Why Can't I Bank/Turn to the Right?

[Ron S]

I've been trying to learn to fly heli's for the last year. I can hover nose in,or tail in,ect. When I go into FF I can turn,and bank to the LEFT just like I did for years,with my planes. But when I try to circle,and bank to the Right,I end up sidways,or tail first,going backwards (most of the time). Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Ron:confused:

[Skarn]

Everyone has a weak side. I too have a hard time making my right turns look nice. My left turns I feel like a pro and completely natural, but right is just not natural for me. It's the same way for my skiing. I can carve and excellent fast left turn, but to the right is just so not natural!

It's normal. The only way to overcome it is to practice right turns more often. Especially on the sim....I do right turns and right-side hovering over and over and over......

Skarn

[Ron S]

I kinda thought that was it,but I don't have any trouble with the Planes? I think I'm letting up on the cyclic(letting the stick come back to center, I think that's what you call the right stick) instead of keeping it forward. I've also heard the you set your heli up diffrent for FF than you do for hovering.Thanks Ron

[Skarn]

I've never heard of setting your heli up differently from hovering to FF. I mean in all flights I end up doing both! Maybe you are thinking of learning in normal mode? If just learning to hover, a lot of people use normal mode pitch and throttle curves to help "tame" down the heli. But the sooner you start flying in idle up the better as you won't have as much of a learning curve.

Skarn

[Ron S]

Thanks,I'm a little nervous about using "idle up" mode. I guess I think the heli will jump out of control. Ron

[mporlier]

You do not input enough right rudder. It is called a coordinated turn ;)

[TheBum]

Thanks,I'm a little nervous about using "idle up" mode. I guess I think the heli will jump out of control. Ron
My bigger fear is that I'll forget and slam the heli into the ground at full negative pitch instead of hitting throttle hold when (not if) I get into trouble.

[DrJustice]

I kinda thought that was it,but I don't have any trouble with the Planes?
I find right turns harder than left turns too. I guess it's only practise that can overcome that.

However, if you use a heading hold gyro in forward flight, I advice you to try the rate mode. For me, HH mode kills the fluency in FF - it feels artificial and counter intuitive. With rate mode, even my right turns becomes quite natural with a nice flowing feeling. Thus I use HH (or rate) for hovering, and switch to rate mode in forward flight. This may change if/when I become comfortable with the HH-feel or get into 3D.

DJ
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[Ron S]

Thanks,Dr. Justice. I don't think I'm sure how to set the gyro,other than HH (I'm new to all of this) but it DOES make sense that the tail would follow the heli's flight direction (weather vain) if it was a little "looser" on the tail, so to speak. Ron

[darkchiild]

Because of the leading/lagging rotor blades turning, a heli with clockwise rotating main blades has a tendency to bank left when in FF. IMHO, this makes left turns feel more natural, as you just bank, and pull back on the cyclic a little. Right turns on the other hand, you'll need to bank right, and continue with a little right cyclic as you're pulling back on the elevator. If you don't, the heli will tend to wander upright on you, and you don't have the heli at the angle you wanted.

I've heard of some guys using some right aileron trim to counteract this in idle 1 for FF. Personally I don't get it. Just learn to compensate yourself. When you start getting into acrobatics, this will come back and bite you in the arse. Unless of course you're a scale guy I guess.

[brunobl]

Even though the OP reports not having RH-turning problems with planks, I don't believe that right-hand turning problem in model helis has anything to do with which way the rotor turns.

For decades, modelers have reported the RH turn syndrome and many people have tried to expplain it. I've seen articles about it in well-known RC magazines in the early 70s, well before RC helis existed.

As already posted by Scarn, this is probably related to dominant/weak sides of every individual. Practice will take care of it.

[Dave M]

Quit watching soooooo much nascrap racing...you will learn to turn anyway way you want...not just left.:YeaBaby:

[Ron S]

Yeah,I raced flat track on motorcycles years ago,I'm good at going fast,and turning left!:YeaBaby: I did practice on the sim last night,and I seem to be getting it down,I have to hold a little forward stick,while I'm banking to the left,and let up on the tail,as it has a tendency to come on around when turning left for me. Ron

[vera]

The gyro is trying to prevent heading change either way, so holding some amount of rudder during a turn is needed to thwart its effort.