Landing and Taking Off properly

[N017RW]

I don't have a Phantom (yet), hopefully very soon, but having flown R/C for a long time I haven't heard anyone talk about wind factor. Seems to me that this machine would act like any other R/C craft, thus your best bet is to be pointed into the wind for takeoff and landings. This holds true for real aircraft as well.

I really haven't heard too many people talk about using an approach for landing (again into the wind). Most of the time like 95% rotor wing aircraft make an approach for landing. Sure they come to a hover a few feet off the ground before landing, but typically not hundreds of feet.

With these aircraft some of the old rules of thumb can be ignored.

For the beginner, the wind direction is not really as important as the pilot's Point of View.

The flight control system will keep it level regardless of the wind's direction but as soon as the aircraft is sideways or, worse yet, reversed as compared to the piolot's POV, the controls can be confusing quickly.

Keep it "Tail in" (as we used to say with CP helis) at first so the aircraft's movements are the same as the stick inputs.

 

[gunslinger]

I don't have a Phantom (yet), hopefully very soon, but having flown R/C for a long time I haven't heard anyone talk about wind factor. Seems to me that this machine would act like any other R/C craft, thus your best bet is to be pointed into the wind for takeoff and landings. This holds true for real aircraft as well.

I really haven't heard too many people talk about using an approach for landing (again into the wind). Most of the time like 95% rotor wing aircraft make an approach for landing. Sure they come to a hover a few feet off the ground before landing, but typically not hundreds of feet.

With these aircraft some of the old rules of thumb can be ignored.

For the beginner, the wind direction is not really as important as the pilot's Point of View.

The flight control system will keep it level regardless of the wind's direction but as soon as the aircraft is sideways or, worse yet, reversed as compared to the piolot's POV, the controls can be confusing quickly.

Keep it "Tail in" (as we used to say with CP helis) at first so the aircraft's movements are the same as the stick inputs.

nose in can be quite intimidating... but you really need to take the time to work on that until it becomes second nature. It could save your aircraft in many different situations...

-slinger

 

[IflyinWY]

I don't have a Phantom (yet), hopefully very soon, but having flown R/C for a long time I haven't heard anyone talk about wind factor. Seems to me that this machine would act like any other R/C craft, thus your best bet is to be pointed into the wind for takeoff and landings. This holds true for real aircraft as well.

I really haven't heard too many people talk about using an approach for landing (again into the wind). Most of the time like 95% rotor wing aircraft make an approach for landing. Sure they come to a hover a few feet off the ground before landing, but typically not hundreds of feet.

With these aircraft some of the old rules of thumb can be ignored.

For the beginner, the wind direction is not really as important as the pilot's Point of View.

The flight control system will keep it level regardless of the wind's direction but as soon as the aircraft is sideways or, worse yet, reversed as compared to the piolot's POV, the controls can be confusing quickly.

Keep it "Tail in" (as we used to say with CP helis) at first so the aircraft's movements are the same as the stick inputs.

+1 and...
Since there is no real "tail" to the Phantom, it does not matter which direction it's headed, and to be redundant, you just want it facing away from you. Find the hottest Avatar in this forum and paste it to the back of your bird. It's helped me to stay focused, thanks PJ.

What might become an issue is if you are descending rapidly with the wind and at the same velocity... it's that rotor wash thing.

 

[masspell25]

Tonight while coming in for my final landing I was on the ground and performed CSC but instead of shutting the motors off it pitched the phantom back and chewed up my props as i waited the three seconds for the motors to stop (stick down method). What was I doing wrong during the CSC movement?

 

[tgreenstone]

Tonight while coming in for my final landing I was on the ground and performed CSC but instead of shutting the motors off it pitched the phantom back and chewed up my props as i waited the three seconds for the motors to stop (stick down method). What was I doing wrong during the CSC movement?

Your safest bet is to not use CSC when you are landing. When you CSC, you are also telling the Phantom to move (which already is attempting to keep its self level), thus causing the tip and props getting chewed. I have used CSC only a very small handful of times because i was in bad weather and just needed to get it on the ground.

Best, just hold down on your throttle and let it spool down. Sometimes it will take longer than others. The Phantom needs to register the fact that it is no longer traveling down in elevation. At that point, it'll turn off.

 

[gfm1135]

When you hand catch for landing, how do you power down motors? Set controller down and power off battery?

 

[N017RW]

No!!!

Hold it steady so there is no up-down motion and hold the left stick down for 3-5 seconds.

If there is any up down motion the aircraft will not sense it has 'landed' and the motors will not stop.

 

[gfm1135]

Thanks. I normally hold both sticks down upon landing to power off props and was trying to figure out how to hold the Phantom and hold down both sticks at the same time. Thanks again.