Autorotations

[Cralis]

Hi guys.

I've been practising autos on Phoenix..

I'm landing more than I crash now, but I'm not sure why I am crashing. So, am I doing this right:

Flying about (Phoenix set to cut engine randomly)..
Engine cuts, quite high...
I straight away drop the throttle... It seems this keeps the head speed up..
I drop the nose to descend quite fast... Also seems to help the HS...
Then, about 12 feet of the ground, I pull the nose up, leaving the throttle down... The heli slows it's fall, and the blades make a noise...
When I am slow enough to land, even though I may be moving forward, the heli starts to drop. I level out, and try use the throttle (blade pitch) to slow the fall.

This works maybe 60% of the time for me now. But am I doing it right?

[nightstalker]

Your wanting to be doing the flair out a lot lower than that, dont go nose down when the engine cuts as not much air will go through the blades, just keep it level all the way down and at about 5ft start adding in pitch and pull the nose back abit not much only slightly, bec if you pull back to much she will go back wards and then she will go in.

[Tim Procter]

Also Phoenix is very unforgiving when practicing autos cralis..

I have heard it said from the "better pilots" on this forum that Phoenix has a large percentage of autos that tipple over when the RC heli would maybe not.

If I do 10 autos on Phoenix I am lucky if 4 are successful without it tippling over.

[Twister3D]

Also how much are you reducing throttle/pitch ?
I find it all a lot nicer if you only reduce pitch to -1/-2 degs
get lots of blade momentum and dont over do the flair at the bottom

[richieclarkie]

I assume the tipping over that you guys mention is because you are still moving a bit and the friction on the ground in Phoenix is way too severe particularly on concrete, but also on grass IMHO.

For real I often land moving backwards along the grass to see how long I can make the (sorry about this ) skid marks. I've measured over 2 meters of groove in the grass occasionaly

If you try this in Phoenix it digs in very easily and you topple.

[robgt]

Yet another adjustable parameter on the model in Phoenix...
Some "friction" thing or other...

Cheers,
Rob

[Tim Procter]

For real I often land moving backwards along the grass to see how long I can make the (sorry about this ) skid marks. I've measured over 2 meters of groove in the grass occasionaly

Tell me Richie, Do you have close friends that examine your skidmarks or are they there for all to see..

[richieclarkie]

Yeah yeah, I knew I was setting myself up

Close friends are always welcome to have a look, but they normally opt out I have no idea why

[mattie-lodge]

Tell me Richie, Do you have close friends that examine your skidmarks or are they there for all to see..

I do, They are great, sometimes a little long for my liking. Impresive watching him make them, although one day it will end in tears when he hits a PILE of mud.

Suppose I will be the one to clean the mess up

[Tim Procter]

I do, They are great, sometimes a little long for my liking. Impresive watching him make them, although one day it will end in tears when he hits a PILE of mud.

Suppose I will be the one to clean the mess up

[Sao]

I thought that was how you were supposed to do autos, sliding along the floor that is.
It certainly made for some ring clenching moments when learning!

[Twister3D]

I wonder if this thread actually helped Craig?

[Fixxxer]

As richie was pointing out, get it stopped first and then place it down. the tipping over will magically disappear.

[jboweruk]

I get around 50/50 on Phoenix, one of the few times I can actually LAND instead of.... well you get the idea.

[3dee]

Hi guys dont know if this is a great idea but it works for me,.. I set my throttle hold up with no more than -4 and then if I run out of 30% magnum I just flick thottle hold on kill throttle stick wait till it's at eye level and then pitch up hover and land but I got a raptor 90 with big 710 radix blades and it will hover for about five or six seconds before I have to put it down. I do like doing nose in autos with a slide finish. last week the grass was wet and I did the nose in with a twenty foot slide and a 180 at the end right by my feet, ending up tail in by my feet.