Nick Farrow Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Hi, What are basics to getting a plane to hover both in setting it up correctly and then the sequence of stick movements once thats done? I have a gws formosa2 that I'm trying to hover without success, I cant keep the nose up it either flops L or R with a stall. I'm thinking I need more power than I have as it wont prop hang but perhaps thats wishful thinking! Thanks nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 You certainly need more than a 1:1 power ratio Nick.....if it won't accelerate vertically then it won't prop hang. After that its practice, practice, practice......I'm not a prop hanger myself so I can't add any practical tips.....I'm sure there will be some forthcoming.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Bernard Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 There's a special type of aircraft that's very good for that. What's it called now ...? Oh yes .... A helicopter !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben goodfellow 1 Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 a lower pitch will make it 3d better , some people prefer a rearward cof g depending on model type also if you are flying with lots of expo cos of high rates/movement of surfaces and if your tranny has a few flight rates set one with little or no exp for hovering and use little few short stick movements side thrust on the power plant will also help . but a said above its all practice practice practice .a shock flyer will be alot easier to practice with before moving to bigger stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Cooper Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 A good way to practice prop hanging is to enter it going downwind (with the top of the model facing you) -- it makes the model more stable and it has the added benefit that it will be going away from you if it all goes wrong (rather than coming towards you in the wind). The thrust-line needs to be sorted out so that the model does not pull to one side when vertical. The engine needs to be propped so that it is comfortably in the power band, with plenty in reserve, Having good throttle response is crucial and it needs to be 100% --- in fact, it becomes the most important control in this manoeuvre. The controls need to have plenty of authority but it helps to have a good dose of expo on the controls to prevent over-controlling. When it gets into the "sweet spot" where it is balanced and hanging, hardly any movement is required to keep it there. Clearly, it pays to practice at a recoverable height but as you learn the art, you will notice that it's actually easier to prop hang when lower to the ground. Have fun. B.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Make sure you have plenty of power and make sure your control surfaces have plenty of movement but lots of expo as Brian rightly says when you get it stable in the hover you will need very small movements to keep it there, but if it falls out you will need lots of movement to get out of trouble if your low down, as you have no air speed so you are relying on prop wash over the surfaces. You will also find that when you do master it, the plane wants to roll to the left ( torque roll) so you will find you will need to keep putting right aileron in or sometimes holding it in to stop this. Above all practice all the time, I learnt to hover on depron shock fliers these are great to learn on and I think the easiest to hover of any aircraft, also they are cheap and easy to overpower with cheap motors. Have fun Woody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Farrow Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 Thanks very much, great clear advice and something to aim for. Does the wind make much difference or is the dominant fact getting enough power to the prop? nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben B Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 The wind won't make any difference apart from the fact your hovering plane will drift slowly. I would take advice re needing a fine pitch prop and a rearward CoG with a pinch of salt. My SuperAir (SC 46 on a 11*7) with a forward CoG (how I like it) prophangs just fine- once it's there it'll stay there with a little stick wiggling until I get bored. It won't harrier, however due to a lack of control throws, the CoG etc etc. One disadvantage of prolonged prop-hanging is the amount of oil grot that ends up plastered all over the airframe.... To learn to hover I used the Realflight G5 hovering function. Works a treat- you start off just controlling throttle and slowly add in more channels one at a time until you're hovering like a pro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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