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Ever wanted to get into or improve your aerobatics?


Peter Jenkins
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Hi Charlie, glad you are finding it understandable.  It is always difficult knowing how to pitch things.  One of the things that helps enormously with smooth flying is working to reduce the amount of control throw you have.  Far too many have very large control throws and the result is a twitchy aeroplane.  Turn them down and all of a sudden things smooth out and the aircraft becomes a delight to fly.  What puts most people off doing that is if they get to a position where panic sets in and they want the extra movement to pull out sharply.

 

The solution to this is to think through what you are going to do before getting airborne on every flight.  That way, you will know before hand what you are going to do and what are the issues that you must consider before getting into a difficult situation.  I wouldn't like you to think that I didn't go through all these phases myself!  It is my experience of how things got better for me that I am sharing as well as advice I've picked up along the way.

 

Good luck with the B test. 

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Nigel and Dale, 

 

I've just been down to the Post Office to launch another book into the ether and got a price for posting to NZ - £9.85.  So, that would be £22.35 posted by air mail.  That's GBP of course.  The exchange rate is currently 1.94 so, without commission, that would be $43.36 NZD

 

Peter

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3 hours ago, Peter Jenkins said:

 

 

The solution to this is to think through what you are going to do before getting airborne on every flight.  That way, you will know before hand what you are going to do and what are the issues that you must consider before getting into a difficult situation.  I wouldn't like you to think that I didn't go through all these phases myself!  It is my experience of how things got better for me that I am sharing as well as advice I've picked up along the way.

 

Good luck with the B test. 

Personally, the book is just right.Thanks for sharing "your pain!"?

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Hi Peter
Book arrived yesterday, many thanks. Only had a quick flick through so far, but I think there's enough in there to keep me occupied for quite a while.
However, did start a train of thought.
While back I bought myself a Hobbyking Voltiguer. Looked like a fun model, and on sale, so cheap.
 After some minor mods, motor, esc and all the servos, proved to be fun to fly.
Here's the deal:
Hobbyking supply control throws for both 3d and sport flying. I set it up with full rates for 3d, and low rates for sport. After a few flights I actually found I was enjoying it more in sport mode.
It did go through my (limited) aerobatic repertoire with ease.
So, thought struck me to set the sport movements as high rates, and then follow your recommendations for a pukka aerobatic set up on low rates
Obviously never going to be a really capable F3A bird, but then again, neither am I, so that's all good.
Thinking it might make a good learning tool.
We'll see.
You might have created a monster. Be afraid, be very afraid.
Cheers
Jeff

Edited by Jeffrey Cottrell 2
makes more sense
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Hi Jeff

 

Well looks like you are one of the lucky ones with a functioning PO delivery system.  Let's hope those who were disappointed today will get their books tomorrow.  

 

The Voligeur looks good.  Yes, do go ahead with your suggestion to reduce throws and share with us how you get on.  One thing to remember is to fly a bit higher than you would normally do while you get used to your lower control surface movement.  You also need to get used to using much more stick movement.  As an example, when I'm flying an outside loop, the first part of a vertical 8,  the stick is fully forward on the front stop towards the bottom of the bunt which is about 400 feet in diameter.

 

If you can find someone with a specialist F3A aircraft see if you can cadge some stick time.  A properly set up F3A airframe will come as a real shock as they are so easy to fly - they really are pussy cats.  The difficulty is in flying them accurately.  A word of warning.  Once you've flown one, you'll want one!  Be afraid, very afraid!

 

Cheers

 

Peter 

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Hi Steve

 

Apologies.  You must have bought that in very early April.  There were about 32 errors in those very early prints - have you spotted the others yet?  They were all fixed now!  I have both versions to hand to check for just this problem.

 

What caused it?  I tried to order a proof copy and accidentally pressed the wrong button and that sent it to publishing.  After that, I had to order printed copies and those took about 10 days to arrive.  My and my reviewers then found all the woopsies that I fixed ASAP and republished.  

 

That experience will come in handy for the next book!  Next book  I haven't recovered ftom this my first one.

 

Cheers

 

Peter

 

PS - I've already had offers to be a sub-editor next time. 

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Thank you Peter, my book arrived today, having only ordered it late Mon night - amazing service. Looks great and will provide some good reading while away this weekend in the camper van. I've a long way to go on my aerobatic journey, but was just commenting last week that I feel I'm continually reinforcing bad habits and not really progressing, then I came across this amazing thread and your book. I know this will help guide me to improve my basics and build capability 

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3 hours ago, Steve Dunne said:

No need to apologise!

I bought the book from Amazon on 3rd April - as soon as it was available!

 

Do you have a list of the other woopsies? I'll happily edit them into my copy myself.

 

Keep up the good work ?‍✈️.

 

Steve.

  Hi Steve

 

Having dug back through my drafts, I find that my memory has got confused with which errors came when!  Turns out that there were far fewer but I also repeated some diagrams that already existed but that's a minor point.  The attached document is the list I have just spent an hour producing!

 

Best regards

 

Peter

Model Aircraft Precision Aerobatics Errata in early books.pdf

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3 hours ago, FlyinBrian said:

I have just bought the book and also downloaded a copy from Amazon I hope its the Woopsie? free version

Hi FlyinBrian

You should have the check list for heading off to a competition as part of para 369.  If you notice any other errors then please let me know as it means I haven't spotted them yet!  Both the paperback and kindle version that you can download have this distinguishing feature.

 

Best regards

 

Peter

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3 hours ago, DaveB1 said:

Thank you Peter, my book arrived today, having only ordered it late Mon night - amazing service. Looks great and will provide some good reading while away this weekend in the camper van. I've a long way to go on my aerobatic journey, but was just commenting last week that I feel I'm continually reinforcing bad habits and not really progressing, then I came across this amazing thread and your book. I know this will help guide me to improve my basics and build capability 

Hi Dave

 

Glad the PO managed to get the book to you as others are still waiting!  

 

The book was a direct result of folk asking for the thread to be made more readable.  It just took a rather long time to produce it as my wife had, and sadly still has, a few serious medical problems.  Still, lockdown provided both the time and the impulse to get it done and dusted.  

 

One of the biggest problems with flying aerobatics is that you can waste a lot of time and effort by practising the wrong thing.  Unless you are lucky enough to have a practising F3A pilot in your Club, most of the advice you will get is unlikely to help you much.  By far the best way of learning is to go along to one of the introductory aerobatic events and then pluck up courage and enter a competition.  You will be amazed at how much you learn from attending even just 1 competition.  

 

If you need any advice just post on here and I'll do my best to help.

 

Best regards

 

Peter

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2 hours ago, Steve Dunne said:

Thanks, Peter. Very much appreciated!

Steve.

Hi Steve

 

One shouldn't try and do detail work late at night!  Turns out that I was using the wrong mark up sheets.  I must have binned the ones that had the other corrections.  So, used document compare and that produced the full listing of changes - what I should have done in the first place!  I've turned that into a document that I have attached here.  There are quite a few I'm afraid!

Model Aircraft Precision Aerobatics - Errata btw First and Final Ed 1.pdf

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