Setting up my DX6e for tiny trainer

[Riptyde]

So I just purchased a DX6e for getting into the hobby. I'm wondering if anyone else has used this for the tiny trainer and if you would be willing to share your set up. Or what is the easiest way to set it up for the TT?

I don't get the plane kit until Monday, but wanted to start looking into it before then.

Looking forward to flying!

 

[Hai-Lee]

The brand of Tx is not that important but rather set up the control maximum deflections to the throw gauge in the kit both on high rate and low rate and set up the expo for 30% to 40% to give best possible chance of keeping it in the air long enough for you to learn!

Read the build article and then jump on the forum and read as much as you can about any control or other issues others have experienced so that you can avoid as many of the mistakes made by others as is possible.

Outside that it is just a matter of learning to NOT overcontrol the bird and you will be flying safely in no time!

have fun!

 

[FDS]

To set the control surface rates and stuff you need the plane built. If you have electronics you can bind the receiver, calibrate the ESC and centre all the servos before the kit arrives.
You will want to set up two rate profiles on a switch, I use a three position one, so you get low rates, high rates and full rates. The rate profiles are set with a gauge that comes with the kit, you tweak the servo endpoint so with the switch in position the servo moves a set amount.
Time taken getting all the servo directions, rates etc set up on the bench (model built, prop OFF) will be rewarded with greater chances of a successful first flight.

 

[Riptyde]

You will want to set up two rate profiles on a switch

Can you elaborate what this is. I have seen some discussions on this but not seen any practical use of it.

 

[FDS]

When you start flying, you want the control surfaces to move less, with more softness in the centre of the stick. Less control surface movement = more control. Low rates are also useful for landing where you really don’t want to over correct. Think of it as driving a car, your first lessons are usually at low speed, without fast turns or complex manoeuvres. Flying is the same. Low rates will stop you getting into really nasty trouble, as when combined with a bit of expo, they will result in a little more reaction time for a new pilot. You can also tune individual controls to move less, for example I turned my ailerons down lower than the low rates to help me when I was first flying the 4 channel wing on the TT.
However there are times when you want more control surface movement, for example when hand launching, or if you want to try some aerobatics. In this case having a switch which allows you to change is useful, as you can launch in high rates, then switch to low rates before turning or launch in low rates and switch to high for aerobatic practice then switch back to low rates for cruising round.
High rates are not the full available movement of the control surface, they are usually less than 100%. Sometimes you don’t get enough movement and need to adjust the physical linkage. High rates give you much more movement and will result in a “twitchier” feel on the sticks, which is exciting but can cause a few heart stopping moments when you are trying it for the first time, especially if you are heavy handed on the throttle.
The third position of the switch is just whatever movement is the full servo travel, sometimes with no expo.
Being able to drop the rates down again at the flick of a switch is very useful.

 

[Riptyde]

Makes sense. thanks.

 

[FDS]

There’s a whole FT video on rates and expo, it’s an older video, but well worth a look. You can also tune the throttle curve if you have a heavy left thumb.

 

[Riptyde]

I'll look for it! Thanks

 

[basslord1124]

@FDS nailed it pretty good. But yeah your rates basically determine how far the servo is going to move your rudder/elevator/ailerons. They are generally set up as percentage in the Spektrum transmitters. For example: low rates may move the servo 60%, high rates may be 85%. These amounts will vary on the model. Use the throw gauge to see how far each control surface has to move. Low rates are recommend to start with so you can get a feel for the plane. High rates will give you a lot more control and is recommended once you feel comfortable with the plane.

Expo is another neat feature that you can program in. I kinda call it adjusting the sensitivity of the sticks. Without expo the servo moves in a linear fashion along with stick movement. With expo it can add or reduce servo movement in comparison with the stick...depending on how much expo you add. For example: lets say you move the stick 50% in one direction. Without expo, you will get 50% servo movement. With some expo added, it may only move 30% (and then the servo will move more rapidly once you keep pushing the stick in that direction). Expo really is more of a personal preference thing once you get into it. I'd say go with FT recommendations for expo on your plane and adjust as you get familiar. I think FT generally recommends 30% expo on most all of their models. Expo is a little confusing at first, so ask questions if you are not sure and there are lots of videos out there on it as well. And test it too when you get your plane on the bench. Just take your prop off (safety first), and test different settings.

 

[Brianna81]

Think of it as driving a car, your first lessons are usually at low speed, without fast turns or complex manoeuvres. Flying is the same.

I'm pretty sure the first time I fly (hopefully later today/Thursday) it will be just like my first time driving. You say that there shouldn't be fast turns or complex maneuvers, yet, I didn't learn how to feather a gas pedal or gently hit the brakes which made it interesting, as well as turning too hard. So yeah, my first time driving was very herky jerky and all over the place. Then I learned how to drive a stick a few years later, and it felt just like learning to drive all over again. Thankfully by the time I got my motorcycle, I had learned from those previous mistakes and was able to learn that really easily. Maybe that will translate into beginner's luck with flying?

 

[Riptyde]

OK, so I've re-watched the build video for the TT and have a question.

when setting up the radio he sets the 3ch wing with left stick - Throttle, and Right stick - Elevator/rudder. While on the 4ch wing he sets up the left stick - Throttle/rudder and right stick - Aileron/Elevator.

Why not set it up for the 4ch wing but when using the 3ch wing the 4th channel for aileron is not plugged in so it doesn't do anything?

 

[FDS]

Because then when you plug an aileron wing in you will get super confused. Most people use ailerons more than rudder for turns.
It’s easier to concentrate on having throttle only on the left stick to begin with, so adding accidental rudder on left stick when you are learning 4 channel is not detrimental to flight vs getting in a knot with the ailerons.

 

[Riptyde]

OK, that makes sense. Its not so much rudder vs aileron, but which stick is "turn", which is done on the right stick.

 

[FDS]

Yes. On 3 channel the rudder does the turning, the plane usually banks a bit as well, then on 4 channel the aileron turns and banks at the same time, so the plane will do almost the same thing off the stick, helps with the muscle memory.

 

[Flyingiceberg]

How do you setup the DX6 with just motor, rudder. and elevator on the tiny trainer? I did not see a way to set the wing to no ailerons.

 

[Riptyde]

How do you setup the DX6 with just motor, rudder. and elevator on the tiny trainer? I did not see a way to set the wing to no ailerons.

There really isn't anything different to set up on the transmitter. The difference is where you plug the servos into the receiver.
on the receiver, you want to plug the rudder servo into the aileron location. On the AR620 receiver this is slot #2. by doing this you still turn the plane with your right stick.

when you switch over to the 4 channel wing with Ailerons then the rudder plugs into #4 (i believe - I'm about to change over this week.) and the ailerons servo plug into #2. this way you are turning the plane with your ailerons - not your rudder. The rudder is now on the left stick, same as the throttle.

3 channel wing - rudder is plugged into #2
4 channel wing - rudder is plugged into #4 and Ailerons are plugged into #2

Keep in mind too, that there are two wings. One for 3 channel (no ailerons) and one for 4 channel (with ailerons).

 

[Brianna81]

There really isn't anything different to set up on the transmitter. The difference is where you plug the servos into the receiver.
on the receiver, you want to plug the rudder servo into the aileron location. On the AR620 receiver this is slot #2. by doing this you still turn the plane with your right stick.

when you switch over to the 4 channel wing with Ailerons then the rudder plugs into #4 (i believe - I'm about to change over this week.) and the ailerons servo plug into #2. this way you are turning the plane with your ailerons - not your rudder. The rudder is now on the left stick, same as the throttle.

3 channel wing - rudder is plugged into #2
4 channel wing - rudder is plugged into #4 and Ailerons are plugged into #2

Keep in mind too, that there are two wings. One for 3 channel (no ailerons) and one for 4 channel (with ailerons).

I know this is recommended, and is how it's setup on my WLToys F949. It makes it easier to turn without affecting the throttle. Personally though, I've setup my TT to fly with the rudder on the left stick even though it's only 3 channel right now. I want to go ahead and learn how to fly that way now, so that when I move to 4 channel, I'm already practiced with the rudder on the left stick. So, I guess it's really just personal preference? In theory, you could make the throttle be one of your toggles, use the up down for the throttle be your rudder and your left/right on your right stick be your elevators. It would be REALLY hard to fly this way, and I think it would be a HILARIOUS video for FT to do. Program ESC to run top to bottom for throttle, and have the left/right do the up/down and the up/down be the left/right Or maybe first, just have everything backwards and then totally swap them all out. See if they can "free their minds" instead of sticking to what the Matrix is telling them to do. Whoever flies the longest gets a deep fried twinkie or something

 

[FDS]

I would set it up on the aileron channel, otherwise you are building false muscle memory which will make your first few 4ch flights harder. I would fly a couple of batteries on 3ch then go straight to 4ch with aileron travel set very low at 35-49% expo. I used about 50% of the FT low rates on mine to begin with. Put them on a switch then you can up the rates as required, super low, low and high on a 3 position is good for training. I had rudder and elevator on the FT rate, only alter the aileron, since putting on too much will stall the wing and cause a panic.

 

[Brianna81]

I would set it up on the aileron channel, otherwise you are building false muscle memory which will make your first few 4ch flights harder.

Is what you said for this receiver and you're saying the same thing I was? I don't know much about the spektrum receivers, so I was just curious

 

[FDS]

Spektrum is T A E R on channel order but mode 2 would be the same on the sticks, so Elevator and Aileron on right stick, throttle and rudder on left. If I run anything 3ch it’s set up so the rudder will be on the right stick where aileron is on 4ch so I don’t mess up my muscle memory for 4 channel.