Hi everyone, just joined and have a question about 3 axis gyro's. I have a timber x and was wondering what you all think about flight stabilizers. Any information would help....Thanks
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Welcome 5b! I use the Hobby Eagle A-3L on all my planes from my Pandora my Bi planes and all my Warbirds. On those windy days it helps you counter those wind gusts and really aids on landings especially cross winds once you have it dialed in. Make no mistake though it won't prevent you from crashing but smoothes out the wind forces which helps you to control the plane better, just make sure you set it up on a switch on your transmitter so you can turn it on and off.Originally posted by 5bmedeiros5@Gmail.com View Post -
Welcome! I fly with either the AS3x or Lemon gyros in all my planes except for my two large B-17's. I strongly believe in using the gyros to cut down on the amount the aircraft bounces around in the wind. I have flown a few planes without a gyro and quickly added one. Boomer is correct, a gyro won't keep you from crashing but is an aid to help you fly the planes when there is wind. A lot of people claim a gyro will fly the plane for you and only real pilots fly without them. Don't believe their comments. A gyro doesn't fly the plane and you are still a real pilot regardless of the gyro. Remember, the F-117 only flew with the help of a lot of stabilizing computers, and nobody would tell a F-117 pilot they aren't a real pilot because they had a computer between the stick and the controls.
For any AS3x plane (like the Timber), the gyro system is active anytime the throttle is advanced more than 25%. You don't turn off the gyro using the transmitter, like you can with a Lemon or others. The gyro in the AS3x is tuned for your exact plane, which is great since you don't have to worry about it. The factory did all the hard work for you, all you need to do is fly and enjoy the plane. During your pre-flight checks, you should advance the throttle to 25% to activate the AS3x gyro, and then check to make sure all the surfaces react accordingly. You don't need the throttle above 0% to do this, just advance it to 25% to turn it on and then put the throttle back to zero. No need to have a spinning prop to worry about!Comment
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First, you should tell us if you have the PNP or the BNF. If you have the BNF, then it comes with AS3X and SAFE. From what I gather, running it with just the AS3X stability is the 3-axis gyro but when you fly it with SAFE, it uses a 6-axis gyro because it has the limiter feature and the self leveling feature. I'm not sure the actual reason you are asking about 3-axis gyros, whether it be to understand how they work or if you want to know if it's something you really want or need.Originally posted by 5bmedeiros5@Gmail.com View Post
I use various types of gyros in many of my planes. Some come with some kind of stabilization and some, I've added it after purchase. They range from BNF Eflite planes and VTOLs to aircraft that has their own flight controller with built in stabilization. The ones I add a gyro range from HobbyEagle A3-L to Lemon stabilized RXs to "Return to Home" devices that has stabilization. Most can be turned off, while many can be adjusted for the degree of stabilization in flight or on the ground.
Not all aircraft need stabilization and not all pilots need or want it. They are already quite solid in the air and generally don't get affected much by wind gusts and cross winds (that goes for the pilot, too). I belong to a flying club where most of the members are just starting to discover stabilization. They come from a time when such devices were considered "nannies" and we should all "learn to fly properly by our own skills". That philosophy is changing. After a few "near misses" and mishaps, some have begun to ask about these gyros. I tell them that if a plane is flying well and isn't bothered much by cross winds or gusts and the plane takes off and lands well, without much fanfare, then leave it alone. Forget the gyro. However, if they feel that sometimes, the wind takes more liberties with the plane than they are comfortable with or if they feel their landings can be a bit smoother in a cross wind and have less drama, then look into a gyro and play with the degree of stabilization till it reaches the desired comfort zone.
I've been flying my Eflite EC 1500 BNF of late at this field and almost all the guys there are amazed at just how solid the thing is and how well it lands. This is coming from guys who have $2000.00 composites who, in their own right, are extremely good pilots and have been flying for a lot of years. They remark about "what a great, solid flying plane that is" and when they find out it came with AS3X and SAFE, they get that "eureka" moment. I tell them I only use SAFE mostly for landings in cross winds and the AS3X is always on. I could go in and turn it all off but it's a very nice feature to have since it's almost always windy where I fly.
They've asked me do a "show and tell" at the upcoming AGM.Comment
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Welcome, we all want to help - but mostly, we want to keep you from hurt. No amount of technology will ever replace the skill and decision making of the pilot, but there are devices to make the pilot workload reduced. And, they are fun as heck.
I was in the hobby back in the 80’s and early 90’s....then life got in the way, I made a huge career change and started my life over. Back then an EDF was a running joke of magazine writers and electric flight was still incomparable to gas or glow. I was amazed at the short evolution f technologies that I had wished were possible then and had even considered developing some of that for my models.
Regardless, it’s a hobby which mirrors full sized activities involving aircraft, and safety is paramount to answer any question. You are in a great place here and sincerely want to help you achieve success, and sometimes those successes are failures. There is a ton of good talent here.
And welcome again.
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