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Gyros on planes

I stumbled across a post awhile back that mentioned putting a gyro on

the rudder of a plane and was wondering about how beneficial it would be and how well (or poorly) it would work.

If you try to roll the plane using ailerons (with no rudder inputs) will the rudder fight you and try to keep the plane going straight? Would you have to put in just a little bit of rudder to let the gyro know it's ok to let the plane turn?

I could see some advantages for take-offs and landings, and for making some very straight loops, but what else wold it be good for? It

seems like it would be nice to turn it off at the other times.

Steve

Reply to
Steve
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A couple of guys I fly foamies with indoors have gyros on their indoor electrics to help with harriers and torque rolls and whatnot. If you don't know they're using gyros, they look really smooth :)

Reply to
Ed Paasch

Hi Steve,

I've messed around with gyros in a couple of airplane models and they are effective!

If you orient it to stabilize the rudder, it will not affect your use of the ailerons, but it will counteract adverse yaw. It stabilizes the aircraft in the single axis you choose, so putting it on the rudder (yaw axis) will not have an effect on the aileron control (roll axis).

Most recently, I put one on the rudder of a newly-completed Great Planes P-51D kit. My gyro has adjustable gain that can be controlled with a free knob on your transmitter. I tried my first take-off with the gyro's gain set at 50%. Straight as an arrow with just a tiny bit of rudder input. Second take-off with the gyro turned off took my by surprise and I was all over the runway. :-)

I also experimented with it on the aileron channel of a large, high-wing model, a World Models Super Frontier Senior on which I had a 35mm camera mounted. It really kept the wings level on gusty days.

Good flying, desmobob

Reply to
Robert Scott

I thought a gyros was a Greek sandwich. You fly with your lunch?

Reply to
Geoff Sanders

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