RC Aerobatics

RC AEROBATICS

PERFECTING
YOUR LOOPS

By Justin Wells | justinwells@mac.com

THROUGHOUT MY LAST FEW COLUMNS, methods for flying straight have been applied and some turnaround maneuvers were even worked in. We are still in the process of observing the airplane and learning how to put it where you want it. By now, you have probably noticed when your wing isn’t level that your airplane drifts off track. This is a work in progress and it can take many flights to see improvement.

I want to discuss one of the first aerobatic maneuvers that we learn as budding pilots. It’s a simple maneuver using the elevator—or so we were told. It’s the loop! I remember doing my first loop, with my heart pounding through my chest as I pulled harder on the elevator to keep the airplane from heading down. Down was always bad, right?

Let’s dive into the loop and some ways that you can fly it better.

The Basics of a Loop

I’ve been asked over time by various pilots what I’m looking for in a loop, and my first response is, “Well, it’s round.” Believe it or not, a round loop is not as common as you might think. You start the first side of the loop nice and round, something happens, and you give up over the top and have a sort-of-half-round, half-square thing going. Never in a million years of flying did I think my loops were not round. It was later into my RC Aerobatics (Pattern) experience when I started to understand what it took to perfect such a simple maneuver and make it round.

I like to think of the loop as an octagon with eight lines blended into a loop. I’ll use those eight sides to walk you through the maneuver (see the illustration).

Energy Management

What makes the loop work is something I refer to as energy management. This is you, the pilot, being tuned into your airspeed and what it takes to get your airplane through a maneuver by making the necessary throttle adjustments. Keeping the throttle stick in the same place throughout your entire flight is not good energy management.

Before we get into what it takes to fly the airplane through the loop, let’s discuss managing energy (throttle).

Looking at my illustration with the octagon, let’s step through a basic approach to where you should be throttle-wise. I’ll also share some hints on elevator input. This will vary by airplane, and you will have to do this multiple times to see what works best for you.

1. You’ll want to throttle up as you enter into the maneuver—not necessarily full throttle, but you’ll need “energy.”
2. You should have enough speed to make it through this section fine.
3. This is where you will determine whether you need more throttle to make it to the top (number four). If you are stalling, add some throttle.
4. When you get to this part, the throttle is usually cut and you start pulling. Don’t! Reduce the throttle before you start pulling the rest of the loop.
5. I usually pull the throttle back more in this section.
6. Resist the urge to throttle back more unless your airplane is speeding up and your propeller is ripping the air.
7. Here, I add throttle back in to help carve this last portion out before I’m back to where I started. This sounds crazy but try it.
8. Finish strong by gently reducing the throttle.

Elevator Management

As I mentioned, we were taught to do this maneuver by just pulling the elevator and hoping for the best. As new pilots, this brought us a long way and developed some perspective. I’ve walked you through the basics of managing your energy into and out of the loop. Using the same illustration lets me guide you through some best practices for elevator input. Keep in mind that you want to get to where you are keeping your wing level and using your rudder to keep track. Yes—rudder even in the loop. Let’s walk through it.

1. Gently pull on the elevator to start the radius.
2. I keep holding what I added in number one and maybe let go a little or pull a little more during this section.
3. I relax the elevator here on the first part of three, adding more on the back half to round things into four.
4. This is where it usually gets crazy. I will do one of two things: I will relax the elevator for 2 seconds or I might put a little bit of down-elevator in here before heading into number five. Resist the urge to immediately start pulling.
5. I’ll do a very gentle pull starting here, similar to what I did in number one.
6. Relax the elevator slightly at this point. Things will start to move fast, so manage your energy.
7. I add more elevator and throttle to round out this last segment.
8. Once I’m here, my controls are neutral and I throttle back to my normal flying speed.

Wrapping Up

Don’t attempt to put all of this together in one flying session. In just a few words, I discussed what took me seasons to figure out—and what still requires work at times. Focus on making the loop round with energy management then perfect the shape using your elevator. Once you are confident, put them together and I bet you’ll be making nice, round loops in no time.

In Pattern, loop maneuvers are always centered in front of the pilot. When you are working on these, make yourself the center point to keep things centered.

Until next time!

SOURCES:

National Society of Radio Controlled Aerobatics (NSRCA)
www.nsrca.us