SAFE & other pilot assist downside

jolfstn74

Active member
Hi! I'm a new pilot,started with a SAFE equipped sport cub s,then a turbo Timber umx also w/ SAFE, now I have a slow stick micro (vintage stick from Rage RC) 3 channel that due to my reliance on SAFE I'm barely able to keep in the air! After any type of adjustment to the starting trajectory,one must compensate to level the flight,I had no clue how much the planes and controller were doing this for me automatically! The stick is barely more than a rubber band flyer used to be sold for a dollar at the 5&10 next to the register,I've gone from easy take offs & landings to consistent nose dives and crashes,I need to learn to fly all over again! If you have been doing the same,try disabling SAFE or whatever your manufacturer calls the telemetry/gyro assist/servo limiting and attempt a simple take off,circuit and landing, if you are successful then kudoes, but if I can get over this (before completely destroying each plane in my little fleet) I'll not use SAFE again,nor recommend it to others, unless they don't plan on flying much. If one is attempting to build on skill it will prevent one from doing so. The trade off of getting into the air from one's first attempt is you are prevented from learning how to really control your plane!
 

clolsonus

Well-known member
One thing to consider: a flight controller can compensate for a lot of out-of-balance and out-of-trim conditions. It may be that some setup and trimming could really help out with your new airplane. With or without a flight controller, the goal is to be trimmed well enough to fly hands off for a few seconds without scaring yourself. This could possibly be a situation where being a member of a local RC club can be super helpful. An experienced modeler can help with the first flights and trim. Often they can sniff out issues and correct them really quickly ... spare you a few early mysterious crashes that can be super disappointing (and time consuming or expensive.) Or they could crash your model for you by doing something dumb themselves. I carry around one blank check in case someone asks me to help them out and I need to buy them a new plane. I pretend to be experienced online, but at my club I sit back and let the other experts debate what is wrong and what to do about it.

So for example, I just maidened a new plane that was really crazy in pitch ... one moment it wanted to go up, next moment it wanted to dive and keep accelerating even with throttle and speed build up (instable in pitch.) I had to move the CG forward about 1/2" and add some up elevator trim and it became much more tame and predictable. I was fortunate to survive the first flight ... these planes can be a mess and a huge handful if they aren't trimmed out well.
 

LitterBug

Techno Nut
Moderator
SAFE has it's time and place even for experienced pilots. For learning the basics of flight, trimming a plane, orientation, etc.... not so much. Finding a good basic self leveling plane to start out on is the best idea. Something like the FT Tiny Trainer. Simulators like RealFlight can help too. Both have helped me immensely with my LOS skills. I have been flying flight sims since the early 80's, so flying FPV is second nature. But being on the outside looking up, is a whole other skillset.

Cheers!
LitterBug
 

Dunfielder

Active member
While I think SAFE is cool, and sometimes think I should have gone that way!!! I believe flying sans help will ultimately make me a better flyer in the long run. Inevitably you'll destroy more planes going my route but with FB planes who cares! Building is quick and fun anyways.
 

Marty72

Elite member
I learned using safe, works great if used correctly. Use Safe to get the plane up , then toggle it off, try and fly, when things go south (and they will), toggle it back on. Use it for landing too. Slowly wean yourself off of it. I started doing tricks with my UMX Timber because of safe, knowing if things went south, I could flip the lever and be saved. Also, as someone said earlier, safe will compensate for a badly trimmed plane, so if the plane isn't trimmed, as soon as you turn safe off, it dives. You should be able to trim it, a little at a time, toggle off and on until you get it.
 

jolfstn74

Active member
Excellent idea! I'll give it a shot.thanks to all who responded,and since I've shown my slow stick to someone who's been flying models for decades,he says it was not entirely my being inept,that it was defective and a reputable company would give me an RMA & Exchange for a replacement,that he couldn't fly it either! So that's what I told HRP (so by implication,they are disreputable if they refuse) we shall see what happens.
 

CustomRCMods

Elite member
I am a strong believer in learning to fly in acro always, It truly was what helped me progress so fast. I learned quads in stability mode and it took me years to understand acro.... with that said safe is a good tool if used properly, but that has already been beaten to death on this thread. Consider adjusting your rates. I’m not sure what TX you are using, but rolling back the travel on there will help. Moving the control rods out on the control horn will also dumb down the controls. But if you are coming from the Sport Cub S RTF, that transmitter isn’t gonna get you very far. That thing has no programmability, and the stick feel and travel is almost impossible to fly with. get yourself a Dx6e and It will be a night and day difference, seriously.