This type of flying is mostly done with the wings of the model being stalled at various speeds.
This is an adrenaline pumping, on the edge type manner of flying where your equipment needs to be in tip top condition. A slight gurgle in the engine could be the end of a model when performing these high G maneuvers close to the ground (otherwise referred to as “down on the deck”).
3D aerobatic flying is a typically performed by aircraft that have been setup and designed with a higher power to weight ratio of more than 1:1. Large control surfaces help the aircraft in performing adrenaline rushing, high G maneuvers which allow the aircraft to turn in tighter than conventional turns, spins and unconventional flying attitudes. This is achieved by making use of the massive control surfaces and huge throws – 45 degrees of elevator, rudder and aileron throw is not unheard of.
The air frame design, setup and weight is extremely important when trying to practice this flying style.
Some of the maneuvers are:
Hover: The aircraft is pulled into a completely vertical attitude and allow the propeller to hold the model in the air almost like helicopter. This is the most simple 3D maneuver and usually the first one new 3D/ freestyle pilots want to get under the belt, once you have mastered this, a few more doors will open from this move, such as the torque roll where the model is in a hover and turns around its own roll axis by the pilot keeping the plane from falling out.
Elevator Using a large amount of elevator throw up or down which causes the model to stall and loose height in an almost vertical fashion.
Wall:A wall is where the plane is made to come to a stalled stop,then to a vertical position from a previous horizontal flying attitude, this is a way of entering a hover.
Alien Wall The same as a Wall but pulled into full vertical position violently at a high of speed.
Harrier: where the aircraft is virtually stalled and flies forward slowly with the nose up at about 45 degrees of attitude, height is managed by the balance of elevator and throttle.
Inverted Harrier: this is the same as the above, only inverted, this does get tricky due to orientation difference and the planes balance point being slightly different to what it is being upright.
Rolling harrier: Similar to the Harrier but with a roll performed simultaneously by using all of the flight control surfaces in a specific rhythm.
Flat spin: A spin induced with full up elevator, full rudder, and aileron where the plane will spin around its own axis in a ‘flat” attitude.
Waterfall: this is a maneuver where the plane is made to pivot 360 degrees in the pitch axes. there is also a balance of throttle and elevator, full elevator throw is usually used in this maneuver.
Blender: Form of entering an inverted flat spin from a nose down attitude. The pilot applies full aileron, then rudder in the opposite direction and full down elevator at the same time causing the plane to “snap”, this is a violent maneuver and is hard on the air frame and other equipment.
Pop-Top: this is similar to the blender, but going up with slight variances, this is a great maneuver to watch and is hard to find the correct balance of inputs to perform this high G move.
Due to there being so little 3D/ freestyle pilots, we have decided to promote this flying style. Should you be interested in the flying style or want to learn more about this type of flying, You are more than welcome to contact us as well as join us!
Resources: The internet 🙂
“Its not about the sky being the limit, its about the ground being the lowest you can go”