Rudder: You MAY Be Using It Wrong. Here's Why.

[@Coops777]

I love how you combine full size and rc model flying. I recently got my light sport license after some years of rc flying. My RC experience has been very helpful in understanding how my Legend Cub flies. (I also have a world beater CFI too!) Love your work!!!

[@constantin9546]

Exactly what I needed, now i can crab rave on the rc field

[@natecougoule9468]

Been flying for 10 years and people always ask what is adverse yaw and I always try to explain but they never understand but now I will point them to this video. Love what you guys are doing keep it up

[@stephensowell9578]

This reminds me of years ago when, at the flying field, our longtime club president mentioned he hardly ever used a rudder input. This got me rethinking using the rudder more, improving my overall enjoyment of it. Much later, during flight instruction In a 150 Cessna in Fairfield, MT, using the rudder all the time, especially during the landing approach. Now Fairfield, MT, is close to the east side of the great divide, and the wind blows strongly from the SW most of the time. For reasons unknown, the main landing strip runs SE to NW, and strongly induced side slip was mandatory. This experience improved RC's enjoyment even more. Thanks for that instruction.

[@flyingmonkey3822]

OMG! 😂 I’m sharing this everywhere!! The production quality on this is BANGING!! Props to your editor

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Glad you enjoyed it! Ben does great work…and is a great stick, too! 👍 -Zach

[@ishigamiyu1991]

your channel is so underrated when you make such quality videos. please keep producing! I'm sure your channel will blow up soon!

[@ediflyer]

Excellent video! Such a great mix of RC and full size examples and edited very well! Subscribed! Hopefully you do a video on using throttle and pitch to perfect a landing. Thanks!

[@dandanthedandan54321]

Great video. That was fun to watch. Maybe I'm in the minority here but on super windy days in NC (20+ mph), my absolute favorite planes to fly in those conditions are the UMX Timber or Delta Ray One. Both handle it like a champ and backwards flying is easily achievable. I also enjoy flying the F-27 Evolution in heavy winds. You don't even notice the winds with that wing. Many RC pilots stay home on windy days. Embrace it and fly something fun in the wind but not necessarily your nicest plane. Wind equals fun!

[@userTJ39780]

When it's really windy, I take out my flying wings (FT Arrow, Spear and Versa wing) as well as a balsa-foam hybrid Extra 260. They don't mind the wind and make flying easy.

[@DI4L]

Such a great video, really got me scratching my head after 30yrs LOS - maybe there needs to be yet another new chapter in my upcoming life.. like you said, the thought has always been there in my mind..

[@tonydeaton1967]

I wish you would slow down the pace of the video. Extremely informative and some of the absolute best rc flying I've seen anywhere.

[@aeomaster32]

Yes, give people a moment to think about and digest what may be new information. This is not a speed talking contest.

[@sniper121ejplaystation3]

Outstanding! I love the humor of R. A. Bob Hoover too; that is so true when flying and rudder usage. Thanks again, I enjoy being a subscriber of your content

[@motoadveBackcountry182]

Awesome video , great explanation and entertaining.

[@cheeseballs9726]

Haha that explains it, if been putting slight rudder input on turns the opposite way the ailerons are going.

[@deezyfpv]

Thank you. Very helpful for a newbie.

[@jdsstegman]

Wait, what's a rudder? Lol. Great explanation and demonstrations.

[@northsky6544]

Great vid!👍

[@lamborghiniespada8732]

Please make a video about flaps! Especially about which planes need upwards flaps and which need downwards flaps.

[@KB_RC]

Awesome video man!!😎🤙👍

[@oliverward6344]

you are a talented RC pilot! Definitely will be giving a sideslips a go! Was that your EE lightning doing a slow roll? Very nice!

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Thanks! That was my F-100 from Flex Innovations. -Zach

[@adoptedegg_3392]

Didn't expect to see my CFI at 1:06

[@guest2007]

2 jun 2022 9:41 am edt(utc-4): thanks . maybe wing-tip decrease rudder's responsiveness/sensitivity . for like with-rudder-only-flat-turn 8:55

[@MG101]

As someone who only has a 3 channel plane, I can confirm I have been using my rudder wrong this whole time

[@Schramena]

Can you steer with only your rudder?

[@Pancakerman3]

​@@Schramenaas someone who is playing war thunder arcade, yes

[@noroardanto]

Please tone down the "filler clips" clips

[@boss2234]

Grate video, perfect.

[@airplayn]

I have several hundreds of hours in an old full size 1940 Taylorcraft BC-65 I restored in 1975 at the age of 22. These planes have an empty weight of 730#and a gross of less than 1200# with a 36ft wingspan. It LOVES to float and often it was necessary to use heavy cross controls to slide slip to put it down on a dime. One day clouds came in rapidly until the treetops at the end of the runway were actually in the clouds. Halfway down the runway I turned the plane at 90 degrees to the strip and at the last second took it out of the crab and got it on the runway in just a few hundred feet. Lightly loaded with a stall speed of 38mph I've actually taken off ACROSS a runway in less than 50ft with a very strong crosswind! Reminds me of the old flying joke about two idiot pilots doing their first ILS. When the runway finally comes into view the copilot says< "WOW! That's the widest runway I've ever seen," To which the pilot replied, "Yes, but it sure isn't very long!"

[@allrightspreserved4766]

This was far more hilarious and entertaining than it had any business being 😂😂. Instantly subscribed lol. Thanks for the great info man!!

[@c4wolf_]

Lmao... snoop dog.. good one. Do u own a warbird by any chance? I just picked one up.. i believe its extremely nose heavy.. any thoughts?

[@chuckmaddison2924]

It's like kayaking the rudder isn't for steering. it's to keep it straight. As you paddle it clocks ( turns) so you compensate with rudder. The shorter the kayak the worse the problem. On my 5 mtr it's up and I don't use. On my 4 mtr I do use.

[@bnsfwoodvalleysubdivision9157]

I have a bunch of my grandpa's nitro rc airplanes from the 80s and 90s but I want to get a cheaper foam plane before I test the big luaque. Budget is 100 to 150 dollars would there be a decent one with all the batteries and a transmitter.

[@pippyquark]

4:40 that would be why i sometimes drop a wing on my 3CH Aeroscout Mini. Doing that actually sent me into the ground once!

[@jlester42]

Great video and explanation! What's weird is that I started flying RC with rudder only. 1 channel. I even learned to do rolls and loops with rudder only ! And a few decades later got back into RC, and almost never touch rudder. Now I'm trying to learn to use the rudder more. Dang near want to go back to 3 channels; LOL. Stopped using a mix for coordinated turns. Having fun with flat turns. And learning to do 1 wheel touch & goes. It's like starting over, but doing it the right way.

[@dieterk9568]

important issue. Use your RC simulator to exercise knife edge, took me surely hundred + exercises to master it and to nail the routine into the subconcious mind

[@duncan649]

Mixing a little rudder with ailerons is not 'cheating' as you say. It is a sensible use of the tools that are available to RC pilots, particularly novices and intermediate level. It helps to avoid crashes and brings more people into the hobby which is the lifeblood of the industry. I use aileron/rudder mix on several of my models and if that makes me a cheat, then so be it.

[@TailHeavyProductions]

To clarify - we have no issues with and promote stuff such as SAFE/panic switches. It allows more folks into the hobby that couldn't otherwise due to not having a local club with instructors available. You are 100% correct on that. Our "cheating" comment was a lighthearted tease. Our concern isn't with folks using mixes/SAFE, - it's those that use these tools and never try to practice flying without them. While flying, there isn't one set ratio of rudder to use with aileron, it's entirely situational. In other words - a mix doesn't always give you a well-coordinated turn. Learning what a coordinated turn looks and feels like is a great stepping stool to becoming comfortable flying models that could drop a wing when uncoordinated/models with a lot of adverse yaw. Stepping outside your comfort zone to try new things and even sometimes crashing is all part of learning in our awesome hobby.

[@jeffs7915]

Some people refuse to step outside their comfort zone.

[@michaelmcgovern8110]

Excellent. Many thanks. If you didn't need a rudder, they'd save weight by leaving it off. ;-]

[@Rantanplan-0815]

I use rudder on day 1 when i start flying rc planes😊.(My teacher say its important to use it everytime)

[@SuzukiKQ700owner]

When you input rudder with banking, do you keep the rudder turned or do you straighten it after the bank angle is constant?

[@RustyCoon]

Nice work!

[@R.B_B]

Great video

[@capnhardway]

If you could show the controller when you're demonstrating the control inputs width the video to give the total picture would be good, interesting video especially when you have wind to deal with on a daily basis, thank you.

[@byronsrc]

Can you put floats on the Funcub NG? If so which ones?

[@byronsrc]

What kind of spectrum transmitter would you recommend?

[@TailHeavyProductions]

That’s currently in production? We’re not really fans of anything that’s budget friendly as they all have issues with scroll wheels, lag, and switches breaking. The IX-14 seems to be the most solid of their recent releases, though. If you can find a refurbished or second hand original DX-9, that’s our favorite budget friendly pick. -Zach

[@IllFlyIt]

Should be required viewing for all RC and full scale pilots. Great job 👏🏼

[@alexanderglass2057]

I wouldn't say required some of us RC are flying wing and delta craft with no tail control. The flight test versa wing was my first, I got good with yank and bank with the arrow, and the flight test version of the saab 37 vegan was the first craft with a tail I flew confidently (still no control inputs because that's not a control surface on it). I had some regular old trainers and I think I had crashed one of those cessna based craft. I'm gonna have to learn some more on this rudder controlled slipping, even if my favorite planes don't use it, it can be helpful in games like war thunder. Presenting less wing area to the ground by banking hard in one direction and then the other is what I've been doing simply because that's what I found worked. if you look at the latest video i uploaded the type of games i enjoy playing can be decided by how quickly you can land and rearm.

[@MrShrek23000]

This is the best most informative video i think I've ever seen! Awesome video, keep it up!!! ❤ what flight simulator was that at the end of the video. Whats the most realistic simulator to get?

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Thank you, glad it helped! There are plenty of great sims out there, but we prefer Aerofly and Real Flight out of all of them.

[@userTJ39780]

On my Flite Test Storch build, Josh showed me how to combat adverse yaw with the servo to aileron lengths. With 3D planes, the rudder is a revelation! It's just sad to go back to a warbird and realize that not everything can fly knife-edge!

[@dspringer3792]

Super helpful to a Newb pilot like me. I have a question though. On my Timber X, Rudder input seems to Roll me more than what I'd expect. I can't do a flat turn without fairly massive aileron inputs. I know RealFlight9.5s isn't perfect, but the Timber X there doesn't seem to roll hardly at all from rudder turns. Is there something I'm not considering here? or are the physics not as good in-game as I assumed.

[@TailHeavyProductions]

You're not wrong! The simulator is always not going to be a 1:1 of reality. This is one of those scenarios. Keep at it with the real thing, what you're referencing is cross control and it's EXCELLENT to practice. The Timber X is great for that with flat turns with how much aileron it needs.

[@drabberfrog]

Same on my Timber X, that big rudder loves to roll the plane. I've noticed that Real flight has really bad physics a lot of the time especially with yaw roll coupling. TBH Real Flight is great for beginners who have never flown rc planes before, but once you get pretty much any experience you'll realize that flight hours are 1000 times more valuable than flying on Real Flight for the same hour.

[@Taboloncawonthemasters]

I always used rudder naturally when I first started out. The actually fly just like a fpv race drone(stick input wise for a turn). The left stick always follows the right stick (speaking in the terms of yaw follows the direction of the way you are rolling) so it translated into me naturally. Although I did just wreck the mess out of my 1.2m p-51d cripes 😢 my own error. But also coming from drones I know crashing is apart of the game and you won’t get those flying skills like we want if we are too scared to push ourselves! Cheers!

[@tuberroot1112]

Interesting but get rid of those crappy , cheesy video clips. They are not in the slightest bit funny and your content is far more interesting

[@TailHeavyProductions]

We'll get right on that. 😜

[@carnagefpv8256]

When I first learned how to slip my FMS supercub I went crazy with. There's a driveway all the way around our field, and I flew 3 or 4 packs around it, on the ground😂 I would alternate between wheels, but never really went up in the air. These shenanigans continued for months because driving a cub around is way more fun than flying it lol. This is with headtracking FPV and a decent bump in power over factory of course, but still, one of the most satisfying things I ever learned.

[@MohammadAdib]

Excellent video. I stopped hating vertical stabs after watching this video

[@MrVicenteRJ]

What simulator did you use? Very good video, thanks!

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Thanks! Real Flight.

[@runforitman]

I've been trying to get my head around slow roles my hands still won't do it properly I think I just need to keep practising the sequence

[@FlyOz-b7b]

No help at all very fast on any real data very slow detailed nonsense about cars and skits and anything but the plane

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Lots to fit in! That's why we added chapters to allow folks to repeat/rewatch, and KZbin also allows you to slow down the video as well. Hope you'll find help in it over time. We wouldn't expect anyone to learn it all after the first watch through. Happy landings!

[@bucketheadrox]

If your banked give it a dip!

[@airsoft3563]

nice video, to many meme clips for me tho

[@LowVoltage_FPV]

I've been flying fixed wing rc for almost 20 years but never really used the rudder other then on the ground. However the last couple of years I have gotten into fpv quadcopters. As you know with quads you use a lot of "rudder" to control your direction. I have noticed that I use the rudder on my fixed wing planes much more. I look back to how I used to fly and I realize I have been doing un coordinated turns all these years. I recognize how the plane looks and can adjust rudder correctly to keep turns coordinated.

[@kreech68]

This was a change from the usual "mostly humor" to a "mostly teaching" video, with plenty of humor (and fun clips) thrown in - I'll watch this a bunch of times and go practice those landings - thank you

[@R.B_B]

Great video. At 1:05 what is that video?

[@lucywucyyy]

my advice is to learn to fly with no yolk inputs, just throttle rudder and trim, its like riding a bicycle with no hands, then once you can do that add the yolk back in for making corrective inputs. the rudder should be your primary steering input and aileron is secondary. also flying gliders really teaches you to fly the rudder

[@masonmacleod5000]

I only fly if there is a cross wind 😏

[@MrFester63]

Another awesome video!!! I learn so much and can't wait to try and practice (esp since I'm noob!). Thanks for taking the time to share!! 👍👍

[@capnhardway]

Don't fear the rudder!

[@genrcflyer]

Learning to fly helicopters on the simulator really helped me get an understanding of using rudder when flying airplanes.

[@marechal264]

Réf From France ! 1🥖🥖🥐🍷🧀🇫🇷

[@Garbanzo543]

Seattle seafood though 🗿

[@s4dg]

i think a plane is just like a car in 3 dimensions

[@stevendegiorgio3143]

I am a private pilot and R/C pilot I always feel if you fly R/C you CAN fly full scale,however,if you fly full scale,you CANT fly R/C,at least without training at an R/C club.I did both at the same time back in 1981.Those were fun times.

[@MarkSmith-nw4os]

I found RC difficult after learning how to fly. Once I got the hang of it, RC was more fun.

[@swede5209]

I was told years ago that the best way to set the rudder trim was to do loops and if it looped to one side trim the other direction. Also with level flight of course. Thoughts on that?

[@sufysprojects2689]

Love it!! I see you used some vids dorm samm sheperd... such an awesome guy

[@pippyquark]

1:04 or my AeroScout Mini or soo many of those amazon planes or some cubs or a hobbyzone duet...

[@pippyquark]

@TailHeavyProductions if you see this, could you recommend a good, cheap RC Flight sim? (without cracked/pirated versions)

[@pippyquark]

it needs to correct for circular sticks too my controller of choice (aka my only one that works reliably) is a PS4 controller

[@collinmc90]

wow awesome video! This explained a lot that I have observed but never fully understood what I was looking at. Thanks! I can't wait to get out and fly the weather has been brutal here.

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Super glad it helped! Have fun!

[@InsanityMega]

this is perfect, im new to rc and i was genuinely confused on how to use the rudder without safe or partial safe

[@jonowillmer]

I've watched this video so many times now, the more i learn the more get out of it each time i watch it. Thank you for putting in so much effort to your videos.

[@TailHeavyProductions]

So glad you’ve found it helpful!

[@calcraig-lundry6883]

pog

[@medi23]

Sir, you are so damn good at explaning these scenarios and maneuvers. Cudos to you my friend, helped so much

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Glad we could help!

[@yoong___]

I'm about to take my commercial pilot checkride and i still don't know which is a slipping and skidding turn without thinking of how I have the controls when i do a forward slip to landing.

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Here's a quick way that I learned and chose to teach my students to remember the difference. In a sideslip, the longitudinal axis of the airplane is parallel to your ground track while flying cross controlled. In a forward slip, the longitudinal axis is no longer parallel to your ground track, but rather is angled well outside of it while flying cross controlled. Hope that helps. Good luck on the checkride! -Zach

[@charimuvilla8693]

TIL pilots use their phone as gps

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Phone or iPad with Foreflight/Garmin Pilot/etc is pretty common in the GA world 👍

[@JN24185]

Another great one! Thanks again guys.

[@pippyquark]

6:30 what sim is that?

[@NathansVideos46]

Real Flight

[@671JK]

Love this, thanks for sharing 👍🏾

[@aheis1313]

Ok so as a new rc flyer, I have been adding rudder to my aileron and elevator so do I add it to a different switch when I am programming? I don't think I quite understand it.

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Don’t use a mix to fly with rudder - just use it organically. Mixes never give the proper amount and can actually induce an asymmetric stall.

[@aheis1313]

@@TailHeavyProductions alright so I don't think I am mixing, I am doing aileron elevator and rudder for my dual rates all on the same switch, so when I switch high med low rate they all go at the same time. So that's not mixing right? Sorry for the dumb questions just want to get it right.

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Sounds like you’re just setting up dual rates?

[@aheis1313]

@@TailHeavyProductions yep I haven't even tried to venture into mixing. So last question setting up the dual rates on one switch is ok right?

[@TailHeavyProductions]

@@aheis1313 Totally personal preference - all up to you!

[@anonymousanonymous7216]

Poor pigeon

[@TailHeavyProductions]

🪦 🐦

[@PaulTheBirdie]

5:34 another happy landing

[@reckemroysrc3764]

Excellent advice and explanation 👍

[@RCPlaneAddict]

Great video, but I have to ask, is this your voice or do you have a computer speaking? Strange question I know.

[@TailHeavyProductions]

It’s my real voice. LOL 😂 -Zach

[@RCPlaneAddict]

@@TailHeavyProductions oh wow, sorry about that. I hope I wasn’t offensive, it’s just that your narration is perfect! Like scripted perfect. Nice done.

[@TailHeavyProductions]

All good! Appreciate it! All our scripts are written, edited, and recorded to tape before the video is edited. 😀 -Zach

[@robieosborne7369]

Oh wow this is great!!!!

[@skipgetelman3418]

Excellent video

[@EmilC2012]

Based Department

[@rlbutterfield]

Great video!

[@Argosh]

Why you need a rudder? Try landing an F5J without it...

[@ChainsawFPV]

Great video!!!

[@ianmorrow679]

Too good!!

[@StupidusMaximusTheFirst]

You can't expect people to use rudder and do coordinate turns in an RC.

[@TailHeavyProductions]

The majority of folks learn it naturally over time the more they fly within RC as they gain experience. The ability to fly coordinated turns in RC doesn't rely on only flying full scale airplanes. -Zach

[@StupidusMaximusTheFirst]

@@TailHeavyProductions Dude what are you on about? I'm an airline pilot, I can't even coordinate my turns in an airliner, you want me to do this on an RC?

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Nice! So am I. I thought you meant it was only possible in full scale planes. Yaw dampers definitely take the work out once airborne in a jet! 😁 For general aviation, flying by the seat of your pants/by feel works better than what you'd think (you don't need to look at the turn coordinator instrument to do it well) - and in RC, it's more than doable visually. You can tell if a plane is skidding or slipping based on how the nose is tracking in the turn. -Zach

[@StupidusMaximusTheFirst]

@@TailHeavyProductions You explain so nice, can I take you onboard when I fly? The only thing skidding and slipping is my passengers. I don't let my passengers yawn, I like keep things interesting. I see anyone yawn I dump them too. I'm Barfolomew Pukerstain, Ryanair pilot. Call me Barf. What about you?

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Ah, a troll spotting. Bounce one on for us, Pukerstain! 😂

[@yeetforever4425]

Are you a full scale pilot?

[@TailHeavyProductions]

Can't tell if this is a knock on our "do you fly full scale" joke or if it's a serious question haha 😁

[@yeetforever4425]

@@TailHeavyProductions It’s a serious question

[@TailHeavyProductions]

@@yeetforever4425 Yes, I am a full scale pilot. -Zach

[@toolbaggers]

The worst are the disease spreaders that tell people to REMOVE the rudder. I understand if it's a cheaper model that doesn't come with one but to actively remove one in the guise of 'weight savings' and to preach that idiocy to others is a cancer to the hobby. The worst is when you neuter a glider and then boast how well it thermals when all you can do is reduce lift to bank and yank to make a turn to stay in a thermal.

[@BobBeed-ho2yi]

Talking too fast

[@supergreg72]

Well done guys, I love your style