What did you learning in 2012?

[Bee_random]

Merry Christmas and happy New Year everybody.

Something on another thread prompted me to think about how much progress I made this year and wonder how you guys are doing? Not showing off (I'm not that good!), but it would be nice to see how we're progressing and maybe inspire each other with some targets for next year?

A slow year for me, but have built a heap of fff confidence and can intuit my way back from a distance without panicking (don't ask!). Got loops, rolls and flips going... But still at a healthy distance/height, so some improvement needed there. The big one for the year was doing inverted hovering on the 400.. Quietly chuffed with that one. Backward flying is happening, but pretty hard still - another one for improving on next year.

Target for next year? Good backward flight, basic inverted FF.

Where are you guys at? And going? B

[FR4-Pilot]

Half piro-flips, in the sim only. Trying to do them in place, or continuously is extremely difficult, a lot seems to depend on the cyclic and tail response of the heli in addition to timing ...

[MiataJohn]

Crashing is expensive. But it's only money.

Merry Christmas all.

[nof55]

I learned that I'm not very good at flying in wind. Next year I will take more advantage of nice days. had so few of them here last year. I fear I'm going to have to start from the beginning when spring rolls around. But I did find reason for my last crash. Tail drive pulley (one inside by main gear ) was cracked ,slipping on shaft, thats why I couldn't control tail. So learn better checks. Had time to set it up fbl with tarot so wanting to try that out. Prbably a couple months before I get weather to do that though. Can I come live with someone who's in the warm? lol
Going on cruise out of Florida in Jan. so maybe if I take my helis along someone will put me up for a month or so? Ha .ha.

[Andrew73]

Progress has been slow for me with the B400, but I've done ok with the mcpx and sim. I'm happy flying the mcpx in all orientations and I'm working on smoothing the transitions and learning piro-turns. My goal for next summer is to grow a pair and finally flip the '400. The orientation skills are programmed ok, it's just a dumb psychological block like I had with going nose-in.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpl47hy0dAE[/ame]

All good fun, Merry Christmas all!

[Bee_random]

Flippin' awesome Andrew! That vid was a Christmas present of motivation/inspiration.
Thank you, and Merry Christmas, B

[Tinker]

I ended the year on a good note. After I built my Trex 250 about 6 months ago and a Trex 500 a couple of weeks ago I've got much more adventurous with my good old B400. I've been flipping and rolling my mCPX for some time but was hesitant on trying it with my B400 even though my sim skills are solid. Decided that 2012 had to be the year so on the 31st I put her up about 30ft and let my fingers just do their flip sequence. First one was just perfect, what a rush seeing it in a clean and easy backflip. It felt so good that I followed up right away with another. Held her inverted for a second or two so the second flip was a bit sloppy but still fun.

Fast forward to this morning just one day later... Four flights with my mCPX including all sorts of flips, rolls and a bit of inverted. Popped a battery into the B400 warming up with a some simple FF. Came around to a banked turn I've done a zillion times and she just started doing quick piro's. I was close to the ground so the only thing I could think of was trying to hold her level and hit the TH. Blades and servo's seem fine but the whole head snapped off taking the bolt head with it. Add the usual feathering shaft and bent flybar. My patched up "good luck" canopy has taken it's last flight. The only thing I could see was the belt was pretty loose so maybe that was it.

Goals for the next 6 months include flipping the B400 all directions and maybe some brief inverted. Just getting used to my 500 so I'll be happy just getting the confidence for FF.

Sure wish sometimes that these birds took a crash as well as my foam planes https://www.helifreak.com/images/smi...on_redface.gif

[Bee_random]

Update anybody? How are you all doing?

I recently got some backward flight going IRL, along with a heap of broken parts to mark the progress. Checked this thread and now to start working on upside down... Pretty scary at this stage I have to admit

[FR4-Pilot]

Hey Bee!

I'm working on half-piro flips - outside of the sim Also getting better with inverted FF also outside of the sim.

On the sim I working on backwards inverted circuits. I can honestly say that's not ready for prime-time yet

Thinking about getting a plane too ...

[907Heli]

Well, this year I've really gotten comfortable with inverted hovering (30 feet and up). That was my goal for the summer since summers are so short here in Alaska. I'm doing more inverted passes, inverted hovering, trying some tic tocs, I wanted to do some sideways loops before my last crash yesterday. I lost orientation and dumb thumbed it while inverted. I think my goal for the summer is a low level inverted hover, like less than 6 feet. I know it's more of a comfort and confidence thing than a mechanical but that's my goal. I've been flying my 400 a lot less now that my nitro 550 is flying so well. The 400 is still the race out of the two.

[Bee_random]

I really should fix the typo in the title

It's 2014, a little over 12 months since originally posting. Did you achieve your targets? What are people going for this year?

My objective was to nail backward and try inverted... I've got backward and inverted forward and have made a serious start on inverted backward! Wah-hoo! ...to top it off I have added half piro's and some simple transitions to the toolbox.

For 2014.. Nail those first four orientations and all the transitions on my 700. Single piro-flips. Stretch objective; side on orientations and their transitions. Get all the foundation moves really solid before working on 3D - next year.

[Harbormaster]

I'm finally finally learning that when you're trying something you're not very good at, do it up high. Altitude is your friend!

I was really happy to see that after a 1 1/2 year hiatus, my skills not only hadn't deteriorated, they seemed to have kind of consolidated. (And the old batteries in the bottom of the fridge were still serviceable.)

I'm still learning a lot of basic stuff, but having a great time doing it. As someone's tagline here used to say, "You don't have to be the best pilot to have the most fun!"

[Usman]

I learned that there are many good people on this forum and that I've made new friends. I've practiced on the simulator and have gotten much better flying my Blade4003D! I benefited from the kindness of others getting back into action with my Blade4003D! Thanks !

[Bee_random]

The begining of 2015 and I still haven't worked out how to correct the grammar in the heading to this thread

I think I'm comfortable saying met my objectives though. Chopping and changing orientation with some acceptable transitions - stall turns and stall rolls all coming along. Now doing sloppy möbius loops; which is really satisfying fun. Also doing loads of piro-flips now. Unexpectedly I also got my first (planned) autos this year. I haven't really done much work on those side orientations, but that will come.

This year we're moving to Adelaide, Australia. I'm not sure how this is going to affect flying time, but have high hopes that the better weather may give me more practice time

I expect the obvious progression to slow, but want to really focus on control and getting some of moves I have, done in the different orientations e.g. Opposite piro-flips and nose-in piro-flips. Oh, and those elusive side orientations and transitions.

Happy New Year, what are your plans for this year? Did you achieve what you wanted last year? B

[tomatwalden]

I learned me how to right inglish mate! ;-)

Piro flips coming along nicely ( albeit on the sim! )

[Bee_random]

They're not too bad IRL. And thanks to you Tom for the push to do autos this year.

What's your target for this year?

[tomatwalden]

Dunno really! Will have to ponder that!


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[Harbormaster]

I learned how to fly inverted in 2014. I think in 2015 I'll try to learn how to fly backwards competently (then inverted backwards!)

My flybarless 400 is an awesome flyer. It might even be my favorite heli in the fleet, much to my surprise.