DAS Basic Maneuvers PARKFLY Basic Loop Round Loop Basic Roll Horizontal Roll Consecutive Rolls Basic 4-Point Roll Horizontal 4-Point Roll B-40 DAS Rapid Learning One Step at a Time Correctly flown, all aerobatic maneuvers are made up of a series of predictable steps. While it is true PARKFLY that with time the process of executing one step to the next becomes so fluid that it appears as though several things are being done all at once, there is always a consistent order or sequence to the events. You will find that basic aerobatics are not that hard when things are done in their proper sequence. It’s learning to do them with a high degree of control and consistency that requires a sensible one step at a time approach. The goal of basic aerobatics is to teach you to view and fly each maneuver as a series of individual steps. Opportunities to then build on your success will quickly unfold as the maneuvers become increasingly routine and/or automatic. The maneuvers featured in this section involve, or are combinations of the following elements: ··Horizontal lines Rolls and/or partial rolls · Loops and/or partial loops ··45 degree climbs and descents (uplines and downlines) All begin and end in upright level flight. 1. Half Cuban turnaround: 5/8 loop to a 45° downline. Half rollto upright on the 45 3. Immelmann turnaround: and pull out. 2. Loop Half loop with a half roll to upright at the top. 1 2 3 (Parallel) Upright horizontal line Important practice note: 99% of the difficulties that pilots experience at this stage can be traced back to not entering the maneuver from a wing’s level parallel line, and/or blending (rushing) together the individual steps that make up the maneuverC therefore making it much harder to determine the source of any difficulties amidst the gaggle of inputs. Consequently, most difficulties can be solved by paying more attention to positioning, and, sequencing a more definite return to neutral between the steps that make up the entire maneuver. B-41 KPTR: Performing the maneuvers as a series of individual steps leads to routine execution and further advancement. Basic Loop Sequence DAS The most important requirement for a successful loop is entering it with the PARKFLY wings level to make sure the loop will track truly vertical, as opposed to cork- screwing. Before you loop, increase the throttle near full to help ensure that the plane does not stall or fall out of the loop near the top. Then, smoothly pull and hold in approx. half up elevator to initiate and maintain the loop. You have the option to reduce the throttle on Vertical Plane the back side of the loop to reduce the rate of acceleration coming down. Then quickly neutralize the elevator at the instant the plane reaches the bottom of A Wings level the loop. A Wings slightly off of level The power setting required to loop varies from plane to plane, but is typically higher When a maneuver does not go as planned, a lot of than the approx. half throttle Hold in up elevator all the way around pilots will try get better at fixing the result, instead setting we use to conserve of looking for the cause of the deviation. Just like battery between maneuvers. a good driver, a good pilot does not get better at making a lot of corrections. A good pilot executes 3/4-full throttle each maneuver so that fewer adjustments are START needed altogether! Good loops are thus not the result of good reflexes, but of wings level entries. Neutral Note: Pulling too little or easing in the elevator too slowly can effect a loop so large that the plane runs out A of airspeed before reaching the top. Therefore, deliberately initiate your first loops with at least half elevator. KPTR: The most crucial requirement for a good loop is entering it with the wings level. B-42 DAS Fixed Elevator Positions and Throttle Reductions The size of each loop is controlled by targeting a specific fixed elevator stick position at the start: PARKFLY Holding in a large elevator input at the start will produce a tighter loop, and vice-versa. The pull itself needs to be smooth, yet also deliberate (not slow), in order to establish a consistent loop radius right away. (Hunting or trying to slowly finesse the elevator at the start produces loops that are both inconsistent and so large and slow at the top that they tend to stray off heading.) Smaller elevator input Speed: Reducing the = Larger loop (requires full power) power to approx. 1/4 prevents the airspeed from becoming 1/4 excessive on the back side of the loop. Optional Note: Many flyers make the mistake power Medium elevator input of completely idling the motor at the reduction = Medium size loop top of the loop, and then experience the plane sharply falling out of the 1/2 loop. Being the slowest point, the top of the loop is the last place you should reduce power! Maintaining power over the top both helps to keep Larger elevator input the loop rounder and tracking straight. = Tighter loop Reduce the throttle only after the plane has gone over the top of the 3/4 loop and is starting to build up air- speed. Then reposition the throttle START END for level flight or your next maneuver 3/4-full throttle To become proficient at aerobatics immediately after the loop has been you must grasp that it is your inputs completed. that determine the results. To change the results, start changing your inputs. KPTR: Control the size of your loops with how far you pull the B-43 elevator at the start, not by changing the pace of your initial pull. “Pinch” Round Loops 12 DAS PARKFLY A. Return the elevator input B. Slightly reduce to the original 12 your elevator input 9 3 amount (half). to float over the top. 10:00 2:00 “Key Point” “Key Point” 6 START A A loop will naturally begin to tighten or “pinch” 9 3 near the top as the airplane slows. The result is Float note: Releasing too much elevator and a slightly egg shaped loop. creating a flat spot on top of the loop occurs for the same reason people over-control at every skill level. They want to see their inputs If a clock were inserted into a basic loop, you doing something! Here, the elevator input would see that the pinch typically starts after should be reduced just enough to prevent the 10:00 or 2:00, depending on the direction the loop from pinching. When in doubt, float less, loop is entered. These will be your “key points” rather than more! to reduce the elevator and keep the loop round over the top. START END A (e.g. half elevator) The standard technique to perform a round loop is to hold in a fixed amount 2:00 10:00 of elevator at the start. At the front side key point, slightly reduce your elevator input to “float over the top”. Nearing Float the back side key point, return the B elevator to its original position to match A A the back side radius to the front side. KPTR: Reduce your elevator input slightly between 10:00 & 2:00 to r outinely perform round loops. B-44 DAS Basic Aileron Roll Sequence The basic aileron roll utilizes a 10-20 degree climbing start to allow you to roll without worrying about PARKFLY altitude or the ground. The most important step in the sequence is making sure that you neutralize the elevator used to establish the climb before applying aileron. Keeping the steps separate helps to ensure that only aileron is applied during the roll, thus keeping the roll axial and on the same heading. Then get ready to quickly neutralize the aileron at the instant the wings are level, and pull out level. START END Half-full throttle Note: While aerobatic airplanes will roll just fine at half throttle, rolls performed at lower airspeeds tend to be more influenced by gravity and therefore tend to drop more toward the end. Rolling at higher speeds reduces the influence of gravity and therefore lessens the drop. Applying full aileronalso makes a roll easier since the roll is completing before it has a chance to lose any appreciable altitude. Barrel Roll Guard against getting ahead of yourself by going directly into the aileron while still holding in elevator, and thus effecting a clumsy barrel roll and loss of heading. B-45 KPTR: Passing through neutral between the elevator and aileron inputs ensures an axial roll that stays on heading. Refined Horizontal Roll DAS When you’re comfortable with basic rolls, you are ready to add a bump of down elevator (push) to PARKFLY keep the plane level as it rolls through inverted. Since the plane is inverted for only a brief moment during the roll, the down elevator input needs to be brief as well, i.e., a “bump”. The addition of the bump of down means that you can begin to shallow the start of your rolls also. “Now” START END Pull the nose up slightly, neutralize the elevator, Push then initiate the aileron roll. As the plane rolls Quickly neutralize through inverted, the aileron at the briefly bump down instant the wings Bump elevator (in-out) are level, and pull while continuing to out as needed. hold in the aileron. A good bump of down will produce a level roll without the bump being obvious.