Throttle stick and leccie powered gliders.

[Piper Cub]

Not sure where to put this as it could probably go in a number of different places.

 

I've always loved glider especially scale but the big problem was getting them into the air from a flat field.

 

Brushless and leccie have certainly helped in that respect.

 

So, lots of gliders on the market now come with folding props (OK, I know they're not new) so when you cut the power the prop folds back to reduce air resistance.

 

But, stopped throttle is normally bottom stick and throttle stick (mode 2) also has rudder. Now at bottom throttle stick there's not a lot of waggle room for rudder movement. The obvious position for stopped motor and folded prop is middle stick, this gives plenty of movement for rudder without banging against the stops compared to bottom stick.

 

However how many people fly like this (stopped motor at middle stick, throttle operating above this point)? Is it common to always set throttle off at bottom stick on a powered glider?

 

For leccie, is it easy to set the motor to only start above half stick?

[PatMc]

The side movement of the stick is the same top, middle or bottom on every Tx I've come across.

I fly mode 2 with several motor gliders without any problem.

[Olly Giles]

pat is right there is no difference in the ammount of movement from the middle to the bottom of the movement. If its more comfortable to have the stick in the centre you could experiment with different throttle curves or the End point adjustment.

[PatMc]

Some folks use either a switch or slider on the Tx for throttle control on motor gliders. This means it's either on/off throttle or proportional but coarse throttle control. They then use the throttle stick for full proportional control of spoilers or flaps.

[Tony Smith 7]

Posted by Piper Cub on 19/07/2011 22:35:33:

 

 

However how many people fly like this (stopped motor at middle stick, throttle operating above this point)? Is it common to always set throttle off at bottom stick on a powered glider?

 

For leccie, is it easy to set the motor to only start above half stick?

I set mine so the top half of the throttle controls power, and the bottom quarter bring on the airbrakes. My transmitter allows me to set a "centre beep" which warns my when I move the stick up to the middle, before power comes on.

[Alan Williams]

You havent said wherther the glider is rudder elevator or has ailerons.If RE just put rudder on ch.1.I fly my re gliders that way.Alan Williams

 

[Tom Satinet]

What TX have you got??!!

Edited By Tom Satinet on 20/07/2011 10:53:27

[PatMc]

Posted by Tony Smith 7 on 20/07/2011 10:25:26:

I set mine so the top half of the throttle controls power, and the bottom quarter bring on the airbrakes. My transmitter allows me to set a "centre beep" which warns my when I move the stick up to the middle, before power comes on.

I've never come across a Tx where that would be possible.

 

 

 

 

Edited By PatMc on 20/07/2011 11:00:30

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Got me wondering if it could be done with some mixes utilising a 5 point curve and some spare channels - I might have a play tonight!

[Tony Smith 7]

Posted by Tom Satinet on 20/07/2011 10:53:15:
What TX have you got??!!

Edited By Tom Satinet on 20/07/2011 10:53:27

Turnigy 9X, using er9x firmware

[Lee Smalley]

i use a flight mode switch only in launch flight mode is the throttle active after that it does nothing unless in land mode where it controls the crow braking

[Tom Satinet]

Posted by Tony Smith 7 on 20/07/2011 11:56:48:

Posted by Tom Satinet on 20/07/2011 10:53:15:
What TX have you got??!!

Edited By Tom Satinet on 20/07/2011 10:53:27

Turnigy 9X, using er9x firmware

So your saying the movement of the stick (left to right) is restricted when the throttle is "down"? I have never seen or heard of something like that. Seems a bit strange!

[Frank Skilbeck]

I've not seen rudder movement restricted when throttle is either full open or shut, would make doing stall turns a bit difficult if it was restricted.

[Piper Cub]

Thanks all for the replies. Must have had a brain f*rt thinking the rudder stick movement was restricted at bottom stick!

[Tony Smith 7]

Posted by Tom Satinet on 20/07/2011 12:50:28:

Posted by Tony Smith 7 on 20/07/2011 11:56:48:

Posted by Tom Satinet on 20/07/2011 10:53:15:
What TX have you got??!!

Edited By Tom Satinet on 20/07/2011 10:53:27

Turnigy 9X, using er9x firmware

So your saying the movement of the stick (left to right) is restricted when the throttle is "down"? I have never seen or heard of something like that. Seems a bit strange!

Ahh ... you're referring to the original post, where he says he has "Now at bottom throttle stick there's not a lot of waggle room for rudder movement."

[Bob Moore]

I can appreciate what you mean about using the left stick when it's in a bottom of the range position. I set up my Westwings Orion leccy glider so that the right stick (as in ailerons left right) controls the rudder. I just plugged the rudder servo into rx channel 1? It feels very natural as it's the stick I move to turn left right?

 

Just to clarify, that's throttle left, elevator and rudder right.

Edited By Bob Moore on 20/07/2011 13:57:53

Edited By Bob Moore on 20/07/2011 14:01:40

[PatMc]

Posted by Bob Moore on 20/07/2011 13:57:13:
I can appreciate what you mean about using the left stick when it's in a bottom of the range position. I set up my Westwings Orion leccy glider so that the right stick (as in ailerons left right) controls the rudder. I just plugged the rudder servo into rx channel 1? It feels very natural as it's the stick I move to turn left right?.

Edited By Bob Moore on 20/07/2011 13:57:53

That's the normal way to connect rudder in mode 2 when there are no ailerons. Similarly in mode 1 rudder would be on the left stick for a model without ailerons.

[Bob Cotsford]

Posted by PatMc on 20/07/2011 14:05:15:That's the normal way to connect rudder in mode 2 when there are no ailerons. Similarly in mode 1 rudder would be on the left stick for a model without ailerons.

Pat, I thought mode 1 only swapped ele and throttle, so primary turn would still be on the right, ie rudder for RET, aileron for full-house?

Edited By Bob Cotsford on 20/07/2011 14:08:58

[andy watson]

I might be wrong here, but isn't it the case that these models have throttle pretty much on or off? In which case you could assign the throttle channel to a switch. If you need a mid range then a 3 position switch could be used.

 

Alternatively is there scope for a load of expo on the throttle channel so slight upwards movements of the stick don't fire the engine?

[Devon Flyer]

Posted by PatMc on 20/07/2011 14:05:15:

That's the normal way to connect rudder in mode 2 when there are no ailerons. Similarly in mode 1 rudder would be on the left stick for a model without ailerons.

 

 

I fly Mode 1 and always have the primary control on the right stick.

If it's a rudder/elevator model, the rudder goes on the right.

Never known anyone do it different.

[Lee Smalley]

andy no if you want to just cruise over to a thermal that you can see why would you want full power!! on my glider full power sends it like a rocket skywards if i just need to climb a tad then i dont want to flick a switch and get a kick up the backside, also on launch i dont want full power as it comes out of my hand i want half get the wings and surfaces working then hit the power, its much smoother than BANG!!!! GO GO GO !!

[PatMc]

Posted by Bob Cotsford on 20/07/2011 14:08:27:

Posted by PatMc on 20/07/2011 14:05:15:That's the normal way to connect rudder in mode 2 when there are no ailerons. Similarly in mode 1 rudder would be on the left stick for a model without ailerons.

Pat, I thought mode 1 only swapped ele and throttle, so primary turn would still be on the right, ie rudder for RET, aileron for full-house?

Edited By Bob Cotsford on 20/07/2011 14:08:58

You're right off course, Bob.

I had a senior moment & should have said "Similarly in mode 1, rudder would also be on the right stick for a model without ailerons."

But it's been over 20 years since I flew anything using mode 1.

 

 

[PatMc]

Beereycalfs, I use the throttle stick for motor gliders but I nearly always just bang full power & climb upwind at a steep angle for 15 - 30 secs then glide. It's a near simulation of the launch pattern of a glider from a hand or power winch or from a bungee. TBH a switch would be just as useful for me so long as I could operate it with my left hand.

[Gaz Elliott]

why not set the throttle to one of the switches eg channel 5 or 6 switch for gear/flaps. If you have flaps these can then be programmed to use the throttle stick to give a varied amount of flap. I have not done this my self but have read about it some where. It certainly would resolve your dilema I think

[John Privett]

One of our club members flies some high-powered F5B-type leccy gliders. On those the "throttle" is on a switch - but mainly because the current taken by the motor is rather more than the ESC is rated at. As long as the ESC is either "off" or "on" it's OK, but at a part throttle setting it would let the magic smoke out in under a second - or so he tells us!

 

Hence the switch - either full on or full off, so no chance of fumbling the throttle stick and leaving it on part throttle...