What to Fly First? Every Simulated FT Plane

[buzzbomb]

TLDR: Helping noobs pick their first plane with my experience in a sim. Scroll down to the plane impressions. *Edit* I have no expo, and no throws on my trans. Everything is just set to 100%. Some of the models I've had a hard time with, might be much easier to fly with a properly set up transmitter. I've chosen not to do that. I want to learn on 100%, and experience the actual model aerodynamics. If you like something, set up the throws and expos as per the way most everyone here recommends, and try it again. I can be hard-headed at times.

I was thinking (I do that too much for my own good) how handy it might be to have a list for the new pilot of another noob's impressions of every single FT plane, when they are trying to pick the first one to actually build and fly. If you haven't flown? Don't pick the Viggen! That kind of stuff. *Edit* I was dropping all my impressions into this one post. After a few a of the fresh ones, I realized it might be more beneficial to make each plane a different post, so pilots could comment on each plane individually, if they chose.

Please keep in mind, I have not built and flown these models. I'm still in the building stages of the first two planes I intend to actually fly first.

My impressions are from the models in the Phoenix 5.5 simulator only, and it is not a perfect real life experience. The way I fly, there is no wind and the model is perfect. The only real variable is my inputs on the controller. Also, the model's performance vary by designer. You'll read more about that when I discuss the Tiny Trainer.

Importantly, though if you are brand new to the hobby, like I am, the sim is a pretty close approximation of your skills vs. the difficulty of flying a particular model. I don't doubt that might be true, even if you are what you consider intermediate level. Sim time doesn't break anything.

You'll need a transmitter with a trainer port and a 22 in 1 RC adapter that comes with Phoenix. Google it, get from where you want. This is what I got.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HL7QPGR/?tag=lstir-20

For help setting up the software, look here:

https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/phoenix-rc-and-ft-models.56476/

I haven't flown them all yet, but I've flown most, I think. What initially comes below is actually going to be copied from another thread to be repackaged here, where it can do more good. Mods, if that's an issue, let me know please. I'll start each description with the name of the model.

Future flights in the sim for the purpose of a noob's perspective, will all be documented here. More models to come. I will start the list with a freshly written perspective of the FT Tiny Trainer. I was just flying it in the sim. I never addressed my opinion of it. Here we go:

- The Tiny Trainer handles differently between JohnRambozo's and rickp's. JohnRambozo's is just easy. Chuck it, fly it, land it, or get crazy and crash it. Even though it's in a sim, it was a great confidence builder. Rickp's is more sensitive to input (and to my inexperienced self, possibly more realistic.) Rickp's takes some work for me to fly patterns while maintaining altitude and not crashing. I train with that one on the sim every night, before I go play with the other models. Both fly wonderfully, and I am glad that is going to be my first Real World trainer model.

As I fly more of the FT models in the sim, I'll continue to post my impressions here. Just seemed like a good idea.

The Journey Continues.

 

[d8veh]

Just a reminder that the Sportster isn't realistic, assuming that you have the same one that I downloaded. To make it realistic, reduce the propeller RPM to 12000 and shift the C og G to the correct place. I think it's about 3 inches too far back.

 

[buzzbomb]

Just a reminder that the Sportster isn't realistic, assuming that you have the same one that I downloaded. To make it realistic, reduce the propeller RPM to 12000 and shift the C og G to the correct place. I think it's about 3 inches too far back.

Thank you. You've reminded of that I think three times now, and I keep forgetting. Here's where the settings are now: COG

Here's the RPM.

 

[d8veh]

The propeller looks OK, but the G-spot is too far back. Change your units to cm to make it easier. I'm not sure which of X,Y or Z you have to change. Try changing about 4cm to see which way it moves, then undo it if it's the wrong one. When you get the right one for the direction to move it, set it about 25% of the way from the front of the wing. You only need to do it visually, no need to be exact.

If you want some fun too, leave the G-spot where it is, but increase the propeller RPM to 19000, and see how you get on. You can't get the Sportster fly like that in real life, but it becomes a very easy to control 3D plane (easy for 3D).

 

[buzzbomb]

- "The Mini Sparrow is too much of a handful. Every flight lasted like 30 seconds."

 

[buzzbomb]

- "The Mini DR1 Triplane? What an awesome experience! When I screw up, I can just roll or loop and it just keeps on going. Awesome! I still eventually crash it, but that's what the sim is for!"

 

[buzzbomb]

-"Storch? What a great flyer! It's the first plane I've actually been able to land in the sim." Later post: "Easy on the sticks, get it right and it's pretty docile. Get it wrong and it's a lawn dart. I didn't like that one. Not for me, at least not yet." *Edit* I forgot I flew that one at the beginning and it was the first I was able to land. I can only guess that is due to the first flight being on a day off and the second, after work. Good day, bad day. Interesting.

 

[buzzbomb]

- The "FT Sportster! I DO NOT have the skill to handle that one, but it is so awesome! I want to build one just to put it up until I've got the guts to put electronics into it. "

 

[buzzbomb]

- "The Old Fogey is a seriously docile platform. I did figure eights, then I cut throttle way, way up in the air. Then just glided down to a pretty much perfect landing. Very Nice. If I didn't already have two other plane's I'd rather build, that one would be first! "

 

[buzzbomb]

- The Bravo. "THAT is crazy. I can hover (briefly.) I can fly like stupidly fast, and the darn thing will almost coast along at low throttle. I can't control it, though. No doubt I could adjust the throws in either the trans or the sim (don't know which, yet.) but it is WAY beyond my skill level. It is just SO responsive to every minor input."

 

[buzzbomb]

- The FT3D. "It didn't matter where my throttle was at. It was either too low or too high. Everything on that plane seems to be about throttle control. The wing surfaces are just there to direct where the thrust is going. But it doesn't have any wing surface, just large control surfaces, so it's a constant combat between the two sticks." I was later told by a more experienced pilot that the simulated model had been set up differently than spec.

 

[buzzbomb]

- "The Mini Viggen! That's one of my "want to" builds. I've learned I'm going to keep it in that category for the time being. I could find no throttle-rate where I could successfully control it. I made a few good turns, but nearly every input seemed to put it into a roll or loop."

 

[buzzbomb]

- "The SE5. Fun. In my opinion inferior to the other multi-wings. It does all the same stuff, just not as well."

 

[buzzbomb]

- "The SeaOtter. That's a tough one. When I got it right, It really flew well. It was just.. boring. I got it to loop I got it to roll. It's not fast but not really slow either. It just didn't seem to have any energy. It just wasn't fun."

 

[buzzbomb]

- The Mini F-22. Yeah. No. As with all these models keep in mind you can adjust the throws and make them easier to keep airborne. I'm running 100% to get the feel for the actual bird. This one actually ran away on me. I couldn't control it and lost it as tiny dot I couldn't bring back, and then crashed it trying to bring it back. Gonna save that build for a later time.

 

[buzzbomb]

- The Mini Arrow. Wow. I am literally nearly able to control it. At fifty-percent throttle I stalled it three times and it recovered on it's own. The nose dropped and it just kept on flying. So much surface area, though. At 80% throttle it will maintain altitude through a turn on it's own, but you better stay light on the sticks. At 100% throttle it's a UFO. It's nuts how quickly it can change direction. In any direction. At any time. With very little input. TLDR? It's an absolute blast, it's the DR-1 but it does the same stuff really fast. This one is on my build list. For later.

 

[buzzbomb]

- Spear. Nope. Having just flown the Mini Arrow, I thought I'd fly another wing. I could do nothing with it. It was pretty cool, just too much. I couldn't keep it in the air. Personally, I seem to have a serious orientation issue with the wings.

 

[buzzbomb]

The propeller looks OK, but the G-spot is too far back. Change your units to cm to make it easier. I'm not sure which of X,Y or Z you have to change. Try changing about 4cm to see which way it moves, then undo it if it's the wrong one. When you get the right one for the direction to move it, set it about 25% of the way from the front of the wing. You only need to do it visually, no need to be exact.

If you want some fun too, leave the G-spot where it is, but increase the propeller RPM to 19000, and see how you get on. You can't get the Sportster fly like that in real life, but it becomes a very easy to control 3D plane (easy for 3D).

I'm looking for RL impressions in a sim. Later I get to increase motors and props and surfaces and just go crazy when I want to build something new. After simming it to see if it might work, I get to build it in Real Life. Right now?

OK. Z is up and down. X is the longitudinal center or the latitudinal? (you're making me think to much, my head hurts.) Since the Z is vertical and OK, and the X is zero. We're going to adjust the Y location.

This is stupid nuts. Z is always up/down. Nope. Z is tail to nose. Why? Why change that? Regardless.

25% back from the front of the wing is about just to the rear of the first wing-fold. That's where I'm setting it. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[buzzbomb]

I'm looking for RL impressions in a sim. Later I get to increase motors and props and surfaces and just go crazy when I want to build something new. After simming it to see if it might work, I get to build it in Real Life. Right now?

OK. Z is up and down. X is the longitudinal center or the latitudinal? (you're making me think to much, my head hurts.) Since the Z is vertical and OK, and the X is zero. We're going to adjust the Y location.

This is stupid nuts. Z is always up/down. Nope. Z is tail to nose. Why? Why change that? Regardless.

25% back from the front of the wing is about just to the rear of the first wing-fold. That's where I'm setting it. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Nope. Still couldn't fly the darn thing. Just trying to do figure eights, I ended up way off in the distance and couldn't bring it back. However, I WAS keeping it in the air. Big change from the way it was before.

 

[Brett_N]

I've recommended this a few times.

First and Foremost - setup your transmitter with Dual Rate and Expo just like you would in real life. And throttle cut. Fly the sim like you would fly a real plane. If you have a 2-way switch, 90/40 and 60/30. if you have a 3-way switch, 100/40, 85/35, 65/30. Start with low rates.

Start with the Storch or the even the Simple Cub. Learn to keep it in the air doing laps and figure 8's. Move on to touch and go's. It's a sim, go ahead and crash.

Skip the wings, the mini's and everything else, and go to the FT3D.

THIS WILL TEACH YOU TO FLY WITH "LIGHT" FINGERS

When you can fly laps with the FT3D (or even go crazy and start 3D flying) THEN go to the other models. TRUST ME - this WILL make you a better pilot. And transfers better to real life flying.

You will get frustrated. You will probably wear out the space bar resetting the model. But trust me when I say this will give you the most "work" which means the best sort of training. Like anything - it becomes muscle memory and training of the finger tips. The only thing I don't like about sims is you tend to lose spatial distance easily.

Depending on what Radio you have - you didn't hear it from me, but you can download Phx for free on banggood if you search for the 9:1 simulator cable. If your radio supports USB it should work fine. (My jumper does)