INTRO TO 3D FLYING

Throughout the coming months, I will be detailing the intricate flying techniques required to perform a variety of 3D maneuvers while I share some solutions to overcome the most challenging aspects of 3D flying in half the time. Please note that anyone seriously undertaking 3D flying should be reasonably proficient at aerobatics and know the rudiments of loops, slow rolls, inverted and knife-edge flight. You should be comfortable managing your power settings and using the rudder throughout your flights. With that as a foundation, you can look forward to 3D flying success.

3D DEFINED

3D flying can be best described as taking advantage of modern radio capabilities and excess power to perform amazing stunts that seem to defy the laws of aerodynamics and gravity. In other words, 3D flying is about making an airplane do things that you wouldn’t normally think an airplane would be capable of, such as flipping end over end and flying on the propeller thrust like a helicopter rather than on the wing like during aerobatics. You should also understand that 3D stunt flying and precision aerobatics are entirely different styles of flying, involving vastly different and contrasting flying techniques and equipment setups. The following are some of the major differences between 3D and aerobatics.

CONSISTENCY

• A proficient precision aerobatic pilot performs each maneuver repeating control inputs that produce basically the same result each time. A good airplane pilot proactively controls what the plane does rather than reacting to it. The role of