Learning to do 8s but

[Streetluge Chris]

I have been trying to do fig 8s.
I take off fly to the right the turn left using mostly rudder I seem to have got this right but when I go into the next part doing the 8 going from left to right I struggle to do this.
I seem to be pulling back on the stick I have spent hours and hours on the sim but its not working out.
Should i be in H/H or rate ?
Can anyone offer any tips

[spunkmyer]

I also struggle with this. I do it in HH mode. I can do the eight but its a mess and I tend to go sideways a little coming out of the first bend. I use rudder in the turns.

Timing of the controls and taking things slowly. I can do them high up and quiet fast but struggle when trying to do it for the A cert.

[Mike W]

Try starting from the direction you are having problems with , we all have one side that we favour over the other and to stop getting cack handed at one side do the other more till your comfy with it ..I never fly in rate mode though , always HH

[stumpe]

Here's how I practice to make sure I don't have any week sides. (i still have a weak side but it's getting better all the time)

When you are practicing moves say figure 8's, I practice using a 3 move set, take off goto whatever side is weak 1st and then back to good side then back to weak side then land, repeat again and again and your weak side will get better.

This is how my instructor told me it's the best way to counteract a weak side, my weaker side used to be right side, but it's much better and nearer the same as my left which seems to be fine.

[GravityKills]

OK this is complicated... some background:
* Sloppy figure 8s are relatively easy (you "cheat" through the points where it comes closest to nose-in).
* Circles (not too fast) are considerably more difficult, because you are forced to fly at any angle.
* Flying proper figure 8s is actually even more difficult because it involves a left-hand circle, a right hand circle and the transition.

As I understand the situation, you're at sloppy figure 8s and want to clean them up.
How about learning circles first?
Believe it or not, they become rather easy as soon as you are confidently able to hover in any direction.
This would be my "training plan":

- check your hovering and learn slow hovered piros. This may take a lot of effort, but then everything else becomes so much easier
- hover in a circle
- gradually pick up speed and fly circles
- then return to to the figure 8

many roads lead to Rome, and maybe your instructor has different plans for you discuss this.

BTW, about strong / weak side: I always practise the weak side first. Usually you start the move in your preferred direction without thinking. Simply stop and force yourself to go the other way.
With time, you'll forget what was your preferred direction, and you'll also start to feel the difference from the handling of the heli (because the tail rotor pushes the heli inwards or outwards if you do very slow circles, this will become very clear once you're progressing to nose-in or tail-in circles).

[Mutley]

Good info posted from Gravitykills there. Definately try circles just be conscious that at 1 point you will become nose-in so if your not confident back to hovering and practicing nose-in.

I practiced the "H" from all angles, tail-in, sideways, 45degress, nose-in. There went to circuits.

My first circuit was a big one, i then rained in for lazy8's.

Oh, simulator simulator simulator

[asomaro]

I also struggle with this. I do it in HH mode. I can do the eight but its a mess and I tend to go sideways a little coming out of the first bend. I use rudder in the turns.

Timing of the controls and taking things slowly. I can do them high up and quiet fast but struggle when trying to do it for the A cert.

I'm in the same boat (or heli). Nice ot know I'm not alone!

I'm ok now with nose in and I've been doing a bit of practice with the A cert format, but I too am having issues with getting things smooth. So thanks to all the advice so far, very helpful. I think I will try to do some more of the slow piro manoeuvres as "gravitykills" suggested which should help me to progress.

Cheers,

[hellraiser]

You also need to ensure that you keep a little forward speed on, if you are hesitant about a certain move, without knowing it forward speed bleeds off so when you make the turn your machine has almost stopped, this then puts you in another awkward position, it may help with a couple of clicks of forward trim just to keep your heli moving forward, on the turns you are having difficulties with, don't be afraid to use a bit more rudder, it make look a bit weird but as you get used it you can ease off a bit on the rudder.
Just keep on practising, you will crack this, when you have it cracked you will wonder what all the fuss is about.

[Kozmyk]

I'm at a much more basic flying level than you but I've just been dealing with why I'm favouring Left circles to Right.
Flying mode 2 the Left thumb is pulling towards itself for a Left turn and maintaining even throttle speed is easier.
What I'm trying now is thumb on top of the stick for Straight and Left but thumb on the edge of the crown of the stick for Right turns.
Stops me from hooking the throttle as I push the stick away to the Right.
I'm using an mSR and mCX indoors for this practising.

[GravityKills]

interesting comments.
One good reason to approach everything slowly is that you are essentially hovering the move first. So you don't have to be afraid anymore later when the heli suddenly stops.
For those with a fixed-wing background it's second nature, maintain airspeed. With a (RC) heli it doesn't work this way - your flying will be very limited if you are forced to always keep moving. There are quite a number of such heli pilots out there, and you can spot them immediately.
Again, it all comes down to being able to hover at any angle, distance and height (and this requires hard work).

Later (!), a good exercise for the hovering is to pull up into a stallturn, when it stops flip back to level, hover for a second, turn it around, back straight down into the stallturn. Start relatively small, then fly it at any distance. It should look like a skateboarder in the half-pipe.

[Mutley]

One thing i did when i first started was adjusted the sprint tension on the sticks.

Opening up the transmitter and making the sticks stiffer resulted in less movement and pulling out. It could be completely pschological but at the time it helped.

Also adjusted the ratchet more on the throttle.

Minor little tweaks but worth bearing in mind as not everybody uses the transmitter as it comes out of the box, stick height, stiffness etc are still factors to take into account and experiment with.

[Streetluge Chris]

I do try start with the weak side, I will put couple clicks on forward cyclic.
I think a know what you mean with stall turn I will practice on the sim then try with 450 if got the bottle lol
Do I need to be able to hover nose to get fig8 ?
Maybe I need a buddy up session?

Thanks Thanks

[millerman]

good read so far as im in the learning stages i can do nose in and messy eights and circuits i tend to practice them quite high up as this gives me plenty of time to escape then once mastered i come back down to eye level again

[Mutley]

I do try start with the weak side, I will put couple clicks on forward cyclic.
I think a know what you mean with stall turn I will practice on the sim then try with 450 if got the bottle lol
Do I need to be able to hover nose to get fig8 ?
Maybe I need a buddy up session?

Thanks Thanks

Ideally you would need to learn nose. If your lucky most of the times you'll get around the circles and 8's without any issues but the odd time it will straighten on you or you'll catch a gust etc. Heli will then be flying nose-in towards you and you'll get 1 chance to get your thumbs right

Buddy session would really help. Lots of tuition around for about £30 quid a pop which usually less than binning it.

[Dashik]

You'd all be much better if you turned to the Dark Side of the force........

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