39
The Elevator
What it is:
The plane drops vertically while in a nose high
attitude. Depending on the head wind conditions, the model will
drop anywhere from about a 45° angle in calm conditions to
vertical or even a little backwards in more windy conditions.
Throttle is used to determine rate of descent and the nose high
attitude of the model.
Setup:
Same as the Blender, except flip the switch to turn on the
spoilerons. This will help to keep the CAP 232 from teetering
back and forth.
How to do it:
At near stall airspeed up high, slowly feed in up
elevator until you have the full 3-D rate up in it. With low throttle,
the CAP 232 will fall like a rock. To guide it around, use the
rudder, not ailerons. Just keep the wings level. Add power to
change the attitude of your CAP 232.
Trickiest part:
Aside from steering it with the rudder, you'll
quickly see that this maneuver is a matter of juggling the throttle
and rudder to get the plane to go where you want it to go.
Recovery:
Basic recovering-add full power, flip to normal rate
elevator, and fly out.
Advanced recovery:
Take the elevator all the way to the
ground, adding some power before it touches down to slow the
decent and transition into a Harrier and land.
OR
Add power to get the nose to rise to vertical and transition into a
Torque Roll. Elevator down from a hundred feet down to 20 feet
(or less) and power up into a Torque Roll. Ooh!!
Worst way to mess up:
Let your direction control (rudder) get
away from you after starting too low-you could snap it right into
the ground. Ouch!
The Harrier
What it is:
It is very slow forward flight in a very nose high
(about 45°) attitude.
Setup:
Same as the Elevator, and the raised ailerons help in
this maneuver even more.
How to do it:
Start by entering an Elevator maneuver. Let
the Extra drop a small amount, then slowly add power until the
vertical decent stops and the model begins to fly forward with
the nose very high, all the while your holding full up elevator
(on 3-D rate). Juggle the power to control the attitude and
forward speed of the model. In a head wind, you may also have
to juggle the elevator some to keep the model from pitching up
to a vertical attitude. Use the rudder to steer the model around in
the Harrier attitude. Try to use the ailerons very little, as they will
cause the model to wobble side to side.
Trickiest part:
Keeping up with the model if it begins to
wobble.
Recovery:
Simply add full power and reduce elevator to
transition into normal forward flight.
Advanced recovery:
After you get the hang of flying around in
the Harrier, juggle the throttle to slowly lose altitude and do a
Harrier landing. The model will land on the rear of the rudder
first, then add a little power so it doesn't smack the landing gear
too hard.
CONTINUED
Section 18: Setup and Flight Information by Mike McConville
The Harrier
The Elevator
