Hovering is one of the most difficult 'stunts' to master with an RC model.  Large models or very light models with large control surfaces are usually the most capable.

To enter the hover, you can either perform a harrier or a wall.  Small funfly models usually prefer to harrier into the hover, whereas more F3A based 3d models can do either. 

Balance the throttle so that the model is neither climbing or descending...  you will probably never reach a throttle point where the aircraft is stationary along the vertical axis, you have to play the throttle.   Steer the model using the rudder; you may need to hold in some right rudder and right aileron to counteract the torque of the propeller on the engine.  Keep the aircraft vertical by using the rudder, elevator and throttle.

Once you can hover in one place, try torque rolling, smaller models may need to be helped by using left aileron, but some models will automatically roll by themselves.  Try to use the elevator more than the rudder when torque rolling, and eventually it will become easier than hovering in one place.

The blender is the ultimate 'wing test' manoeuvre!

Start with lots of height, throttle at idle, and push down so that the model is diving toward the floor. Add full left aileron, then after two full rotations, quickly add full down elevator, and full right rudder, the model will violently stop descending, and should turn into a complete blur, even at idle. 

IF you have confidence in your wing, try adding full throttle!!

The wall, aka popup or cobra, is an instantaneous dump of airspeed and a transition from level flight to vertical.  Technically this manoeuvre is a 'power stall'.

It's incredibly easy to perform, but it looks very messy if you don't do it with smooth entry and exit.

Fly along straight and level, with sufficient airspeed.  no, you don't need to be racing, but you don't want to be at walking pace either unless you have a very capable model!  When you feel the urge simply pull full up elevator very quickly, as soon as the mode has rotated 90 degrees start taking out the elevator deflection.  That's it, increase power and fly away, or you can go into a hover, torque roll, waterfall, anything!

For smaller models spoilerons may help to make the wall transition neater.

Flying multiple snaps is simple, however, perfecting your snaps to pattern standard so that they start and stop exactly on time is a lot more difficult.  The basic stick movements are up elevator and the rudder and ailerons both in the same direction.  If you wish to fly a negative snap, use down elevator and opposite rudder to aileron movement. 

Once you've mastered the basic manoeuvre, practise 1 1/2 snap rolls, snaps from or to knife-edge, it is an excellent transition manoeuvre and one of key elements to an eventful freestyle flight. 

The Harrier is a nose-up forward flight. 

Use 3D rate elevator and also spoilerons (both ailerons raised slightly) help stable the model.

It may be necessary to 'play' with the elevator, easing it off, juggling with the throttle..... Learning to hover on a cheap funfly model will teach you the necessary corrections, and boost your low level 3D confidence.

The inverted Harrier is as simple as a harrier, but upside down.  You may be better to first practice your inverted rudder control by performing an inverted elevator towards yourself.... you need to put the rudder to the side which you want the model to turn.

The flat spin is a normally slowly descending spin where the wings are almost or completely level.

Your spin direction is controlled by the rudder.  For an upright spin you will use full up elevator and the ailerons and rudder will both initially be the same direction. once the spin is 'going' you can release the aileron to make the wings more level.  You need to experiment with how much to take out and you will eventually get a feel for it.

The same applies for an inverted spin except the ailerons and rudder are opposite initially.

Hope this wets your aerobatic appetites.

More to come soon!!!!!!!!!!

Paul Bellingham

Email: rafmaa-airmansrep@rafmaa.co.uk