High Five Control Surfaces

by FliteTest | June 12, 2013 | (18) Posted in Tips



When setting up your airplane it's important to check your control surfaces to be sure that they're operating correctly and (more importantly) that they're not reversed.You should perform this test every time you are about to pilot an airplane for the first time. The 'high five' method is an easy way to test your control surfaces.With your radio above your aircraft, move the stick in the direction of the control surface and it should move towards your stick causing a virtual 'high five'.This is just one way to insure a success flight especially when building your own speed build swappable airplane, where swapping your power pod and connecting electrics more often.


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COMMENTS

randall_l on June 12, 2013
A pre-flight check is a must for any pilot. Great reminder guys, thank you!

If you want to go to the next step and have one less thing to worry about, you can include a pin-header in the back of your power pod that plugs in the servos (the right way) when you insert it into the fuselage (http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?3365-Swappable-fleet-on-the-way). Shameless plug, sorry.

Take a look, make it better.

Cheers!
Randall
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stevec on June 12, 2013
This doesn't work for rudder. The rudder should move away not towards the stick...
Great tip for the ailerons and elevator though.

/Steve
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stonekap on June 12, 2013
Then you must be flying with a reversed rudder :)
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TeddyOng on June 12, 2013
rudder should meet as well. High five!
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rcspaceflight on June 13, 2013
I see your point, Steve. If you have the transmitter next to the tail then what you're saying is true. But if you have the transmitter in the middle of the plane, then you have to imagine a line wrapping around to the tail, like a half circle. Then this method works correctly. Josh did a better job of explaining the long imaginary line with the up movement of the elevator stick than with the rudder.
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Ivanlopezvergara on June 12, 2013
Nice and simple, thank you!

Regards

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oneiwily on June 13, 2013
I'm glad FlightTest guys are back in business, it seems that moving to a new place took all the spare time.
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leadpipe58 on June 13, 2013
Being a dyslexic pilot this makes things simple.I like simple...
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sailorJohn on June 21, 2013
Have to add ,after spending an hour in a briar patch finding someone's plane($500) we found that his trs antenna had been cut in half when replacing the plastic shell. RANGECHECK is just as important but often overlooked with 2.4mhz. An expensive lesson for him an a wakeup call for me. Should be included and practiced with high five at the start of each video as public saftey
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High Five Control Surfaces