What to Fly First? Every Simulated FT Plane

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
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)
I hear you. I agree with your thinking. Keep in mind, I am a noob's noob. I train for a little while with my Tiny Trainer, because that's what I'm going actually to fly first. Then, I'm just stoked to be able fly all those different FT models. I'm having an absolute blast just trying them and crashing them.

I am a man on a mission. I want to fly 'em all. In the sim. Then post about how each plane felt to me and then it's down to serious training. I've still got work to do in that arena. I haven't been able to get Phoenix to recognize any of my switches, and I don't know why, yet. I'm just default 100% on everything. It's cool. I have only a rudimentary knowledge of what expos and rates even ARE.

In the meantime, I'm getting stick-time and having a good time. Come to think of it, it might be that time to get some stick time before I run out of time tonight. Flight time!
 

d8veh

Elite member
IIRC, you set up your dual rates on the transmitter. It's important that you learn how to do that. Not only is it more or less essential for your real planes, but it will also help you in Phoenix, and it probably explains why you had difficulty with some planes; however, learning with everything on 100% isn't a bad thing if you want to learn precise stick control.

I just learnt that I can't drive my car for 4 months, which will severely limit my opportunities to take planes to the flying field, so I'll be spending a lot of time on Phoenix.
 

mrjdstewart

Legendary member
sim's are great for muscle memory and training yourself to "handle" a plane. it is good for orientation and getting yourself able to line up the plane for landing. personally i wouldn't focus much on the transmitter setup and instead just fly. find one that works for you and fly every where you can, land as many times as you can in as many diff settings. this is really the most important thing when first starting. as we said in the navy, "any idiot can fly, it takes a pilot to land."

in reality the planes in the sim do not fly the same as real life. they are close, but not the same. that's ok though, you just need to know the sticks at this point.

once you do, then go to the field and make sure you follow recommended set-ups. add extra expo if your worried and reduce throws, and make sure the CG is correct. after that you just gotta fly. fly as much as possible and as many diff planes as possible.

once you are comfortable in real flight, then go back to the sim and crank things up. this will teach you the more advanced moves that you did not need to know at the beginning. let's face it, you don't need enough throws to do a blender when starting. once you have the basics, then the sim is once again a useful tool to teach more advanced maneuvers. then, follow it up with real practice at the field.

just my $.02,

good luck,

me :cool:
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
IIRC, you set up your dual rates on the transmitter. It's important that you learn how to do that. Not only is it more or less essential for your real planes, but it will also help you in Phoenix, and it probably explains why you had difficulty with some planes; however, learning with everything on 100% isn't a bad thing if you want to learn precise stick control.

I just learnt that I can't drive my car for 4 months, which will severely limit my opportunities to take planes to the flying field, so I'll be spending a lot of time on Phoenix.
I liked your post for the good info. The fact you can't drive your car for four months? That sucks eggs. If you're going to be spending some time with Phoenix however... Phoenix multiplayer? Perhaps we can get some of the family together for a combat session. :devilish:o_O:D
 

d8veh

Elite member
I liked your post for the good info. The fact you can't drive your car for four months? That sucks eggs. If you're going to be spending some time with Phoenix however... Phoenix multiplayer? Perhaps we can get some of the family together for a combat session. :devilish:o_O:D
Brilliant idea! I'll be in touch when I get home.
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
Wow. I can now keep rickp's TT in the air, at full throttle, pretty much until I get tired of it. It's a bit nose-heavy at lower throttles, but at full? More difficult to control, because it responds more to less input, but no probs with it wanting to drop. That is a LONG way from how my initial flights went. Wow.

I wouldn't want to do it in real life, since I've crashed like a couple of hundred of times in the sim, but in the sim? I think I'm learning to appreciate not having throw or expo. I really am learning that just a little bit of stick movement goes a long way, and my thumbs are getting the hang of it.
 

kilroy07

Legendary member
I really am learning that just a little bit of stick movement goes a long way, and my thumbs are getting the hang of it.
I don't have the luxury of a sim, I just crashed a LOT of planes... But learning to limit stick throws was probably the most important lesson I learned early on (that and take TWICE the number of props you might think you need!) :LOL:
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
- The "FT Super Bee." Glorious! Scary as heck until I realized my throttle was up. I dropped it down to half, and I could fly the thing. It honestly acts like a multi-wing. It'll loop and turn quick enough that it got me out of some tight spots where I screwed up, but the plane was able to help me recover. I like it. On the build-list.
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
- The "FT Mini Scout." This one is special to me. It's my first scratch build, the plane my pilot, Le Goalot is going to man, and a thread that's seen a whole lot of RL stuff worked out. That plane is special. It wasn't a part of johnranbozo's pack, though. It didn't exist in Phoenix. Rickp made it happen. He built me a model. It's beautiful.

It flys crazy, and I'm in love with it! Just a little touch on the stick and nothing happens. Next time, same touch, and it just swoops or rolls or loops. I'm having a ball just trying to fly the thing. I can stay in the air for a very long time, it's so quick to maneuver that I can just pull out of a mistake and then keep on going until I make another.

Eventually, the mistakes pile up, and lawn dart time. I feel like, at least sim-wise, I've mastered the 3ch TT with the dihedral wing. That's the first plane I'll be flying in Real Life. The second? I've honestly no clue. I want to get my FT MM Scout in the air so badly. But the TT has another wing to try, and Hai-Lee has something strong he keeps hinting at concerning the TT. Notice we haven't heard from Mayan in a little while? Yeah.

All that being said? Becoming bored with the TT in a sim, but that's because I've gotten better. I can't wait to take out my Mini Scout in real life, and it's a lot of fun in the sim. I'm looking forward to seeing what Hai-Lee and Mayan have come up with for the TT. Wow.

The Journey Continues.
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
I don't have the luxury of a sim, I just crashed a LOT of planes... But learning to limit stick throws was probably the most important lesson I learned early on (that and take TWICE the number of props you might think you need!) :LOL:
Spend the ten bucks. Get the sim to try some of the more crazy planes. Plus, hopefully soon, we can gather for a combat.

My idea. I get to make the rules. There is only one. FT planes, stock. dv8eh? Them's the rules. Pick your FliteTest foamboard plane, put it up against any other comer's and we go. Ya'll just try to hit my DR1 when I'm crashing onto your topside!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Just a bit of a spoiler on the role of Expo and even dual rates.

Used or setup properly they can allow you to setup the transmitter to provide the differing control inputs required for a wide variety of different models so that from the point of view of your experience they can be very similar in control response.

This way rather than having a fleet of planes that are all a totally or extremely different flight experience you narrow the finger/thumb control input requirements to somewhat near identical. That way the learning curve is reduced markedly and the "Panic response" to an airborne "MOMENT" or unexpected flight behaviour is effectively able to be near identical for all models flown.

Mind you learning to properly setup your transmitter is the second big hurdle that a newbie faces in flying RC model aircraft.

Have fun!
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
Just a bit of a spoiler on the role of Expo and even dual rates.

Used or setup properly they can allow you to setup the transmitter to provide the differing control inputs required for a wide variety of different models so that from the point of view of your experience they can be very similar in control response.

This way rather than having a fleet of planes that are all a totally or extremely different flight experience you narrow the finger/thumb control input requirements to somewhat near identical. That way the learning curve is reduced markedly and the "Panic response" to an airborne "MOMENT" or unexpected flight behaviour is effectively able to be near identical for all models flown.

Mind you learning to properly setup your transmitter is the second big hurdle that a newbie faces in flying RC model aircraft.

Have fun!
I've still so much to learn and transmitter set up is definitely part of it.
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
All that being said? Becoming bored with the TT in a sim, but that's because I've gotten better.
Yeah, until I started working on landing it! :p I've gone through more props in the sim than I even care to think about. In RL, the plane would be a crushed wreck, many, many times over. Thank you Lord, for the sim!

Riding sport bikes, when down-shifting you "blip" the throttle, right after you pull the clutch in, right before you drop throttle, drop gear, and let the clutch out. It gets the engine RPM up to where it'll be at once you downshift and let the clutch out, and makes for a smoother, more controlled downshift. You sort of do that all at once. At speed and really fast when coming up on a quick stop. I mastered that in RL.

Blipping the TT to get the nose up just before landing? I can't seem to do it. no matter what I do, I just nose in. I'm still on 100% everything, and I honestly don't want to change it. I'm experiencing every FT bird (in the sim) at 100% of its performance level. I want that. I want to feel the difference between the models, appreciate where they rock and where they're a rock. This thread is just as much for me as it is the next new pilot.

Any tips on blipping that TT to get the nose up just before it meets the ground? Would video help?
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
In RL I just fly it to about a foot above the ground, cut the throttle, and keep it level as it slows and sinks slowly to the ground. I use the elevator to keep the nose up so that the plane fuselage underside contacts the ground and not the nose. As landing is about the reduction of airspeed to zero and a safe return to the ground I do not understand the analogy of changing gears downwards to slow down! Blipping the throttle will actually increase airspeed which is not what is required to land.

Have fun!
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
In RL I just fly it to about a foot above the ground, cut the throttle, and keep it level as it slows and sinks slowly to the ground. I use the elevator to keep the nose up so that the plane fuselage underside contacts the ground and not the nose. As landing is about the reduction of airspeed to zero and a safe return to the ground I do not understand the analogy of changing gears downwards to slow down! Blipping the throttle will actually increase airspeed which is not what is required to land.

Have fun!
I was blipping in an attempt to get the nose up just before touchdown. Elevators alone weren't doing it for me. Maybe my approach speed is too fast or too slow? I'm brain dead after work tonight, but I'm going to try to get some sim time in.
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
Oh. My. Gosh. I learned tonight the TT can be fun! I have no idea what happend. I really don't. I was trying to land, over and over and over. Then, I thought "What the heck." I cranked throttle and that thing was suddenly really fun!

I was banking and rolling and looping and doing all kinds of crazy stuff. It wasn't boring anymore, it was a blast! I can't wait to take that thing into the air. I want to do that in RL. Or crash trying, either way, it will be fun!

Priority just changed from flying every FT bird in the sim, to getting my TT in the air in RL. South Carolina winter. Wind and rain. Good days happen, they don't usually correspond to my days off.

Meantime, I'm going to finish my TT and she is going to fly! I'll keep pumping out my experiences in the sim, but... Wow. I want to fly that bird in RL.

Crank up the throttle with 100% everything. No throws, no expo. Yeah, baby. That's how I want to ride.
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Oh. My. Gosh. I learned tonight the TT can be fun! I have no idea what happend. I really don't. I was trying to land, over and over and over. Then, I thought "What the heck." I cranked throttle and that thing was suddenly really fun!

I was banking and rolling and looping and doing all kinds of crazy stuff. It wasn't boring anymore, it was a blast! I can't wait to take that thing into the air. I want to do that in RL. Or crash trying, either way, it will be fun!

Priority just changed from flying every FT bird in the sim, to getting my TT in the air in RL. South Carolina winter. Wind and rain. Good days happen, they don't usually correspond to my days off.

Meantime, I'm going to finish my TT and she is going to fly! I'll keep pumping out my experiences in the sim, but... Wow. I want to fly that bird in RL.

Crank up the throttle with 100% everything. No throws, no expo. Yeah, baby. That's how I want to ride.
The instructor in me says the you should learn to walk before you run but the pilot in me says YEAH!!!

Have fun!
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
the pilot in me says YEAH!!!
YEAH!!! You rock, simply for your understanding. I'm going to to crash the heck out of it. Not before I have a crazy fun time. I really think I might can fly the TT just a little bit in real life. I'll get video. You'll get to experience it with me.
 

d8veh

Elite member
Don't forget that it's impossible to break a plane while in the air in the somulator, but in real life how well it holds together depends on how well you built it.
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
Don't forget that it's impossible to break a plane while in the air in the somulator, but in real life how well it holds together depends on how well you built it.
Yep. I'm in trouble.;) I'm working under the mantra "Failure is always an option." I don't honestly expect my first build to perform like the model in the sim, but the sim is showing me how the model can perform. What actually happens after that first chuck is still very much in the air. Pun intended. :)