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Choosing the Right Flyer 40T Mk.II as your first
airplane greatly simplifies these activities. First, it
takes very little thrust to overcome the drag. So much
so that the airplane glides well with no power at all.
Second, the wing is a high lift design that easily over-
comes the weight which means that the airplane can
fly very slowly.
Controlling the plane
If you have never controlled any vehicle by radio
control, then this step can be especially important.
Some of the basic coordination can be learned on the
ground by simply practicing taxiing the aircraft. First,
remove the wing and cover the open area of the fuse-
lage, where the wing would normally go, with a thin
piece of cardboard. This will protect the radio equip-
ment from engine exhaust.
Check the controls. Make sure the throttle and
steering are working properly. Start your engine and
at low throttle, try driving the airplane around on the
ground. A large, unused parking lot is especially good
for this practice. Remember, moving the stick to the
right or left is in relation to the airplane's right or left.
Keep practicing, it will take some getting used to. Try
figure 8's and rectangular patterns. Don't go to fast!
The Right Flyer 40T Mk.II is not a car! This will
also give you a chance to make sure the nose gear
steering tracks straight. It may be necessary to adjust
the steering linkage.
Learn to control the throttle too. Most flying will
be done at less than full throttle. However, takeoffs
will be at full throttle and landings will be with throttle
at idle of completely off. So, get used to setting the
throttle at different speeds.
If you can easily steer the airplane around on the
ground, it's time to take that experience and apply it
to flight. First, let's lay out the basic maneuvers that
will make up your training flights.
1) Takeoff
2) Climb-out
3) Level Flight
4) Standard Turns
5) Descent
6) Landing
All flight is based on these few tasks. Here, we've
laid them out in the same order they will be during
flight. Learn these basics and you will soon fly your
Right Flyer 40T Mk.II with great success. Now look
at each maneuver individually. Before flight, make
sure you are completely familiar with the functions
of the transmitter including all controls and trim tabs.
Takeoff and climb-out requires that the plane be
facing into the wind. Make small adjustments to the
rudder control stick to keep the plane tracking straight
as engine power is increased. Allow the airplane to
continue to roll on the ground until the airplane is
moving fast. Gently apply a small amount of up el-
evator to lift the nose. The wing will lift the plane off
the ground. At this point let off of the rudder and use
the ailerons to keep the wings level. Use the elevator
to keep the nose up slightly. Allow the plane to climb
on its own. Climbing too fast will cause the plane to
pitch up, stop flying, and the nose will drop rapidly.
This is called a stall. If this happens, allow the nose
to drop slightly (which will give the airplane more
speed) and then apply a small amount of up elevator
to bring the nose level.
Once the airplane has reached 50 to 100 feet of
altitude, it is time to level the plane and then try a
turn. To level the plane, simply move the elevator
stick to neutral. Keep the wings level using the aile-
rons. If the plane still climbs slightly or turns, adjust
the trim tabs until the airplane flies straight with no
stick input.
Now try a turn (before the airplane gets too far
away). To turn, apply aileron until the wing drops
about 15 degrees (or the wing tip is just below the
fuselage). As the wing drops begin to apply up el-
evator. Up elevator will maintain the plane's altitude
and will hold it in the turn. To prevent the plane from
turning too steep, as soon as a good bank is estab-
lished, release the aileron control. Use only the
elevator to maintain altitude and hold the plane in the
turn. Once it has turned enough, apply opposite aile-
ron to level the wings. As this opposite aileron is
applied, slowly release the up elevator.
Now continue level flight, which will be a small
series of tiny corrections of elevator and aileron to
keep the plane straight and level. If you lost altitude
during the turn, this is a good time to climb out again.
Before the plane gets too far away, try another
turn. Continue making standard turns and keep the
airplane over the flying field.
The next maneuver will be descent. Usually, one
pairs descent with landing, but in fact, most model
airplanes are constantly descending and climbing out.
Having the ability to perform a good controlled de-
scent is important. To descend, simply throttle back
to about 1/4 throttle. As the throttle is reduced, allow
the plane's nose to drop some.
