Thumbs, Pinch, Hybrid, Trays, Straps ?

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

I fly mode 1 and 2, and flew thumbs with no straps till 1984 when I started flying helicopters, then I went to a tray on straps as I found it more precise holding the sticks between my fingers and thumbs, I still fly thumbs on my flying wings, electric or on the slope, it is easier to launch them.

 

I also raced cars for years, at the same time as an owner of a model shop for 20 years, (for publicity as cars was where the money was) on 2 channel stick radios on thumbs.

[Andy Meade]

"hybrid" pinch, and a harness most of the time. Very useful for solo slope launching.

 

[Dickw]

I moved from control line to RC in the mid 80s starting with Fleet radio. I instinctively flew pinch and did find it awkward holding the Tx on my little fingers while using thumb and forefinger on the sticks. I was never really happy with my flying ability like this.

 

In the early 90s I discovered the "tray style" transmitters in the form of a Multiplex 3030. No tray required, the transmitter hung on a neck strap and was effectively its own tray. This gave me a much more stable transmitter that I could rest my hands on for pinching the sticks and at last allowed my flying to improve. I since moved on to the similar Multipex 4000 and now use the Jeti 'tray style' DC16 in the same way.

 

I do a fair bit of glider flying and the neck strap is useful in supporting the Tx during hour long flights, and is particularly useful when flying GPS Triangle Racing as it takes the weight of the 2 way (433 MHz) GPS coms unit and the mobile phone app display.

 

i have never had a problem with the neck strap getting in the way of anything.

Dick

Edited June 26 by Dickw
Thanks to Greg Fitzpatrick for the photo.

[stu knowles]

I always flew Thumbs on Top until trying helicopters when I moved to a tray.  Initially I found flying fixed wing with a tray very awkward but grew to prefer it.  About this time I also morphed to using very long control sticks which had buttons on the left stick (Multiplex) which I also liked for the precision control it seemed to promote.  The only down side was the bulk of the tray in transportation and then some TX damage when something fell on the TX/Tray combo.

Now I've gone full circle back to Thumbs on Top just because it keeps the TX in its case duting transport and storage.

 

My take on the situation having done all that is that 'pinch' flying is more precise, even better with long sticks, but for general flying Thimbs on Top is good enough.    Like the mode 1 / mode 2 debate, its whatever floats your boat.

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

17 hours ago, Dickw said:

 

I do a fair bit of glider flying and the neck strap is useful in supporting the Tx during hour long flights,

Try the harness one, Multiplex was probably the first one to make one, they stop you getting backache at the slope when you fly a long time, what's with the selfie stick and phone, do you love yourself that much.😂

[Dickw]

3 hours ago, Paul De Tourtoulon said:

Try the harness one, Multiplex was probably the first one to make one, they stop you getting backache at the slope when you fly a long time, what's with the selfie stick and phone, do you love yourself that much.😂

Yes, I am thinking of getting the harness even though I don't have a backache problem with just the neck strap even on long flights (perhaps something to do with the martial arts training!). I think the harness might make the Tx more stable when self launching largish 4.7m 6.7Kg gliders while holding the Tx and "selfie stick" - it is a bit unwieldy and you can get into a bit of a muddle at that point 😲🤣.

 

As I said in my other post, the "selfie stick" holds the 433MHz GPS Tx/Rx unit and puts the mobile phone at eye level for display of the triangle course and model position. You rarely need to look at the display in flight as stereo vario tones give you heading direction and other tones/voice calls indicate turn-points etc., but it is there at eye level if you do lose your mental orientation after several minutes circling in thermals - image attached.

 

Apologies for "off subject" chatter.

Dick

Edited June 27 by Dickw