The wind is blowin and you are flyin! The problem is everyone
is kickin your butt. The other guys are punching out 15' higher
then passing you like a spinout at Indy through the flat. You
have the same plane. You have the same wing loading. You have
the same air - what gives?
The biggest part of the plane/pilot team is the pilot. Its
not hard to figure out when the plane has the latest greatest
foil, an exacting planform, a fuse slipperier than a suppository
and a pilot that won't let the plane fly. Thats right - the pilot
won't let the plane fly. Two, three sometimes four corrections
per pass absolutely kills the performance of any plane. When
the plane is slow the pilot is slow, and the pilot should get
most (90%) of the credit for either picking the wrong plane or
over controlling the right plane.
Flying smooth keeps the airfoil in its intended shape throughout
more of the flight. Designers don't select fast foils by using
little planes that wail the ailerons back and forth in wind tunnels,
so as pilots we need to let the plane fly with the foil in its
intended form as much as possible. There is one piece of equipment
(radio) between the plane and the pilot, and this is what can
smooth things out.
Most over controlling comes from having one or both of the
following:
1) Too much throw
2) The stick is too sensitive
The biggest arguments of reducing throws is that you want
to be able to crank rolls too fast to count, or you like the
control for launching and landing.
Most pilots overlook stick sensitivity. Sensitivity can be
adjusted mechanically and electronically. A stick that is too
short for your finger will feel too sensitive. A stick with really
soft spring tension will also feel sensitive. I like my sticks
bottomed out (short) and with just enough spring tension to feel
the center on a cold day. This would be sensitive. I then electronically
smooth things out buy using -50% exponential on my ailerons.
This allows for smooth flying and sizzling rolls. I like
to adjust the EXP while flying. Have that part of the menu ready
before launch and dial the EXP with point rolls. You neither
want to have to bang 3/4 stick for each point in a 4-point roll,
nor overshoot each point. Nothing is a more obvious screw-up
than a 3-point roll You want to get a good feel for where the
throw starts to really kick in (inflection point?), and this
is where the stick will move to on the point roll. Dialing in
the EXP/EPA combination can make your planes feel more similar
on the sticks and allow you to effectively fly a larger arsenal.
This will help you fly fast and smooth from plane to plane. It
won't cure brain farts or flinches as that adjustment occurs
between the ears.
Exponential on elevators is a personal thing. I don't like
it on conventional planes, but love it on wings where the optimal
CG can be pitch sensitive. You'll have to find out for yourself.
Hope this helps get you out in front.
