Take offs... and landings...

[Cralis]

Is it just me, or is it normal for (maybe a novice) to struggle on nearly every flight, for the first 5 seconds when you take off? I put my heli down, step back, and find that as I lift off, I'm all over the place... drifting.. and usually set it down, and try again. After that, I'm perfect (in my books). It's just that first few seconds of each flight. After that I can land, stop the blades, startup and go again.

Confidence?

Also, when I take off, is it because of the spin of the blades, that I always need right aileron before the skids leave the floor, to keep as still as possible. That normal?

Then, I am trying to wax landing on a small cement 'landing pad' on my lawn. The pad is 30cm by 30cm. I approach usually nose over the pad then try edge forward, but I find as soon as I am over the cement, the heli seems to want to back off. Is this rotor wash off a hard serface that I am not noticing as much when it's over the grass? I'm low at this point.. maybe... 20 cm off the ground...

[marktigere1]

Its called ground effect.

The Heli at that low position is sitting on a bubble of air and can slid off in any direction hence all your corrections.

Objects under the Heli can increase the effect and cause vortex's which can catch you out.

Practise is the only known cure

Cheers

Mark

[Cralis]

Thanks. Yeah, that bubble sound like whats happening. Difinitly getting pushed away from the solid slab.. Will work on that a bit. Attaching a pin to the bottom of the heli won't work, will it?

Video of my landing attempts should be uploaded tomorrow - for a laugh.

[Steve]

Punch it up into the air to about head height nice and sharply - you won't notice the ground effect then and will come straight up through it.

[jimbob]

Its the same for real helis if it help your confidence at all