FMS and model flight characteristics

Nov 04, 2005 26 Replies

I have flown several models both in the real world and on FMS. I'll give one example. I built and flew the SPAD Debonair for many, many flights before it bit the dust. I also have flown the FMS version. My model was more lively than FMS in both acceleration and roll rate. I physically upped the thrust factor to compensate as well as reduce the roll inertia.

I believe the modeling in FMS solves the six degrees of freedom and does it well. These equations need the physical (weight and moments of inertia) and a complete description of the aerodynamics and propulsion system. The tough job is to figure out what they are and then input them into FMS. Lift and drag can be estimated, but where do you get the roll dampening or the aero cross coupling? All the flight simulation programs have the same problem ... good data input gives realistic flight characteristics, otherwise garbage in/garbage out.

If you go to

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, you will find a downloader for FMS. Works well.Thing found a couple hundred planes.

Did you configure it to simulate wind effects? I would expect a trainer to behave this way when there is no wind or other external disturbance.

I flew FMS with a motor glider, and it helped me a lot to improve my flying skills. I was surprised how similar to the real thing the model behaved. And I did not have a crash landing since.

OK, I've hooked up my remote control as USB game controller, so for me it's training on the real control hardware.

Sorry to be so late to get on this topic, but don't read the n.g. like I used to.

Anyhow, my 2 bits worth - I've been flying R/C models since the days of escapement (far too long to have to admit it) and when my son gave me FMS, plus some planes, I sort of snickered at it. But after a while, and trying dozens of planes, I discovered a few that really did fly realistically, like some R/C models I've owned or at least flown.

To list a few of these better ones:

B-52 B-1B (VERY close to many R/C models, IMO) PBY (or similar) Pteractodyl (sp?), (but the winged dinosaur)

Then there were far too many that were so jerky, they had no comparison to a real R/C model. Some that were actually supposed to be of planes that I currently own and fly. One of the most disappointing in this category is the Sukhoi aerobatic, think it is the 27. Whoever put this in FMS did it a terrible disservice, the real thing is a pleasure to fly with a 1.20 4 stroke.

Olin McDaniel, AMA 30932

| Anyhow, my 2 bits worth - I've been flying R/C models since the days | of escapement

escapement?

| But after a while, and trying dozens of planes, I discovered a few | that really did fly realistically, like some R/C models I've owned | or at least flown. | | To list a few of these better ones: | | B-52 | B-1B (VERY close to many R/C models, IMO) | PBY (or similar) | Pteractodyl (sp?), (but the winged dinosaur)

Just how many pterodactyls have you flown? :)

| Then there were far too many that were so jerky, they had no | comparison to a real R/C model.

To be fair, a plane in FMS is just a few paramters, and some graphics images. Adjusting the parameters is relatively simple, and you can make the planes fly any way you want.

The Slope Soaring Simulator is another good free R/C flight simulator. Personally, I'm a bit surprised that FMS gets so much more attention than SSS.

Heh...short version: a button on the transmitter toggles the rudder between center, left, center, right, center, etc. Learning to fly meant learning how many button presses between where the rudder was and where you wanted it to be.

If memory serves, next came reeds, for independent control of other surfaces, and then something really nifty: "proportional," in which a control surface moved in proportion to the movement of a stick on the transmitter. But I may be misremembering.

Yep, that pretty well summarizes the evolution of R/C model flying. And to clarify, I did fly all of those you listed above from mid

1950's until about 1963 when I took up other sports (duck hunting, off shore fishing, etc.) Upon retiring from a 40 year long engineering career in 1985, I once again took up R/C - felt like Rip Van Winkle, and had to relearn all the "right moves". A couple of years ago, hunting and serious fishing were relegated to "fond memories" and other less strenuous activities became the order of the day. When I feel really lazy, I fly FMS rather than load up and haul my usual stable of planes to our distant R/C site for a few flights.

To Doug - sorry about the misspelling of the winged dinosaur's name, and no - I've never actually flown one of them. But I have flown an R/C lawn mower!

Olin

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