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When you have reached the stage where the
helicopter's nose no longer swings to either side when
you open the throttle, the next step is to observe the
pitch-axis function (forward / back cyclic). Open the
throttle again gradually until the helicopter is “light on its feet”.
If you find that it tends to slide forward, move the pitch-axis trim
slider slightly towards you (and vice versa), until no pitch-axis
movement is evident when you carefully open the throttle to a
point just before lift-off.Incidentally, you should really take the
machine right to the lift-off limit; if the swashplate is straight
and you have built the model correctly, nothing will go amiss.
The only crucial point is that you open the throttle really slowly,
and also reduce throttle again slowly at the end of the test.
The situation is slightly more complex with the roll-axis
function (sideways movement). The lateral thrust of the tail
rotor will cause the helicopter to “hang” a little to the right
when in flight; this is unavoidable.
The next step is to separate the model from the floor
for a
moment
. Repeat the now-familiar procedure: open the
throttle gradually, allow the machine to grow “light”, then
carefully move the throttle stick further until the Piccolo lifts
off. Watch the helicopter's response, correct any movement
if necessary, and
please
be ready to land again at the first
sign of uncertainty. Now you are starting on the actual
process of learning to fly. Nobody can relieve you of this
burden, and the only thing that helps is to practise, practise
again, and then practise some more. But don't be put off - it
really is not so very tough. Thousands of model helicopter
pilots have learned their skills in exactly this way. Certainly,
many pilots have taken a short-cut - and avoided a few
crashes - by enrolling with a model flying school, but many
others have managed entirely on their own.
The one genuine aid to beginners and advanced flyers alike
is a computer flight simulator such as the IKARUS Aerofly
program. This program gives you the chance to gain the fine
motor control required to operate the helicopter without
having to worry about breaking your model. Modern flight
simulators are capable of simulating the flying
characteristics of your model with amazing realism, and
provide real help not only at the beginning, but also later, for
example when learning manoeuvres such as the “nose-in
hover” (as described later) and any other new procedure.
As always, each step in the learning procedure always
starts with a short “hop” as described here; watch the model
carefully, and try to counteract its response from the
transmitter. Take the Piccolo back to the centre of your flight
surface (or slightly to the right of it) before each flight, so
that you always have maximum space for flying. Many a
present-day champion has started in
just this way
, so
please don't be impatient. As time goes on you will notice
that your flights grow longer and longer without you having
to “rescue” the model by letting it return to the ground again.
Nevertheless, do keep to a maximum altitude of 20 - 30 cm
for a while, as this is the only way you can use the floor as a
training aid; getting the model back onto the “deck” is
always your safest bet while you are learning.
During these first short hovering flights take care to adjust
your tail rotor trim, the mixer ratio, and the two trim sliders if
necessary. If the helicopter always tends to move in the
same direction when it is in the air, adjust the trims until you
can detect no distinct tendency. Helicopters are free to
move in any direction, and it is unfortunately in their nature
to enjoy that freedom, i.e. they have no natural tendency to
remain motionless in the air. You constantly have to use the
controls to some slight extent.
Try to control the model using the smallest possible
corrective commands. The sooner you notice a movement in
the model and respond to it, the smaller is the corrective
measure required, and the smaller the deviation from the
initial hover position. Keep the helicopter flying with the tail
facing you at all times; if it swings to either side, many things
become more complicated for the pilot. For example, if the
nose ends up pointing towards you, suddenly left becomes
right and right becomes left as far as you are concerned -
although not for the helicopter. You appear to be flying whilst
looking in a mirror. Later you will learn to cope with this
situation instinctively, but in the early stages you should
always stand behind the helicopter.
By this time you should be feeling a little more confident,
and are perhaps capable of hovering the helicopter more or
less stably in the air; now you start to wonder what comes
next. If you have a little space, you can “go for a walk” with
your Piccolo, i.e. initiate slow forward flight, walk along with
the machine, and try to keep the forward speed constant.
Alternatively you can try moving the machine sideways,
whilst still in the hover: stand where you are, and fly the
helicopter sideways to and fro in front of you, with the tail
constantly pointing towards you; if it wanders, keep the
deviation less than 45°. Around this time you can also slowly
increase the machine's height off the ground. You will soon
notice that the Piccolo becomes generally calmer when
flown a little higher. This is because it leaves its own
downthrust turbulence, which strikes the floor and is
reflected back up again, and instead hovers in smoother air.
Incidentally, you will also notice this effect when flying in
small rooms, as the helicopter quickly churns up all the air in
the room, creating a generally turbulent environment; the
helicopter then tends to move about unpredictably. If this
happens, land the model and take a break for a minute; you
will find that the air has already calmed down again.
By now you will already have “flown through” quite a few full
battery charges. You can probably hover the Piccolo
smoothly in one spot, move it and stop it again, and vary
altitude at will. You are now ready to use the entire hall as
your flying site. As you cannot fail to have noticed, taking off
is always easier than landing; this is caused by the air
turbulence mentioned above. But landing accurately is not
really that difficult; just keep trying, and it will get easier. The
Piccolo is also fairly robust, and is capable of surviving
many a hard landing, although naturally it is not
indestructible.
The next step is to take your helicopter out into the open;
you may have a garden, and if so just wait for a really calm
evening, as this is the perfect opportunity to give the Piccolo
a little breath of fresh air. Start slowly, and remember to
keep the nose pointing away from you; this is not the time to
learn new skills!
Nose-in hovering comes next, and before you try this we
recommend that you first practise the manoeuvre in your
mind, or use a simulator: the roll function will appear to be
reversed, and when you apply forward cyclic the helicopter
suddenly flies towards you instead of away from you; the tail
rotor also takes a little getting used to. However, climb and
descent do remain unchanged.So start by hovering
smoothly in front of you, then turn the helicopter round
slowly
using the tail rotor, and attempt to stabilise its flight
attitude. Don't try to complete a 180º turn on your first
attempt; rotate …
