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Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Air Models / January 2004Why is my RC Plane banking to the left?
I'm a complete noob. I bought an RC plane that banks to the left. Everything appears visually ok and I can't discern any weight differences on the left hand side. However when I taxi or fly this plane it starts to spiral continously to the left and it is not possible to get it to fly in a straight line. Any ideas? > I'm a complete noob. I bought an RC plane that banks to the left. Everything > appears visually ok and I can't discern any weight differences on the left [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Any ideas? It would help to know what plane and radio :-( Assuming one of little rtf 'toys' most likely rudder mounted out of line - Ailerons or twisted wing wouldn't cause problems taxying. More info gets you a better guess :-) cheers Ray > I'm a complete noob. I bought an RC plane that banks to the left. Everything > appears visually ok and I can't discern any weight differences on the left [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Any ideas? What plane? Most props turn anti-clockwise and torque an propwash tend to make this into some kind of natural left turn. Its traditinal to add right thrust, or mix in right trim. Fisrt thing is to see if its one wing heavy. Correct that with weights to opposite wing Second thing is to check it under glide conditions. Get up to height and let it idle - if it tracks straight use sidethrust to control the power on state. Otherwise use trims to get the glide right, and adjust computer memory or clevises to get the trim encapuslauted in. Then reapet tests to dial in right amount of righthrust. Or mix in more right trim with the throttle. Unless you are doing aerobatic of the precision sort, thats enough to get it to track reasonably straight. > What plane? Most props turn anti-clockwise and torque an propwash tend > to make this into some kind of natural left turn. I believe this is the problem. The motor and prop are mounted flush i.e. there is no lean to the right. > Its traditinal to add right thrust, or mix in right trim. How do you "add right right thrust" and what do you mean by "mix in right trim"? > Fisrt thing is to see if its one wing heavy. Correct that with weights > to opposite wing Checked the wings. They are very well balanced. > Second thing is to check it under glide conditions. Get up to height and > let it idle - if it tracks straight use sidethrust to control the power > on state. Otherwise use trims to get the glide right, and adjust > computer memory or clevises to get the trim encapuslauted in. Then > reapet tests to dial in right amount of righthrust. Or mix in more right > trim with the throttle. Will do this the next time I fly. > Unless you are doing aerobatic of the precision sort, thats enough to > get it to track reasonably straight. I don't have a problem with it tracking a little bit to either side. It's just that it is doing very vicious left banks which makes it go into a spiral. It is definitely prop related and I am not sure how to fix this. >>What plane? Most props turn anti-clockwise and torque an propwash tend >>to make this into some kind of natural left turn. [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > just that it is doing very vicious left banks which makes it go into a > spiral. It is definitely prop related and I am not sure how to fix this. Bet you are climbing to hard, stalling, losing aileron authority and torque rolling it into a spin. > Bet you are climbing to hard, stalling, losing aileron authority and > torque rolling it into a spin. Perhaps, but can you explain the same behaviour while taxiing? If it is always turning to the left during taxiing, check nosewheel / tailwheel alignment, or that the lefthand wheel is not binding, or the whole of the the main u/c is not twisted. If the plane has a nosewheel and uses one servo for both steering and rudder, check the adjustment. I've test flown a plane were once the trim was set so that it would taxi straight, the thing turned constantly in the air. Trim it strainght in flight and then it would turn sharply as soon as the wheels touched. A quick mod on the pushrod to the noseleg and it was sorted. There are numerous reasons for what you are experiencing. You will probably sort it out by going through all the suggestions people are giving here. But the quickest way, would be to take it to a nearby club, and ask if anyone will give it a quick test flight. HTH Ian. I will bet that this is a yellow plane with the wing on top and two main wheels. Otherwise known as a Piper Cub. These are notorious for P-factor control problems and it is amplified on smaller versions where control surfaces are small. This plane is probably meant for hand launching. Try the glide test with no power over some soft grass. Just give it an easy toss into the wind. Once you can get it to glide fairly straight, then toss it and slowly add power and see what happens. It should start to fly off reasonably straight. If not, then you will have to move the motor so that the front of the motor is slightly farther to the right (looking at the plane from the rear). > If it is always turning to the left during taxiing, check nosewheel / > tailwheel alignment, or that the lefthand wheel is not binding, or [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Ian. > I'm a complete noob. I bought an RC plane that banks to the left. Everything > appears visually ok and I can't discern any weight differences on the left [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Any ideas? Warped wing. Offset ailerons. Heavy tips. 'p' factor. Twisted tail. Poor pilotage. David (Thats my name, not another cause). > Warped wing. Wings appear well balanced. > Offset ailerons. Ailerons appear to be aligned correctly. > Heavy tips. What do you mean by this? > 'p' factor. Ditto. > Twisted tail. Don't think so. Would this be a problem when taxiing? > Poor pilotage. Definitely! But even a buffoon like me couldn't screw up the taxiing! Yep, could be anyone of those things mentioned by other posters. What they haven't said is that its not really a big deal and planes hardly ever fly perfectly without trimming. On your transmitter below the stick that controls the ailerons you will see a little slider. First you should make sure that slider and all the others are in the centre then try flying. Assuming your sliders are centred and your plane is still banking to the left then move the slider a couple of clicks to the right and then try. Adjust until your plane flys level. Now if you have only had to move the slider a bit then, don't worry and enjoy flying. If you have had to move the slider a lot, then you might want to look into the cause (heavy wing, control surfaces out of alignment, heavy wing etc). Cheers, Nigel > I'm a complete noob. I bought an RC plane that banks to the left. Everything > appears visually ok and I can't discern any weight differences on the left [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Any ideas? > What they haven't said is that its not really a big deal and planes hardly > ever fly perfectly without trimming. This is not a slight adjustment. It needs a big adjustment as the plane is doing huge spirals to the left and won't turn to the right at all! > On your transmitter below the stick that controls the ailerons you will see > a little slider. First you should make sure that slider and all the others > are in the centre then try flying. Assuming your sliders are centred and > your plane is still banking to the left then move the slider a couple of > clicks to the right and then try. Adjust until your plane flys level. I will test you theory if I can get it high enough to glide. Was that Noob or Knob?? If you've tried flying it with no success using trims, full rates, and the balance is correct that then you have one twisted model and I would think most folk in the hobby could discern a twisted fus or a pair of wings Ill matched when joined together. Try flying a different model. Buy or borrow an incidence meter to check the incidence on EACH wing half with the model fixed tight to a table or similar. You shold be able to find some errors > I'm a complete noob. I bought an RC plane that banks to the left. Everything > appears visually ok and I can't discern any weight differences on the left [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Any ideas? > Was that Noob or Knob?? Most likely both :-( > If you've tried flying it with no success using trims, full rates, and the > balance is correct that then you have one twisted model and I would think > most folk in the hobby could discern a twisted fus or a pair of wings Ill > matched when joined together. Try flying a different model. Buy or borrow an > incidence meter to check the incidence on EACH wing half with the model > fixed tight to a table or similar. You shold be able to find some errors I can understand all of this if the problem was only when the plane was flying. But the plane starts turning to the left (hard left) when you increase the thrust while it is taxiing on the ground. I suspect this has something to do with what Ray said i.e. it's to do with the prop. Lets get right back to basics - What aircraft are we talking about? Ray > Lets get right back to basics - What aircraft are we talking about? It's a cheapo plane man. Nothing extraordinary. I'd point you to the website from where I ordered it, but it's down right now. It's called a J3 Hot-008, made in Hong Kong ... go figure! It has 3 channel operation (up/down, left/right, throttle control). If there is something specific about it that you'd like to know then please ask and I'll see if I can get that piece of info. > > Lets get right back to basics - What aircraft are we talking about? > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > you'd like to know then please ask and I'll see if I can get that piece of > info. Is this one of the el cheapo toys- battery powered, single motor, rudder for direction control, elevators for pitch control. or twin motor with all controls on the motors. The answers will different for the above - most of the replies so far have been for 'proper' radio sets and models with ailerons etc.- slightly different. PS. I am beginning to sniff a wind-up :-( Ray > Lets get right back to basics - What aircraft are we talking about? And, since you seem to know very little about it, have you tried gettng someone esle to fly it? > Ray But the plane starts turning to the left (hard left) when you > increase the thrust while it is taxiing on the ground. I suspect this has > something to do with what Ray said i.e. it's to do with the prop. Well it's either got bad legs as well or its a wickedly offset thrust line. How does it glide? Try chucking it of a gentle hill and see what it does. If it glides fine its the motor thrust line. If it glides badly its the wings or tail, whatever you say. . David > Well it's either got bad legs as well or its a wickedly offset thrust line. I suspect it's the latter. > How does it glide? Try chucking it of a gentle hill and see what it does. I'll try it this weekend. > If it glides fine its the motor thrust line. If it glides badly its the > wings or tail, whatever you say. . Let's say it is the motor thrust line. How would I fix this? The problem is that the motor is mount flush and there is no way of maneuvering it so that it points a little to the right. Is there any other way of solving this problem? Not that will sort it without introducing other problems. A thrust line has to be changed by phisycally moving the engine. we'll cross that bridge when we get thre. test the glide first and then start a new thread!! D > > Well it's either got bad legs as well or its a wickedly offset thrust > line. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > it points a little to the right. Is there any other way of solving this > problem? Well how about this...No one has mentioned an incorectly aligned Rudder/Fin. As it is a one peice not movable item it may be offset to the left. Even slightly would give ground looping and a left bank in the air!! Am I right or Am I right!!! Ok Im Wrong!! Doh!!! > Not that will sort it without introducing other problems. A thrust line has > to be changed by phisycally moving the engine. we'll cross that bridge when [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > it points a little to the right. Is there any other way of solving this > > problem? > Well how about this...No one has mentioned an incorectly aligned Rudder/Fin. > As it is a one peice not movable item it may be offset to the left. Even > slightly would give ground looping and a left bank in the air!! Actually try looking at the second post in the thread > Am I right or Am I right!!! No your wrong > Ok Im Wrong!! now your right > Doh!!! You said it :-) Ray Yup get some one else in the club to sort it and make sure its an experienced chappy. > I'm a complete noob. I bought an RC plane that banks to the left. Everything > appears visually ok and I can't discern any weight differences on the left [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Any ideas? Go & buy a car. > Yup get some one else in the club to sort it and make sure its an > experienced chappy. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > > > Any ideas? Meeeaaowwww!!! > Go & buy a car. > > Yup get some one else in the club to sort it and make sure its an [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > > > > > Any ideas? This is a wind-up. He has obviously flown it, to know it banks to the left, yeah, he has landed it, otherwise he would be asking how to repair it, yeah. So if it turns to the left on the ground & he has overcome that, to get it in the air, & he knows it banks to the left in the air, & he has overcome that, he can obviously fly. Now if he can fly, he should know the BASICS of why his plane banks to the left, on the ground, & in the air ! ! ! Ray > Meeeaaowwww!!! > > Go & buy a car. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > > > > > > > Any ideas? |
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