Orientation woes

[Slobberdog]

Well guys you know I can hover tail in no problem I can fly across myself all day, and I am confident in the air to a degree, but nose in is a no go,

And I have just been given a Mcpx which I have done up and got flying well, and have been practicing with for a few days now.

But, I can hover side in with the nose pointing left reasonably well, but nose pointing right I get really nervous with, don't find it quite so easy and react slower to movement of the heli, as I seem to have to think more about what I need to do,

Nose in I find really hard to do, and hence don't fly towards myself at all, for fear of safety,

Will keep this thread going with my progress over the next few months, of indoor hovering and control practice, but to get me started what tips you got for mastering nose in orientation.

 

[Tony]

My best advice is to just stick with it. I as well have issues with right side in. One thing to remember, it's going ot be harder to hover side in than it is to FLY side in. If hte helicopter is moving, then you have a different perspective of the heli. If you are good with flying across yourself, then here is what I would do...

start from right to left and get into FF When the helicopter is about to pass in front of you, slow down to a crawl. Then, nose down and head to the left. Make your turn and come left to right. You are now right side in. Same thing, when it's coming right in front of you, slow way down to where you still have forward speed, but you are almost in a hover.

This should do two things. 1, it will trick your mind into thinking you are still in FF, but you are almost in a hover. And 2, whne it's coming at you from either side, you are looking at the nose of the heli. This will get you ready for the nose in.

Speaking of nose in, when you are flying as described above, turn and face the helicopter as it's coming towards you. This again will trick your brain into thinking you are nose in.

Just a couple pointers. Hope they help.

 

[Slobberdog]

Yeah thanks Tony, when I get outside that's basically what I do, but doing it when hovering in a confined space is when I start to get nervous with it,

But as you said I will just plug at it

 

[Ken Jackson]

For the plastic helis just keep at it. But for your 450 just don't worry about it. Fly what is comfortable and enjoy yourself. I may never fly nose in with my 500 ever and I'm OK with that. Do what you do well and you will find yourself eventually flying nose in on your best days without even trying.

My other trick is to turn your head or just twist your hips in one direction to change your perspective. This way I never really have to flip control, nose in correction and tail in correction. I fly mentally tail in all the time even when I'm flying towards myself. Hope that makes sense. Right is still right to me my brain never flips it. I always fly nose in inverted and follow the same thought process.

Just my thoughts,
Ken

 

[Lee]

For nose right,
Turn your body to face the same direction as the heli.
Once you are happy with that, slowly turn yourself to face the heli. This should trick the mind until it become natural.

For nose in,
If you can fly across yourself no worries, try to turn a touch more, so the heli is flying at an angle back towards you.
Make this angle more and more exaggerated, until its pointing straight at you.
Over a few batteries, slow down the forward speed until you are almost at a stand still. The Hey Presto, your hovering nose in

I got over flying nose in by taking my 450 out, sticking it 50ft up, and just going for it. My mind kept tell ing me BAIL OUT!!!!!!! but i managed a whole battery nose in, and never looked back.

Good luck mate

 

[treff]

Hope you had a good Christmas Kev. Shame about the weather, no outside flying. Yes nose in a big problem here also. I can fly nose in no problem
as long has I start nose in. I can not get my brain to transition between the two positions. If I start nose in then turn tail in with out landing I crash
almost every time. If I start tail in and turn to nose in I crash every time. I just can not get past this transition thing. I fly very slow in forward flight, left or right
no problem but this nose in thing is beginning to effect me. I prefer not to fly, just getting tired of putting the heli back together. I have even begun to finish off
a quarter scale glider I started some time ago and just look at the helicopters on the shelf in my study. At least they are in one piece there LOL Have a good New Year
and thanks for all the help in 2013. Cheers

 

[Slobberdog]

The help is my pleasure, I have been flying side to side for a few months, but I skipped the nose in hover learning curve, but seeing as I got this gift off a fellow club member I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn it, in the warm of my house,

Well I just had it flying in the living room for a few seconds before I went out back, my living room is sort of split by an arch well a square one anyway, I flew through it turned it towards me and brought it back, then took it out the back for a quick flight before it went dark, and had a bit more practice out there, but it was a bit cold,

Treff just fly how you feel happy with that's what I have been doing and I feel great with it,

 

[Lee]

I flew today Kev,
Couldn't feel my fingers Beautiful day though. Just had a hot bath to thaw out

 

[Slobberdog]

Yeah I just had the 1 battery out the back yard with the Mcpx my hands were bloody cold after that, been a nice day down here as well, been out for a nice walk with the family.

 

[danhampson]

I got some advice a couple of days ago to help with learning orientations in the sim. If your using phoenix set a f3c box up to fly in and select a model. When in a tail in hover and 4 to 5 clicks of trim to the rudder so the heli is in a slow piro then try to hold the heli within the f3c box for 10 mins one this is done move the trim in the opposite direction and practice with the heli rotating in the other direction.
I've been using this method for about a week (upright and inverted) and am already seeing improvements in all orientations and my fine control in forward flight.
It might get a bit boring and frustrating at times but stick with it, it does work.
Hope this is of some help.

 

[Slobberdog]

Sounds like a good idea, I've been flying loads of batteries through the Mcpx and getting better with each battery I think, 90deg either side of tail in now not a problem, good to a point where I am comfortable doing a llittle circuit in a 12 ft sq room flying side to side, just need to progress to nose in now, but might do better with more room in the school hall,

 

[Tony]

What Dan posted is a great tip and does help. Yup, it will make you mad when you are starting out, but it will help you with ALL orientations after about a week of doing it. I would practice for an hour a day to start.