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[Peter Jenkins]

When I first entered F3A over 10 years ago, I couldn't find a book to help me.  A couple of years later, at the 2013 AGM I undertook to write a thread on a more general forum on starting in aerobatics.  This proved amazingly popular but as the thread grew, navigating it became a nightmare.  Some suggested I write a book.  So, over 5 years later, and having rewritten 90% of the text I have finally finished the book. 


It is available on Amazon and has a Kindle and paperback version.  The paperback version is 136 pages long using an 8" x 10" size.  There are many colour diagrams and colour photos.  If you think it might be useful you can preview either the ebook or paperback using the "Look inside" feature.  The book is titled "Model Aircraft Precision Aerobatics - A guide for Beginners and Improvers".  It covers flying the Clubman Schedule but will be of use to those flying Intermediate as well. 


Any comments gratefully received.


Peter

[Martin Ashworth]

Well done Peter, I'm pleased you have done this at last!


I had cobbled all the bits together from the original forum but in places it was taken in the wrong direction due to all the inputs and comments from others.


I have just ordered the paperback and look forward to receiving it!


Good luck with sales, I shall certainly recommend it to fellow flyers.


Martin

[Peter Jenkins]

Hello Martin


Thank you for your kind words.  Just to flag up, I understand that the books are printed as they are ordered so it will take about a week to 10 days to arrive. 


Peter

[Keith Jackson]

Well done for publishing this Peter!

[Peter Jenkins]

Thank you Keith.

[brandon ransley]

Yes, well done

[Peter Jenkins]

Thank you Brandon.

[Mike Wood]

Fab Peter!

Just bought the Kindle version (which one can view on PC, or Phone, or indeed a Kindle).

An Easter read 

Mike

[Peter Jenkins]

Thanks Mike.  Happy reading.  You shouldn't find anything new to you I would think as it's really aimed at inexperienced or newish pilots.  If you do learn something then that's a definite bonus!


Peter

[Mike Wood]

I bet there's at least one thing new if not more, or something that makes me think about
something in a new way or perhaps an insight into how one might better help other pilots at the flying field;
it will be fun to refresh the little grey cells while I'm off next week.

Mike

[Mike rieder]

Great work Peter, i gained loads out of the forum posts you did, so thIs will be fantastic for anyone wanted to start in aerobatics, or indeed just improve there plane and flying.

[Vince Beesley]

Hi Peter,
I purchased the kindle version of your book and read it the same day. Really enjoyed reading, some useful info.
I did buy Bryan Hebert guide some time ago but yours is easier to absorb. I am sure I will keep referencing it.

For feedback, I liked the diagrams for the rolls but felt they would be better orientated seeing the top and bottom of plane rather than end on, more the way we see it from the flight line.
I also have had great difficulty in thinking of top rudder or the rudder opposite the aileron roll direction unless your rolling from inverted etc etc.

I have two thoughts that work for me and work which ever direction you are travelling and that is "Top and Tail" and "Head to the Bottom".
when you are rolling to put the top of the plane towards you, the rudder stick points to the tail to lift the nose and if you are rolling to see the bottom of the plane the rudder points to the head of the plane(Front).
This worked for me and keeps the rudder direction simple to my mind. Hope this is useful to some.

[Vince Beesley]

Peter,
Hope you don't mind a follow up topic.


I never liked the look of my Mythos E50 in Spins, like the two and three spins in Clubman and Intermediate. Got a Fantasisita 70 and an Element now but not had chance to test these, hopefully soon!
My Mythos seems to need quite a bit of Aileron to help the spin. My C of G is fairly neutral, I like it to nearly hold an inverted 45 degree line. 
In the book you state Full elevator to stall and full rudder. I understand Full Elevator for stalling the plane but rudder seems to go against my thinking.
Why does full rudder (and full elevator for that matter) not push the plane round in a spiral drive? Is it because the stalled wing has no grip and the un-stalled wing is lifting it round the correct non spiral drive?
Am I not waiting till the plane as stalled to the vertical maybe?
I also see some nice straight down exit lines, where as I seem to be in a panic to stop the spin and push down elevator.
I know this topic as been talked about before but some thoughts would help. What should I look for in setting up rates etc and should the spin be rolling in the "vertical plane" or a bit of spiral?
Hopefully when we get back to NPOD etc. I can spend some time with Kevin, John and Andy on this.       

[Peter Jenkins]

Hi Vince


Firstly, thanks for your kind words about my book.


Secondly, I would always stick with whatever works for you to get the rudder moving in the right direction for rolling.  In the book, I quote what I find works for me, and for a number of others, but there will be other prompts that others use.  The key thing is to find something that works for you when you are under pressure.  I added the top rudder bit as some feel it's useful to visualise what is happening.  Personally, I find that moving the rudder stick in the opposite direction to the aileron stick when rolling from upright is easy to envision as the sticks go in opposite directions.  Moving them in the same direction when rolling from inverted I also find easy to remember i.e. sticks opposite direction rolling from upright, sticks same direction when rolling from inverted.  I usually abbreviate to "opposite direction" and "same direction".  Does that help? 


The key to spinning is that you need to stall the wing.  No stall no spin!  Once the stall happens, the nose will nod down and immediately after that application of full rudder will yaw the aircraft keeping the inside wing stalled while unstalling  the outside wing.  The function of the elevator is to keep the inside wing stalled i.e. above the stalling angle of attack, and the rudder maintains the yaw also keeping the inside wing stalled.  The airspeed while the aircraft is spinning is low and generally steady.  Recovery for an F3A aircraft it is usually sufficient to centralise both rudder and elevator controls and that has the effect of unstalling the inside wing and the rotation stops.  (A dab of opposite rudder will stop the spin instantly when coupled with neutral elevator.)  This allows the aircraft, which will be in a steep nose down position, to build up speed rapidly and enables the pilot to pull out of the resultant dive.  To achieve the vertical line after spin recovery, you generally need to mix sufficient down elevator to fully closed throttle unless you are using "zero gravity trimming".


You say "In the book you state Full elevator to stall and full rudder. I understand Full Elevator for stalling the plane but rudder seems to go against my thinking."  If you do not apply rudder, the aircraft will almost certainly not spin and will probably enter a spiral dive unless you have a 3D setup with large elevator and huge movement, in which case both wings will remain stalled and the aircraft will descend in what I think is called a "parachute" . 


In a spiral dive, neither wing is stalled and the nose will be pointing downwards allowing speed to build up.  In fact, the speed in the spiral dive can be quite high and the aircraft will be seen to be flying around a tight descending turn – very different from the yawing around an axis somewhere between the fuselage and the wing tip.  If the elevator is kept fully up this will have the effect of tightening the spiral dive as you would tighten a normal turn by applying more elevator.  As I said, speed build up is quite rapid and as the elevator becomes more effective with increasing speed it exerts an increasing pitch command that further tightens the turn.  Recovery is effected by rolling to wings level while releasing the elevator up command smoothly to regain level flight – quite different from spin recovery action.


Some aircraft resist spinning unless you apply aileron into the spin.  (Occasionally, some require aileron applied against spin direction but I have never personally experienced this effect.)  You can just apply aileron right after your application of rudder has yawed the aircraft but another route, which is more predictable, is to mix in a small amount of aileron at full rudder and full elevator deflection.  This requires use of logic in the mix programme or as in some Tx the use of an AND function i.e. this AND that must be the case for the mix to happen.   The aileron movement can be quite small, or the order of 3-5 units of mixing.  A lot of aileron will tighten the spin markedly and make it more difficult to exit the spin on the desired heading.


If you also wish to spin when inverted then remember that the rudder is now under the aircraft and left rudder will be felt by the aircraft as right rudder.  So a spin to the LEFT from inverted requires RIGHT rudder stick but the ailerons still go in the spin direction.   Ailerons work in the same way upright and inverted – right aileron stick always rolls the aircraft right whereas right rudder will yaw the aircraft's nose to the left when inverted.  So for an inverted spin to the LEFT, you will need to apply full down elevator, full RIGHT rudder stick and mix that with LEFT aileron.


Vince, I hope that's helped and not confused you some more.  As you say, discussing things with a mentor at an NPOD may be better than just reading words. 

[Peter Jenkins]

I was asked if there was a discount on this book on another forum. 


The answer is yes but I have to buy the book and sell it to you.  I'm happy to do that for forum members in the UK.  The book will then cost £15.50 including first class postage within the UK.


If you want to take this up, please PM me your name, address and email and I'll email you with an invoice.  Payment can be by bank transfer or PayPal.  If using PayPal either add 4.5% to the total (£16.20) or use Friends and Family please.


Thanks


Peter