hands off and REALLY likes ground effect. Had to paint the bottom of one wing dayglo pink, since like @Bricks bitty lil stripes won't cut it anymore