My third first airplane.

[quorneng]

"my transmitter (Flysky FS-i6s) can't exactly trim"
Not sure exactly what that means.
Is it a problem with the transmitter with the plane itself.
Can you explain a bit further?

 

[bracesport]

I have an FSi6s - if you mean there are no 'regular' trim buttons, you are correct, but you can and should trim the plane with the sub trim and endpoints to get started - micro trimming is possible as shown in the manual using the buttons on the back of the i6s, but to be honest, if your just getting started keep it simple!

 

[Cypress]

"my transmitter (Flysky FS-i6s) can't exactly trim"
Not sure exactly what that means.
Is it a problem with the transmitter with the plane itself.
Can you explain a bit further?

See bracesport's response. To trim the i6s requires you to go to a specific screen, then hold down a button on the back of the controller while pushing the stick in the direction you want to trim.

I did everything I could to center everything using the controller last night, but I don't think it's practical to trim while in the air so it's going to be a step by step process I think.

 

[FDS]

That’s one of the big strikes against it IMO, it’s essential to be able to trim in flight easily. No idea why you would remove the trim switches. I would get the FSi6 or 6x which have trim switches, or save for a nicer TX once you know you are going to keep flying.
The one you have could be used as a buddy TX with another Flysky radio for passing on the bug!

 

[Cypress]

That’s one of the big strikes against it IMO, it’s essential to be able to trim in flight easily. No idea why you would remove the trim switches. I would get the FSi6 or 6x which have trim switches, or save for a nicer TX once you know you are going to keep flying.
The one you have could be used as a buddy TX with another Flysky radio for passing on the bug!

Yeah I definitely learned a lesson. Maybe next year I'll have another radio in the budget and can spend more than $60.

Fantastic idea to buddy box it and trim that way.

 

[Cypress]

Okay so I put it in a parking lot just to see how it trimmed out...also I am just too excited to wait until Wednesday when the AMA club meets near me. After about 15 minutes of going in circles (literally) maxing out my rudder trim, etc...I realized I had my power pack in upside down. After I flipped that I was able to pick the wheels up and set it down again a couple times. Surprisingly slow given the weight of the oversize ESC and battery - 1000mah 3S...it didn't fit in the pocket and was way too heavy anyway so I strapped it between the wheels and it balanced out a little nose heavy, so I added some tail weight as well.

Too nervous to put more than 4 inches between it and the ground for now, so it's back to the simulator until Wednesday.

Thanks everyone for your help here!

 

[bracesport]

On the plus side (and for the price) the programming via the touch screen is super easy - I will try the trimming and report back!

 

[Cypress]

On the plus side (and for the price) the programming via the touch screen is super easy - I will try the trimming and report back!

Now that you mention it, flaperons took me like 5 minutes to set up, and was all very simple.

 

[bracesport]

I am not a pro pilot by any means - I do love the hobby and the challenges in learning to fly - I think the i6s is underrated (for its great design and price), and at my level, I have had no cause to use any trimming yet - actually, one awesome thing about the back buttons is I have a momentary launch mode set for my DLG that is triggered so easily with one hand on the Tx (and button) while the plane is in my other hand - there are all sorts you can achieve with these buttons!

have fun - happy to help with any i6s questions!

 

[Cypress]

I am not a pro pilot by any means - I do love the hobby and the challenges in learning to fly - I think the i6s is underrated (for its great design and price), and at my level, I have had no cause to use any trimming yet - actually, one awesome thing about the back buttons is I have a momentary launch mode set for my DLG that is triggered so easily with one hand on the Tx (and button) while the plane is in my other hand - there are all sorts you can achieve with these buttons!

have fun - happy to help with any i6s questions!

Very cool. I take it not many radios have rear buttons, then? Seems that would be odd since most of your fingers are back there doing nothing.

I've been thinking about this since your earlier post...I really like the look of this radio - part of the reason I bought it - and the touch screen was a big selling point. Besides the trim I really don't have any complaints. It has a lot of features that I really like. I've been using it for a tiny whoop and never had a problem with it until this trimming thing came up...but now that my plane is trim (at least ostensibly for now) it no longer matters once again.

I should say, I do have one complaint - I get an alarm when I power up my whoop occasionally but no idea what it's for, and it doesn't stop. I just roll my eyes each time, unplug the whoop, plug it back in, and hopefully the alarm stops. (shrug)

My only real concern with this radio going in was with range due to the lack of external antenna. With the tiny whoop it's a non-issue, but now with a trainer I have some concerns. Some googling a few weeks ago before I decided to buy a plane showed some criticism, but other people were using it successfully so it couldn't be THAT short of a range. If you have any comments here it would be appreciated too.

 

[bracesport]

the range is not an issue with the AFHDS 2a receivers - some micro Rx units may have less range!

 

[Al Stein]

Two bits to add...
!. You mentioned embarrassment in your first post. My advice: it's a feeling you don't need; give it up. Being embarrassed is for kids: it's better to just notice when we're out of their comfort zone, roll with the punches, and accept help.
2. About tuning on the ground. The aerodynamics of flying aren't in effect on the ground or within about a wing span distance of the ground. Good that you're getting set up as well as you can before flying the plane, but be ready for adjustments to be needed when you do take to the air. Also good that you're holding off until experienced folks are available. Letting one of them take the plane for a trim flight can be really helpful.

Best wishes on your upcoming flight and do be sure to enjoy the experience!

 

[sprzout]

If you're running into walls with SAFE on, I'd recommend some sim time first and foremost. The easiest way to wreck a trainer is by turning towards yourself and not having the instinct to reverse your control inputs. This is totally unintuitive and only buddy boxing or sim flying can get you ready for it. I would recommend sim as you can put in as many hours as you want.

This skill can even be learned on such free and basic simulators as CRRCSim or Picasim. Honestly, Picasim is a pretty good sim either on mobile or on PC, and on your phone can be pulled out in a moment of boredom to crash some planes.

Yep, definitely recommend a simulator. Some people will say, "Bah, it's not like REAL flying." And to some extent, they're right. It doesn't prepare you for that little gust of wind that comes up here and there and pushes your plane left or right of the runway on landing, or it leaves out the hawk that decides to try and attack your plane because it thinks it's another bird it needs to chase off (That's happened to me with not just my planes, but my quads as well!).

BUT!!!

A simulator will allow you to get the basics down, and practice. You'll learn that crucial "Left is right, right is left" when the plane is coming at you. You can also practice flying when it's dark outside, or in the winter when you don't want to go out because of the cold, or it's pouring rain outside.

If you go the route of a simulator, I would HIGHLY recommend looking for one where you can use a transmitter controller as opposed to a video game controller; it gives you a better feel of how to react. I know that RealFlight 8 Horizon Hobby edition and Aerofly RC 7 and 8 allow you to use a wireless adapter and connect a Spektrum radio to them. I've been using an OrangeRX DSMX USB adapter that I connect up to my computer, run Aerofly RC 7, and use my actual transmitter to fly various planes. I HIGHLY recommend it.

 

[bracesport]

I can tell you I crash more than I fly - I build, I learn, I fly a bit better each time - I still get a rush of adrenalin before every flight.

Have a look at sundowns thread - world slowest FB plane

I also have AeroflyRC7 on my mac and I find it as real as it gets - I can plug the FSi6s directly in with the USB and away we go (a bit of setup required) - you can also fly with your finger on the trackpad!

 

[Cypress]

I can tell you I crash more than I fly - I build, I learn, I fly a bit better each time - I still get a rush of adrenalin before every flight.

Have a look at sundowns thread - world slowest FB plane

I also have AeroflyRC7 on my mac and I find it as real as it gets - I can plug the FSi6s directly in with the USB and away we go (a bit of setup required) - you can also fly with your finger on the trackpad!

I have downloaded Picasim and have been putting in some time. I think my time with the tiny whoop has really helped with at least pitch/roll/yaw instincts because it has been surprisingly smooth. (You also reminded me of another big selling point of the i6S - the USB port - and setup with Picasim was really easy.)

It isn't a cakewalk, though...line-of-sight has been tricky - just keeping track of the orientation of the plane is tough enough, but as expected it's when the plane is facing me that's the hardest. Following advice from some FT videos I've seen I just remember to push the stick at the low wing which works great except switching back and forth is mentally really tough still...but I can generally get a comfortable approach, and can generally get a decent landing. My problem is that I am terrible at setting up the approach from a specific direction - I just get whatever line I can and put it down. So hitting an actual runway has been nearly impossible. I just can't line up the approach.

I'm sure there are tips here, but I feel like tomorrow at the field with the experienced pilots will be an easier place for that - live while the plane is in the air. I'm all ears if anyone has input before I head out after work tomorrow though.

 

[bracesport]

I talk out loud - if I want to go 'right', I say 'right' - seems to help my fingers do the 'right' thing!

 

[Piotrsko]

Easiest and cheapest way to unlearn backwards rudder is to go buy a really cheap toy RC car. You don't care if those crash

 

[Hai-Lee]

I have downloaded Picasim and have been putting in some time. I think my time with the tiny whoop has really helped with at least pitch/roll/yaw instincts because it has been surprisingly smooth. (You also reminded me of another big selling point of the i6S - the USB port - and setup with Picasim was really easy.)

It isn't a cakewalk, though...line-of-sight has been tricky - just keeping track of the orientation of the plane is tough enough, but as expected it's when the plane is facing me that's the hardest. Following advice from some FT videos I've seen I just remember to push the stick at the low wing which works great except switching back and forth is mentally really tough still...but I can generally get a comfortable approach, and can generally get a decent landing. My problem is that I am terrible at setting up the approach from a specific direction - I just get whatever line I can and put it down. So hitting an actual runway has been nearly impossible. I just can't line up the approach.

I'm sure there are tips here, but I feel like tomorrow at the field with the experienced pilots will be an easier place for that - live while the plane is in the air. I'm all ears if anyone has input before I head out after work tomorrow though.

I have 3 separate tips for my students when teaching them landing circuits.

Firstly if the plane is approaching from the left then left stick turns the plane to the centre of the field and if approaching from the right then right stick will turn the plane towards the centre of the field.

put a line of coloured tape around a single wing and then do not look so much at the plane but rather the tape line to determine which way to turn.

Finally I get my students to face the way the plane is going, (look back to the plane over their shoulder), and that way the sticks on the Tx still correspond to what you would normally think of with the plane's orientation.

As for alignment to the landing strip, you need to be able to see the background and pick points of interest or use in determining when to turn and at what height you should be on approach. With a little practice you will land more precise than some seasoned veteran pilots.

Just what works here with my students.

Have fun!

 

[Cypress]

I have 3 separate tips for my students when teaching them landing circuits.

Firstly if the plane is approaching from the left then left stick turns the plane to the centre of the field and if approaching from the right then right stick will turn the plane towards the centre of the field.

put a line of coloured tape around a single wing and then do not look so much at the plane but rather the tape line to determine which way to turn.

Finally I get my students to face the way the plane is going, (look back to the plane over their shoulder), and that way the sticks on the Tx still correspond to what you would normally think of with the plane's orientation.

As for alignment to the landing strip, you need to be able to see the background and pick points of interest or use in determining when to turn and at what height you should be on approach. With a little practice you will land more precise than some seasoned veteran pilots.

Just what works here with my students.

Have fun!

Great advice. I am aware of the trick of coloring one wing (see image) to keep track of orientation, but I was not aware of the left/right approach you mentioned, I will try that out as well. As for turning, I am tempted to do that but I feel like that's 'cheating' and would just make it take longer to train my brain.

Thanks!

 

[Piotrsko]

I agree, eventually you have to learn how to think in terms of aircraft orientation. I had a friend who used to hold his radio upside down or sticks facing out. He crashed a lot.