Tomorrow's the big day or how I became a lumberjack!

Hold your arm straight out and lock your wrist. Make sure the "up" line is on the top of the control handle. When you want to go up, raise your arm, and when you want to go down, lower your arm, and you should be fine.

lousyflyer wrote:Hold your arm straight out and lock your wrist. Make sure the "up" line is on the top of the control handle. When you want to go up, raise your arm, and when you want to go down, lower your arm, and you should be fine.

Well, my backyard is my park so seeing as I just cut the grass.........

As simple as that sounds, I was wondering how I am supposed to hold my arm so thanks for that. Up line on top......Got it.

Thanks Guys!

Ron

lousyflyer wrote:Hold your arm straight out and lock your wrist.

The "straight arm" approach is the best way to get your feet wet -- it cuts down on over controlling with the wrist alone.

When your arm is straight out, make sure your wrist is in the position that you're comfortable with and that the elevator is neutral -- you may need to adjust your lines a bit to get it evened out. Raising your arm will then give you up elevator and lowering it will bring the plane down.

Be prepared to step back a bit to maintain line tension when first launched.

andrew wrote:

lousyflyer wrote:Hold your arm straight out and lock your wrist.

The "straight arm" approach is the best way to get your feet wet -- it cuts down on over controlling with the wrist alone.

When your arm is straight out, make sure your wrist is in the position that you're comfortable with and that the elevator is neutral -- you may need to adjust your lines a bit to get it evened out. Raising your arm will then give you up elevator and lowering it will bring the plane down.

Be prepared to step back a bit to maintain line tension when first launched.

Good point. I just ran some new line tonight. Elevator is neutral when my arm is straight out. I will check it again tommorow before flight. One question....I know the Wizard is designed to ROG but, my grass is too tall for that. If I have one of my kids hold it and let go will that work? My oldest is 12 and she should be able to handle it and run off in the opposite direction.

I am using a babe bee with a 6x3 to keep the power down. Should I put the prop on backwards?

Ron

1. Get a old rug, carpet, cardboard, etc. about 6'-8' x 3' (+/-) even mowed the small wheels don't work very well.

2. Leave the prop as is, set engine for max rpm, then back off a little.

3. Lines about 28'-30' (8# Spyderwire) use 2.5"-3" spacing on handle, maybe wait till evening so wind is low?

4. Make sure you have tip weight, CG is correct, slight offset of engine.

4. TAKE OFF DOWN WIND, unlike r/c you need speed for line tension so when it comes around into the wind your flying....with control.

5. Have cold Miller Lite on hand to celebrate successful flight, if you crash you got beer to drown sorrows.

You'll love it!!

Focus on the plane and try to ignore the background going past. Helps to prevent dizziness.

If you have to hand-launch the model, there are a few pointers...

Launch downwind
Make sure that the person launching knows not to hold the model so that they trap the elevator pushrod, if it's a profile fuselage
Launch the model level, NOT nose up
Walk forward a couple of steps, then push the model away as you release it, don't fling it!
Make sure the lines are tight as you launch
Make sure that the launcher runs OUT of the circle as soon as the model is released, if you get it wrong as a tyro pilot, and cram full UP elevator on, the model will loop, and your launcher getting a screaming model in the back of the neck is not to be recommended!

Main advice to any beginner is DON'T PANIC!

Godspeed... L.W. !

Thanks for the detailed explaination Wilf, I may have to go through the motions before I begin. Or I could do the cardboard thing as Mark suggested. I certainly have enough after the move.

Thanks Kim, hopefully I don't splinter the Wizard. Seems to be a pretty tough old bird though.

Mark your circle center with a piece of bright ribbon or paint, if you are close to building and such. Check your center,, no big lumps on the ground, or trippable obstacles if you have to step back rapidly to get lines tight again.

Sunglasses,,if you fly in the morning or evening if t is bright out.

Focus on the plane only, and keep the lines in your perifrial vision

Once it picks off the ground, be ready for just a touch of down elevator. most folks are holding HARD up elevator on the takeoff roll on the first time, so it usually heads up to the heavens or stands vertical on the tail. If it does go over your head, paitently wait till it picks up speed on the downhill and your lines get snug again to level out.

Easy on the coffee, glass or small carton of milk calms you down.

Even with just a touch of fuel, it's going to seem like a eternity. level out and run it down/out.

Also, don't forget,, HAVE FUN!

Ron:

All this makes CL flying seem like "rocket science"! Well it ain't.

If you learned to ride a bicycle you can surely master CL

I taught my two ten year olds g'sons to fly CL successfully in a single afternoon.

Taking off from concrete (or cardboard) and then stepping back onto the grass for your flight makes sense. (That's what I've done with small planes for MANY years)

Good luck!

I can't add much to all that, so I'll be awaiting your flight report. Good luck.

If you do the hand launch, make sure the launcher releases the plane tangent to the circle and not into the circle.

You WILL get dizzy...but that goes away after a few flights.

Good Luck and DO have fun!!

George

SuperDave wrote:Ron:

All this makes CL flying seem like "rocket science"! Well it ain't.

If you learned to ride a bicycle you can surely master CL

I taught my two ten year olds g'sons to fly CL successfully in a single afternoon.

Taking off from concrete (or cardboard) and then stepping back onto the grass for your flight makes sense. (That's what I've done with small planes for MANY years)

Good luck!

Yes, learning to fly c/l IS easy, if you have an experienced pilot there to teach you, if you don't happen to have anyone, you need someone to give advice, as we have been doing, on avoiding the common errors that new flyers make, which makes their first flights anything but fun, and can put them off C/L for life!

It's so easy a girl can do it!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jANeUNnpudc

In my humble opinion, this is how you learn C/L flying. Big flyer that you can needle the motor down and make lazy circles, for the most part, with a buddy helping inside with you.

A good friend built a Redhead .19 Shoestring and it was a trainer on low settings, and a real performer once you got experienced and could let the motor sing.

The besta Luck Ron don't forget the Vid.

Good luck!

Well...? It's tomorrow now...how did it go ?

Kim wrote:Well...? It's tomorrow now...how did it go ?

Just got done........ The Wizard is a tad worse for wear......

I busted off the nose and tail. Nothing like CA to keep things going. I managed to put in about 40-50 sucessful laps.

I attempted to record the whole fiasco but, my daughter didn't hit the record button.

I had a blast!!!!!!!!! Much more fun than bench runs. I need more....

The babe bee would not richen up and kept leaning in the air. I had to use 17' lines to keep it out of the trees. The Hickory needs to go!

Anyway I will get some video as soon as I can. Hopefully tomorrow!

I did get a little dizzy but, nothing too bad.

Hooo Haaaa!! Way to go.

andrew wrote:Hooo Haaaa!! Way to go.

Yeah man thanks! It was too much fun! Even the full bore lawn dart and fuselage explosions!

Congrats...

17' lines? -- YIKES!

Congratulations!