I was just at the field this morning boys with my F-22, flying with my father who at the time was piloting his P-51. We usually have no problems flying together but at one point as we were turning together I took a path much wider than his and started going behind a tree line, probably should've had my coffee first. Without panicking I flipped my flight mode into safe and regained visual orientation of my bird. Brought her back home without a scratch on her. Safe mode allowed me to fall in love with this hobby last summer and I believe it probably saved my 90mm F-22 and me around $600 today.
It's amazing to be able to fail and still bring something back home safely instead of being stuck climbing a huge pine tree to bring a model aircraft back down in pieces. We still can't get why anyone has any issues with this except that perhaps they feel left out.
@@TwoBrosRC I hear you bud. The technology that's available these days is allowing this hobby to become accessible to a much wider audience and that sounds S.A.F.E for all of us.
That is exactly why I always take the time to set up auto leveling on my planes, even if I don't plan to use it for regular flying. I've had multiple instances where being able to flip that switch saved my plane.
I've been in the hobby for 20 years, took almost an 8 year break, and got back into it a little over a year now, and all my planes have gyros. I only wished I had them back in the day. It boils down to, folks have small "sticks" and need to take their anger out on others 😂 you do you and I'll do me. Great topic, Jon! 👍
Great video! I've been flying RC for ~30yrs. EVERY newer plane I have has a 6 axis gyro. I won't be without it. I certainly don't _need_ a gyro to fly and have fun, but they make the experience better. I also don't _need_ power steering or power brakes in my car, but they sure make the experience of driving better. Just last weekend, I was flying at the field when an insect fly into my eye at high speed. Felt like someone punched me in the face. I immediately hit the self level switch and just held a little right aileron with my right hand while my left hand went straight to rubbing my eye. Why anyone would actively avoid having such wonderful technology in their RC plane is just beyond me. Fragile ego most likely...
Insect attacks, dog attacks, even people attacks make self-leveling an amazing tool to have. Otherwise, there goes your super expensive model aircraft because of something you couldn't control.
Before I flew my first plane I practiced on a simulator. In turn I heard some grumbling about that. For the first few months I would fly in SAFE until I felt comfortable. It gave me the confidence to keep flying and to work towards not needing it. I heard some whispers about that too. After I stopped using SAFE I have to say it's saved me 3 or 4 times and I'm glad its there. I pretty much always use AS3X as most of my planes are BNF. I've been told a few times to rip that out and put a different receiver in there. I just don't understand the criticism over anyone of these. I left high school 40 years ago but sometimes I feel like I'm at school again. These three things helped me to really enjoy this hobby and I've learned to tune all that stuff out and just say, I'll do me and you do you.
Most of my planes have safe/as3x i use safe when i 1st fly a plane and sometimes when landing since i live in very windy area and wind is always from a side 60-90°
I used to fly rc plane without gyro but recently i realize how important it is with a gyro to help fight the turbulence. Even if you are a pro don’t need the auto leveling mode, enabling the optimized/wind rejection mode is highly recommended which can help smooth the shaking when facing crosswind during landing.
Same thing for electric vs gasser. Different approaches to learning pipeline (ground school -> trainer w/buddy box vs DIY w/sim). Disapproval of 1st/2nd/3rd airframes for new pilots. The club airfield Fudds literally drove me away from flying fixed wing between their negative attitudes about all the things I liked (to include my Hitech Aurora 9 radio). Trying to get back into it on my own and avoid all the AMA-geezer field-fudds because holy smokes their type I find insufferable, but they literally gate keep the good places to fly.
Great video John. Completely agree, but did not a one time. I've been flying RC for over 35 years starting with AM radios. Having a gyro would have saved me many $$ when I started flying. I saw gyros start to be used a few years ago and was of the camp that they are nothing but a crutch and does not allow you to learn RC flight correctly. Until I flew a plane that a gyro and experience the different modes. I changed my mind very quickly after that flight. They are a great tool to learn how to fly especially if you have very little help in the learning process. I always strongly suggest a newbie find an RC club that you like (if there is one near you) join and learn to fly with the clubs help. I now have gyro's in a few of my planes, all are prop planes of various types. My use of them is primarily for wind correction. Our field is often windy and always seems to be a cross wind. That wind forces you become a better pilot if you want to fly more. But with a gyro on board it can make a 15mph gusty wind feel like near zero.
Well spoken sir!👏👏👏 I love gyros. All of my Jets have one in them. I also have some plane like some of my warbirds that don't have them because there is something about flying "raw" that I do like, but my preference is always a gyro!. At the end of the day what I always say is "fly whatever you have and however you want to fly it." Just get something in the air because I want people to experience this great hobby of flying rc planes that we're so passionate about!
The only reason why I didn’t quit the hobby was safe technology! Spending 300$ on every crash just to prove that you are a “real pilot” is stupid! Gyros are a great way to start even without a trainer.
😂 it prolly won’t be the last time this subject is talked about. I think the only reason I’m still in this hobby is safe mode. Granted, I no longer set ANY of my planes or jets up with safe mode anymore. But my first few months I did and it’s what kept me here. Some of us don’t know how to set up the simulator on the computer… Do what you need to do to have fun and make sure your jet is in one piece after the fact.
This is what it comes down to. It's your model, enjoy flying how you'd prefer to fly. If a flight control computer is good enough for the Blue Angels and other fighter jet pilots, it's good enough for people in this hobby.
The hobby isn't dying, not ay my field at least. What's killing the hobby is $600 flying foam models. Balsa and nitro is making a comeback which is amazing!
Same here (in NZ), we get raped for plane prices for example the Eflight 64mm A-10 $430usd over here is bloody $730usd, so really that kinda money on a foam plane makes gyro/safe a mandatory feature lol.
Well if you are in EU and compare prices with USA then you can see that plane which cost 220$ in USA costs 350€ in EU. Also there is rarely something on a sale and its hard to find something in stock. Importing from USA would be to expensive(i bought by accident front landing gear from US shop instead EU) and for over a month my gear is travelling acros USA😅 and once it comes to my country i will have to pay 25% import tax(think its even more cause of USA) than on top of that 25% VAT + handling, papers, etc. So it will cost me almost double. 😢
Post-covid, flying foam doubled in price & beyond! Not to mention electronics' $$$ is beyond ridiculous nowadays. Nothing changed except for the prices!
@@old-rcplane-phart so true, an ix20 is $2546 usd! Around covid they were bloody $1090 usd, absolute rip off bullshit. We have trade agreements with China and we still get bent over, I'm also a QS for work and we monitor inflation in the supply chain, these increases are not real. They use increaseing costs as excuses but they haven't increased that damn much, corporate greed at its finest.
Started flying the old fashioned way, trainer, no gyro for my first 2 planes, I loved flying but crashed a lot so it was a love/ hate relationship. Then my 3rd plane came with SAFE and it allowed me to learn so much more, push the plane, try new maneuvers and just flip a switch if I got confused, total game changer. It's been a few years, still use gyros and safe, still crash sometimes but I wouldn't have gotten so far without this technology. As long as I can get something in the air and have it do what I want it to, I'm happy, I know many see it as a crutch but limping beats standing still.
Good video, I’m one of those that learned how to fly model airplanes with giro. I’m an old man , I always loved aviation but I never had the opportunity to get into the hobby until retirement (five years ago). I can tell that I really started to fly with the Aero Scout, because it comes with giro, radio, battery and charger. Right now I can fly warbirds, sport planes, and do aerobatics, of course with no giro, right now I only use the giro when I’m in a dangerous situation. So I think people that learn how to fly with no giro, is because at the time that they started to fly, giro didn’t exist and they were young guys…
Thank you. I'm in my 70s and started flying a few years ago with the Sport Cub s. Still have it. My plane of choice is the Timber Evo. I fly alone at home so there is never a heckler 😆. Three years now. I only fly off safe at higher altitudes and flip it on when I think I can't recover. I've crashed and rebuilt many times. I enjoy the challenge. I really wanted to fly warbirds even as a kid. But I know now that hi-wingers are just my speed. Relaxing to fly and keep me smiling 😊. Real excitement is getting my 50 year old Norton and tearing up the back roads 👍 22 with 50 years of experience.
Hey Jon. You mentioned that the hobby of RC Airplane flight is declining. If that's true, I think one of the reasons is that the prices of everything RC is skyrocketing. Once you're an experienced pilot, price means nothing. You're addicted. If you need it, you buy it. It's just got to be done. But for a new person looking to getting into the Hobby, the prices are scary. Also, everything is so Regulated. Where you can fly and what time. Back when I started, Years and years ago before Electric was an option, you can just crank up the motor and let her rip into the sky right out in front of your house. Try that now, and Karen And her husband will both be out there threatening you. When it comes to Gyro's, half of my airplanes have em. Great video Jon. Keep flying.
Anything that flies under its own power and can be controlled costs quite a bit of money. Full scale and model scale aviation aren't exactly known for being cheap hobbies - but that's where FliteTest foamboard models come in. People can fly for significantly less money using one of those models.
I'm 73, have been flying R/C since 1963 (yes, for 60 years now), and enjoy setting up and flying Spektrum AS3X/SAFE receivers in all of my planes. Naturally, I'm the only one at our field that understands anything about them. I currently have 18 EDF's and several propeller planes because I don't destroy them in crashes. I'm still flying the first EDF I bought 4 or 5 years ago. One of our club members refused to use the gyro that came in his new F-100 Super Sabre and he put it 40 feet up in a tree on the maiden flight. I tried to help him, but some people just can't be helped.
Thank You! This needs to be said loudly and often! I learned to fly back in the 80s. Instructor on a buddy box, all "old school" Crystal radios, etc. I walked away several years later, frustrated by things that didn't work too well, months building, seconds destroying. If you were around back then you know. Jump forward around 40 years. I walked into a hobby shop to look around, saw a Horizon Hobby "Champ S+" The airplane bug bit again, so I bought it. Even though I was skeptical of foam instead of balsa and monokote. Easiest plane I ever flew! All the electronics made it easy for a guy in his 50s get back into flying. The AS3X, and SAFE mode made it possible for me to relearn how to fly without buddy-boxing and depending on others to fly with. I don't depend on the technology any longer, I can fly without the help of a gyro, but I like to have the assist if things get squirrely, or using SAFE as an "OH SHIT" switch if I lose orientation, or get into something I can't figure out how to get out of. I'll take "flip a switch and save my plane over being a tough guy and crashing. The technology mad it easier and more fun for this "Old Guy" to fly again, and help younger people fly. I still have that old Champ, it's been flown by a lot of people.
I’m hitting 50 soon. I fell in love with flying in 70’s and I started with line control. The actual Cox Helldiver still new in the box that my dad had never opened. I took a break and returned to gyros and radiomaster radios. They’re wonderful. They are allowing new people to get into the hobby and stay in it. I’ve seen many people run off from confrontations and ignorant comments at the field. Many have just found private land to fly on and that’s the opposite of what we are supposed to be about in clubs. I’ve pushed myself into tense conversations that I could see were getting into rough unwanted territory and that is so ridiculous. All because someone wants to fly stable. 😂 it still blows my mind that anyone would want to take time away from flying and smiling just to cut down someone’s joy.
My story is very similar to this. 72mHz Futaba Radios with whip antennas and crystals. Buddy box was our simulator. No gyros in those days. A good flying aircraft in manual mode will will even better with a gyro, IMO. (Great video subject John!)
People ripping out AS3X receivers, or advising you to do so, don't even know that you can unlock them, reprogram them, and set them up however you want. I'm just starting on the hobby, and I am trying to experience by myself what exactly gyros are doing, so I reprogrammed my planes, including my AeroScout trainer, to have SAFE/AS3X/Nothing on a 3 way switch. So far I have not seen AS3X making much difference in any of my planes (AeroScout, SR22T, Conscendo Evo, PA-18, ASW-17), but all of them are pretty stable beginner friendly planes to start with. They are less affected by turbulence with AS3X on, but that's pretty much it. As I'm a beginner, I don't do any crazy aerobatics, so my experience is limited to "regular" flight. Regarding SAFE, I don't like to use it, it's just too different to normal flight. Great as a way to have some fun when you're completely new though. And as others said, a life saver when you screw up, that's why I keep it available on the switch, it has saved me a few times already.
Been in the hobby about 4 years now and as an older guy, who'll turn 79 in August, I seriously doubt I would have stuck with it without the help of gyros. "SAFE" in particular saved me from many a crash; I think I would have quit the very first year if it were not for this technology.
I teached myself how to fly with a gyro. I am not now a person who only relies on gyros. In fact in many planes, I don’t even have a gyro! Now I’m sure I’ll get some hate for my way of learning how to fly, but so be it. There is no point in making something harder than it already is. RC flying is intimidating enough when you go to fly your 300 dollar 1+ meter wingspan plane. This can also manifest in injury and damage to property. I almost lost a finger due to people telling me that I wasn’t going to actually “learn how to fly” if I was using a gyro. That’s enough ranting from me, but great video and keeping it real.
Your story is a lot more common than you might think - which is why we made this video. We wanted to bring attention to the fact that a lot of people are choosing to fly how they want to fly, and they don't need anyone's permission or approval to do it. You can either choose to welcome self-taught pilots with leveling assistance or you can shun them and watch this hobby die off. We'd rather be welcoming - because flight is a wonderful gift we'd rather share instead of keep hidden away from people.
Great video, to each their own! Personally, I love a pure and relaxing soaring aircraft, riding thermals with the only inputs being what I send. But I also love flying high performance aircraft to the edge of their flight envelope, down to the deck for that adrenaline rush and where a gyro does wonders. Different tools for different situations.
Yes, Yes and YES. I've been flying for 20+ years. I bought my daughter a Champ with a gyro so she could learn and fly at Flight Fest West years ago. She was the youngest female pilot there (8 years old). It gave her the confidence to fly at the event, with all the wind we had, and successfully nail landings. I flew it a bunch there too and flipping on the gyro on approach with all the wind was the only way a plane that small was going to be flyable with the afternoon wind. Since then I've put gyros on several planes, every FPV wing I've flown since has had one.
Yeah... I know who Peter Webber is. Man I'm to young to be this old. And speaking of maturing on the timeline of life.... I'm back in the hobby and spending my dollars because of EPO foam and gyros. My skill set was weak back in the day when I was build ing with balsa. Like many reading this, I don't have the time or room to go that route anymore. Long live gyros to keep us stable and steady on our journey to becoming a better RC pilot. Cheers!
I started flying about a year ago. I love to fly but don't have the time to do so regularly enough to get good. Safe allows me to have fun and also learn by switching it off and on. Lets face it, these things are expensive. Safe allows someone to grow and learn without smashing several hundred dollars worth of plane and getting discouraged. My 2 cents.
Just wanna post this quote(about real F16). The F-16 is inherently unstable, andactually requires a quad-redundant computer to fly. No human can respond quickly enough to control the aircraft. The computer is constantly adjusting the control surfaces to keep the plane flying. If all 4 computers were to fail, the aircraft would crash. In the F-16, the pilot isn't directly adjusting the control surfaces, but the computer takes the pilot's input and adjusts the control surfaces to get where the pilot wants to go without losing control. I believe this is what is meant by the saying "the F-16 flies you". A human is not necessary to fly the F-16, an autopilot is certainly capable of controlling the aircraft. An F-16 recently(Dec. 08) performed an autoland, landing successfully without any pilot input.
I learnt to fly without a gyro, but the model is a slow and stable high wing trainer, plus I had a patient instructor. Of the twelve models I own three have a gyro. With the gyro, I use “safe” as a panic button, flick it on regain control flick it off. The gyro makes a small unstable plane fly like a much larger model. I notice members of the anti-gyro brigade prefer to fly big models, and I understand why. It’s a mixture of being easier to keep orientation, more stability, and elitism. Maybe these people are angry because they see others spend less money, less time getting ready, than they do, and have just as much fun flying.
Stabilization is used such that we can focus on flying instead of preventing crashes. Gyros or flight controllers take away a lot of stress that I can enjoy flying no matter the conditions. People who gatekeep are literally just coping with the fact that they can’t be bothered to set gyros up or that other people can have more fun with gyros.
I use a cane to keep from falling down, I use aileron/rudder mix , when wanted, on my scale models. Using a "crutch" is my business. Been flying RC since the early 60's. Will try using a stabilizer soon, more fun flying when winds come up rather than packing up and going home.
Great video with great points!! I gotta say that thanks to you I started using gyro and it helps me a lot stabilize and also prevents some undesirable crashes due to environment conditions! So thank you for keep pushing this topic! 🙏🏻🙌🏻
Consider people who have motor control issues or they can't see as well. Stabilization keeps them flying years longer. Another example is skiing, which got so much more fun because ski technology got so good that beginners skied like experienced skiers and experienced skiers ski like experts. There are still some people who talk about the old days but almost all old school skiers can't wait to get the new tech.
Absolutely agree. If you are new to RC then be safe and have fun, if you are experienced in RC help people to be safe and have fun. If something is fun it naturally encourages learning more about it.
Anyone who needs to learn the power of a gyro should fly one of those Eachine mini warbirds....small 400mm planes ..... almost impossible without it but incredibly good even in wind with it. Just some fun for the experienced as they're not true hobby grade I guess but alot of folks will start the hobby with these due the appeal of cheap entry.
As someone who grew up in 1823 having to get used to flying model planes without wings, I think kids these days are a little too soft. Like no, you don’t need a propeller when you can climb to the top and throw it, a lil excersise don’t hurt? L.O.L
Most days in the late fall, winter and early spring I take my Cessna 170 from Flex with the Aura 8. Our field is 1/2 hour away and as luck would have it, by the time we get there the wind is up beyond what you would normally feel safe to fly in. That is why I use the old Cessna. Even in 30 mile per hour winds you can still get a flight or two so you haven't wasted your time. Another great one for really rough days is my Grand Tundra also using an Aura 8. With it's articulated gear this one is ready for anything. I don't find the need for stabilization on my 1/4 scale stuff so much, but do use an Aura 8 to tame the rudder on my BUSA Tri-plane to pretty much guarantee nice normal landings rather than the usual for WW1 aircraft, especially tri-planes. This year makes 50 years of RC flying for me.
Addressing the buttholes was overdue ! Good job. My first RTF spitfire got me hooked last year. It had a built in gyro which made flight so much more enjoyable ! Now I'm onto a smart TX and several EDF jets. Can't wait to get them flying with safe and as3x
I left scale balsa and AMA fields because those guys years ago. Now I'm all foam, flight controllers, inav and FPV. Gyros were my gateway to flight controllers
It is a little ironic that this video judges other people for judging other people. However, I agree with your message that the hobby is supposed to be fun and don’t spoil other people’s fun because your idea of fun is different.
That isn't irony. What you're describing is the paradox of tolerance - to have a community that thrives and prospers, you must weed out the intolerant who seek to exclude people. This hobby would be dead if everyone who flew was a gatekeeping jerk who told newcomers to bugger off. Someone has to stand up against that kind of behavior, and we'd like to use some of our influence to tell people that it isn't OK to treat people like that.
@@TwoBrosRC They won’t change. All we can hope to do is help people to ignore them. It is the main reason I fly in the park and avoid “RC fields” and clubs… I was trained at an early age.
I fly 3d, and the gyro just locks all of your maneuvers like it's on rails and it's great. Harriers are wonderful without a lot of wing rock when you got a nice gyro setup
This. I had an unstabilized 3D plane that I was rarely flying anymore. Too squirelly in any kind of wind. Then I put an FrSky S6R stabilized receiver in it. Now I can fly it in some wind and harriers are much more enjoyable. Also it's nice to have the self-levelling / panic modes just in case. Not that I need them 🤣😂🤣😂🤣🙃😇.
@@boeing747400ifly Same, I had an old MX2 3d plane with no gyro and it flies so stiff/rugged in the air you can't hold maneuvers smoothly. Slapped a gyro and now it helped muff out those rough edges. I have a larger Extra 300 with a gyro and you'll see how well it flies here with winds on the link ua-cam.com/video/hTh-5LSsoYw/v-deo.html
I fly a Saab 340 for a living and it is our standard operating procedure to turn the Yaw damper and autopilot on at about 10 seconds after takeoff. I say use technology to make things easier and more enjoyable and use your skills to stay sharp. Use both of those things in harmony.
That was just spectacular, John! I am just getting started in the hobby after a 36 plus year career flying commercially and a stint in the Navy flying fighters before that. I was thinking, hmmmm, half of the full scale stuff today wouldn’t fly without all the wiz bang computer inputs, and then you brought it up. Perfect! Aviation is a humbling experience as much as it is an exhilarating one. Nobody knows it all and I was LMAO at your response to those who think they do 😂 You do an awesome job and I am thankful for the knowledge and experience I get to take away from your presentations. Bravo my friend!
Someone bought an Ferrari Enzo. He was commenting on the traction control. He said, "unless you're Micheal Schumacher, do not turn off traction control".
Excellent video. Part of my response is tongue and cheek, most isn't. When I learned to fly, we didn't have no stinking gyros. We had to learn to fly the plane ourselves on a corderd buddy box and before that, we would hand the transmitter back and forth. Now having said that, I have switched a few of my planes over to using a gyro after I purchased a new 91" ExtremeFlite NG that was equipped with an Aura8 Pro. OMG, I love being able to enjoy just flying. I don't have a switch on my transmitter that says "Gyro, do rolling harrier", "Gyro do inverted flat spin", "Gyro do rolling circle" or any of the other maneuvers I try to do. What the gyro does for me, is make flying in windy conditions something that you don't think about like I used to. Even with a gyro, the P factor on an upline for a hammerhead still pulls and you have to compensate with the rudder. I switched over my FW AvantiS to my AS3X ready receiver and an already stable and fantastic tracking plane, now flys even better in wind. I have a 74" EF Laser that feels like a larger 91" EF laser now that it has the AS3X gyro in it. Back to Tongue and Cheek. Back in my day we didn't fly no coffee cup airplane with no fancy smancy gyro. My response to these folks is "There was a time where man didn't walk around with clothing, or drive a car too, but things change"
I fly a flag at my airstrip that says Chillen the Most. I wouldn't be as far as I am with out gyros let alone today's awesome radio program ability. Fly it like you STOL it. Cheers
I re-learned to fly nov 2019. Safe was great, cause i was waaay off 4th base 😂! After a few months, getting my reflexes back (ps5), & my hand/eye coordination where it was once, i felt i didn't need a gyro anymore. Thats ME! Everyone i fly with weekly, (15 pilots, 12 use a gyro), & when i started flying again, it was only me. Everyone i fly with now 'used to fly 20 yrs ago' during the crystal/nitro days. As ive said 100's of times b4, each to their own! My friends who fly range from 20's to 80's, me being 57.
I fly horrible foam FPV things with the usual array of electronics, but will likely never set foot on an AMA field for LOS flying simply because of the attitude. It'd be nice to improve my LOS skills, but I can learn on my own, I guess.
Thanks for another helpful video. Simply put, this technology has helped many new flyers learn and stay in our hobby. After a 30 yr break I " relearned" how to fly using SAFE. I no longer use it, but I'll never bash those who do, In fact, I encourage it !
I don't have social media so this is really my only platform for rc airplanes I follow a few of you guys based on attitude I am a beginner started with a volantex p51 have a carbon cub s2 and a few others I've looked into the airfields and that's all I keep getting told is to hook up with an instructor and a buddy box membership and all that and I'm really not ready for all of it. So I end up just flying outback or at the park close to me and I know if I got Facebook or what not I could probably find some good guys to fly with. So I just watch videos and and apply what you all have to teach me and I use gyros I've lost a couple planes but I've seen pros lose 40000 dollar planes so it comes with the hobby but I've noticed a lot of you guys have a spotter camera guy so it's another set of eyes. Anyway thanks for the video you guys and enjoy the skies!!!!
gyros are great both for beginners and old gentlemans. As Im a weekend flier it helps alot. Dont listen to negative people, listen to your self. Happy flight ✈️
I started flying RC helicopters in 07 and there were very little aids out there to help a person learn. As a result my first summer was a mind bending array of crash, order parts, repair and repeat. That winter I swallowed my pride and got a simulator, did that over the winter and by spring 08 was capable of basic upright helicopter flight. Fast forward to this day and I fly everything that can fly. My helicopters have flybarless gyro systems (because who flies a flybar anymore), my freestyle quads are of course gyro stabilized. My planes do not have gyros as I don't really need them for the flying I do. That being said, I always endorse anything that can help a new person learn because I'm not an old codger who sneers at modern technology. If it gets you in the air who cares if it's a 6 axis squirrel spinner inside the plane as long as the smiles and joy happen. We do not tolerate negative judgement peeps at our field, it's all about the fun. We all work too hard during the week to put up with tiny minds on the weekends.
in real life most aircraft are fly by wire meaning there most definitely is a gyro or flight computer on board. in most cases the fighter aircraft we see today cannot fly without these gyros as they would be nearly impossible to control. as a byproduct, smaller planes that replicate those larger aircraft will inherently fly better with a gyro. its just common sense to have one without one you're flying by the seat of your pants quite litterally! great video. keep em coming!
I'm one of those no gyro fliers....but to each their own....I do t use them because I had a hard time learning how to set them up to where they don't throw me off....the beauty of this hobby is there is more than 1000 ways to skin a cat....I fly pretty much strictly 3d now days...I learned gow to fly with a simulator and no buddy box or instructor....and flew for a couple months before joining a club....I'm glad I learned that way because it got me used to flying low at first and not knowing the normal rules was venificial to me....I'm also glad i never learned how to use a gyro because it made me confident I can fly a plane ate its complete base setup...but it doesn't bother me at all when others use them...they just don't work for me from lack of knowledge....if flew turbines I would absolutely want a gyro and also liked the pre setup one on my umx turbo timber I used to fly qll the time....what's good for one isn't always good for the other and no one is right or wrong we all lik different things... this hobby isn't copy and paste....so do what works for you
Many thanks for highlighting all of that in a humerous way. NOW, lets get down to exploring how to make best use of gyros and in particular those available in the Spektrum family. One reason I follow you is because I too use Spektrum. All my aircraft are fitted with SAFE RXs. In my 70s I joined the hobby in 2020. Luckily I have enough property to have been able to make my own airstrip. Thanks to gyros and SAFE I was able to teach myself. Now that I no longer rely on SAFE and have moved on to EDFs such as FMS A10 and SU34 etc... I am exploring the finer points of AS3X gain and how to make use of an expanded SAFE. The other day I increased SAFE angle limits to their full allowance and was surprised to find the aircraft became "not much fun to fly" and I could loop and roll somewhat weirdly. Annoyingly, strong winds here in mid UK have stopped flying for a while but I ventured into strong gusty conditions today to show my grandson how my Turbo Timber flies and the conditions really showed me how effective AS3X is. The ailerons were clearly flapping away to keep the Timber stable for my flight. I didn't try SAFE to see how it would help. I hope you will now delve into the finer detail of how to benefit from Spektrum's gyros to get the best out of one's aircraft when flying at the edge of the flught envelope. I have been a professional fixed and rotary pilot all my working life - outside the airliner world. Military, corporate, bush in Africa and HEMS.
I fly on a 2.5km ex-military landing strip. It is very open space(no tree in 2-3km radius) and VERY windy. Gyro keeps me get my plane home in one piece. As a new pilot am spending most of my time on a strip learning landings. Since i cant change strip orientation, my plane always get hit by 60-90° wind from a right side which is quite challenging for a beginner pilot cause wind mostly blows in gusts. If someone wants to fly in those conditions without gyro, its their choice just like mine is i wanna fly with gyro. So argument "real pilots dont use gyro" is on the same level as "real bikers dont wear helmets"
Great Video very well said, I hear it allot take the GYRO out and do it, I can do it with or without a GYRO, but it makes every maneuver smoother, bottom line you still have to fly the plane! People think it fly's the plane totally, now a 50cc 3d plane you can crash pretty easy on 3D rates unless you are on your game, and landing it helps a bunch if turbulent wind starts blowing which here in Arizona it can sometimes it corrects radical movements of the plane faster than you can, it made me look good many times when the winds picked up about one minute before landing when your timer goes off!
Just got my first plane yesterday! It's a sport cub s2 and I've had a blast with it. I've only been able to keep it in the air for 30 sec to a minute at a time haha. So terrified to crash it. I love your channel, especially your crash videos. And the fact you stand up for the newcomers is awesome too. Can't wait to meet all the die hard anti-gyro fellas
I must be in a great club, because I don't think even once ( thankfully) have I EVER heard another member disparage a person for using a gyro. My main reason for using a gyro is because it makes the plane look so much more realistic looking in the wind. And, when a friend built me a very nice looking Flitetest Viggen with a 6s set up, after adding a hobby eagle gyro, I felt it flew as nice as anything made by Freewing! Before the gyro- not so much!
When I started this hobby over 15 years ago, I destroyed 4 Depron airplanes before I could reasonably fly. If there had been affordable gyros back then, I probably would have only needed a plane to learn. Admittedly, a simulator would have gotten me to my destination just as well. There is nothing useful to say against gyros. It's the same stupid argument when old people say: XYZ didn't exist before, so I don't need it now either. But to be honest, I'm 45 now, sometimes I catch myself saying bullshit like that to my kids 😀
Thanks for this bro this is exactly why I never fully joined the 2 clubs around me. Both of them have their own group of dickheads that talk shit about you while your flying so I just stay away and I found a farmer with a field it sucks because I'm always by myself but I like flying to much to give up
I use gyros because it' makes flying easy and I'm lazy I want to have fun and not work hard at flying I can fly without but I get tired of controlling it
I have been learning to fly in safe mode and I will continue to do so as I learn to fly and I have no intention to stop completely with gyros untill I can fly with a gyro
We still use SAFE in our models. It's important to have the ability to throw a switch and put it in auto-level mode in case you're distracted by insects or being talked to by people, or if you make a mistake. There's nothing wrong with flying how you want to fly!
I experienced playing arpund with a gryo on my first AL37 three years ago. The guy i bought it from had put in a 636. At first i just turned it off and didnt think i needed one for such a big docile plane and that i couldnt be bothered at the time to learn about gyros like that. Then one day i decided to turn it on using gains from a guy on rcgoups and it was awesome. All those little twitches or tail waggles from flying with cg behind the stock setting and with the winds out here in the midwest was dampened beautifully. It made flying a more fun and i have totally jumped into the deep end with using rate gyro settings to help when needed and i even enjoy the occasional "safe" setting even after flying rc planes since 2007😅.
Great video. I first started flying about 16 years ago with some 3ch entry level models from Horizon like the Aerobird and the Stryker. I don't know if gyros were even available back then, but the planes I was flying certainly didn't have them. After crashing my Stryker many many times, I got frustrated and stopped flying for over 10 years. When I came back to RC flight a few years ago, I started with an RTF Aeroscout and it was the SAFE technology that really enabled me to fall in love with the hobby again, even more so than back when I started. Now I have multiple planes that I fly several times per week, most of the year. I use stabilization at some point on every flight, even if only takeoff and landing. Would I be a better pilot if I weaned myself off of it? Probably, but I truly don't care. I'm not a professional pilot. I don't care to be better than anybody else. I fly solely for my own enjoyment and I'm able to do so because of gyros.
And we're happy to hear that! There's some people who will try to push you out of flying in SAFE. If that's all you want out of the hobby, then we hope you have fun and enjoy it!
To be or not to be. To use or not to use. It's a simple choice. I find it puzzling why such arguments are put forth about the use of stabilization and SAFE technology. If the flip of a switch can help bring a valued aircraft back safely, so be it. If there are those who choose not to utilize stabilization, fine, but don't assign blame to those that do. AirHammer out!!
For us beginners, could you do a video on setting up a gyro. Only flown my RTF, just bought a NX8 and getting ready to bind my first AR631 to it, in a kingfisher, been doing this about 6 months, and having a blast on safe/ax3s. Thank you guys for all you do for this hobby.
You can check our setup guides for models, we've demonstrated how we've set up our Spektrum AS3X systems before. A more in-depth guide is most likely coming in the future. Thanks!
I just watched your comments on a GYRO and had to finally subscribe. I love the transparency and could not agree more with you, thank you for posting. I have been back in RC for the last 7 years after limited flying time while coaching my kids into men as a dad and running a company. I have always been confident as a builder , but over time lost confidence in my flying from work stress and lack of airtime. Making matters worse I fly warbirds lol, so we all know what can wrong with typically heavier loaded rc models . In 2022, I learned how to program a gyro, yes it was that late in my RC life 2022. Setting the gyro up at virtually 20% of max and having the option of on and off , the gyro has been a blessing in taming difficult takeoffs and landings. I love the added stability the technology has added and in fact its only made me a better pilot. In closing thank you again , I have been at the field when you hear “ thats cheating, I dont use Gyros and all the negative comments, I don't care , I go home with my beautiful warbirds in one piece ! Thanks again , love your videos and flight reviews. Rcgroups member LDM
I started in RC with helicopters in the 90's. I bought a simulator (very primitive at the time) and got my first 100 crashes out of the way on the sim. Then moved to the actual heli, with training gear (Roto Pod) for stability and a bigger footprint. When I finally took the Roto Pod off, I was well on my way to flying the heli. All these crutches I used, and yet - NOBODY flew helicopters without a gyro. Nobody. Stability augmentation isn't a bad thing. We don't have seat-of-the-pants feedback when we fly RC, like you would in a full size. We do have the option to crash and walk away (unlike full size), but regardless - who wants that?
Technology is good, only plane I own with a gyro is the aeroscout. I only flew it in Safe once and disliked how controlling it was but AS3X only mode really helped in the wind. I wouldn't berate someone for using a gyro especially not a new pilot, but I have seen in RL and UA-cam pilots that never learn to fly a trainer without safe while moving on to harder to fly planes and they never acquire the skills needed to fly the harder planes and always crash. Just my two cents - Gyros = good, but not learning to fly out of Safe = bad, Safe is a good tool to have as a backup or oops moment.
Some people just want to fly in SAFE and that shouldn't be looked down on - not everyone has a desire to push themselves. We do, so we prefer to fly to test our own limits, but it's important to remember that not everyone shares your own goals. There's a sizable amount of people who just enjoy flying in circles and that's all they want out of the hobby.
@@TwoBrosRC If people want to fly in Safe and fly in circles that's cool. I wouldn't say I look down on and I never criticize people or say things to discourage someone from flying. My comment is more of an observation. I say people that won't bother to learn to fly out of safe on a trainer have no business moving to low wing planes, warbirds or EDFs. Even if said planes have Safe I see these types of people constantly crash because they simply don't have the skill to fly those planes. When that happens I never talk bad to them, I try to encourage them. I only say this as a comment because what I see is they always get discouraged and end up not wanting to fly.
Well said ! And the same goes for those guys that hate on the newer, GPS, stabilized helicopters that are as easier to fly. "You'll never learn how to fly a helicopter with that toy". I've been flying RC since the mid 70s, and am so happy that the technology allows me to continue to enjoy this hobby even more. Stabilization, self leveling, return to home, loiter, etc. are all wonderful and not only help me as I get older, but can teach you new tricks. Not to mention having digital HD, head-tracking FPV in many of my planes. This hobby just gets better and better. Cheers! You and your videos have been brought up many times at the field. And the #1 thing we all agree on is that you do not maiden a plane in its stock, by-the-book, configuration/recommendation. What we would like to see is the first part of new plane video have it demonstrated in it it's stock setup, followed by a demonstration with your recommendations/modifications and/or setup. This would hands down blow all the other "New Plane" videos out of the water. And yes, I too am happy the EC-150 is back ! I kinda think you had something to do with that, LOL.
Flying purely stock is probably something we won't do - our audience expects our models to fly the way we show them off. If we can find a way to make it work, though, we'll definitely consider it. Thank you!
I don’t us a gyro because im broke af😂 I started with a a piper with a badly tuned gyro. So i had a bad impression of a gyro! But when i got some UMX Turbo Timber and the gyro when the gyro was actually tuned right it felt magical! I think gyros are good for beginners but once you get better it’s good to at least turn off SAFE for once and learn to control the airplane. Gyros are good. End of discussion.😊
Gyros are a good thing for beginners and for hand launching special planes with a bad behavior 👍 I prefer to fly without, because it's more interesting, but some planes have a gyro. Crashing planes and repair them it's my pleasure.😂
Awesome video! I so needed this as it was spot on. Be an inspiration to the enjoyment of RC flying and not THAT GUY! You just put it all in a nutshell. Been flying RC for years.
lol i remember when a 1 axis gyro was larger than a go pro. needed 3 , oh how tech has evolved. from a radio that filled my 72 impala trunk to a AM kraft radio. enjoy the tech it is there use it. , sad part is you just described most ama sites and members. hence why i don't join a club . been in many . lots of great people but too many snobs
Gyros are a fact of life in aviation, it's great that they finally trickled down to rc. Issues. I learned to fly drones in auto level first. Only recently have I learned to fly without the auto level. I wish I did it the other way around. I see this a possible issue with fixed wing. As I learned that without auto level and I think I'm better for it. Other thing my UMX Timber did not have enough rudder authority in SAFE mode and almost lost the plane on a windy day. Lucky I found the switch and got it back. I guess don't fly your 150g plane unless you crank up the throws. User error but still.
Thank you. Very well stated Jon. Gyro’s helped me get back into the hobby quickly, after a 30 year break. Many RC flyers in their senior years benefit from Gyros and are able to enjoy the hobby, without having to worry about crashing on takeoff or landing, for example.
Thanks for sharing. I have no shame in using gyros. I have both Hobby Eagle and Spektrum. I am happy and it keeps my confidence up and thus enjoy the hobby further.
Gyros helped me take the plunge and try RC flying, after being into boats and cars only. I just wasn't looking forward to buying or building a plane, and wreck it on the first flight. Now I am enjoying RC flight, because I know that if I lose orientation, or the wind suddenly picks up, and landing becomes tricky, I can count on the gyro to help me give a better odds. It still won't land the plane for me, it still needs to be flown there. I wonder if these pilots giving people who use a gyro, a hard time, also drive cars without powersteering, and full manual motor management, so they have to manually set the mixture for each rpm range, manifold, switch on fuel pump etc. Or do they enjoy the convenience of a "turn-key" vehicle? But surely, anyone running a car with automated stuff isn't a "real driver", right? ;-)
I use gyros in my planes for takeoff and landing because I like not having my planes turned into expensive piles of foam. Real pilots have flight computers to help them, why shouldn’t I 😎
so far AS3X has never interfered with me controlling the plane, at least not that i have noticed it, so against turbulences it's quite nice. it's also nice to have a button to activate safe on a plane, especially when it's a new plane and haven't been trimmed yet. when i bought the umx a-10 i thought that 850mAh batteries would be way too large so i used the 500mAh that i already had. that plane was not controllable at all and without activating safe and flying a HUGE circle to land, it would've been destroyed at the first flight :D (it flies really great with 850mAh batteries though, no safe needed at all :3 ). what i hear people say all the time, and i believe it's true, is that learning with safe or a similar system teaches new pilots bad behavior. the best thing, i assume, is to either learn with a sim, have someone with experience to buddy-fly or at least have some idea how a plane acts (tbh, even flying planes in GTA is "realistic" enough to teach some basics that are true for rc flying as well)
I like the video and it makes some excellent points but there is another side to it. Gyros gained in popularity with multi rotor 'drones', which, with their advanced gyro systems, made flying something radio control ready accessible to the masses. This, as well all know by now, has lead to the RC hobby becoming very regulated as of late when prior to the advent of the 'anyone can fly it' out of the box systems, flying somethin g RC was a niche that never gained much attention from the FAA and the general public. I think it is those middle aged and older that got into this hobby years ago. before gyros. that really had to learn how to fly without a 'safety net' and learned how to fly safely (flying safely being key) while being instructed without the use of advanced gyro systems is where a lot of the animosity comes from, i.e., learning the hard way vs. opening up a box with no prior experience and doing something potentially unsafe because one might not know any better. I used to be quite anti gyro myself for these reasons but eventually decided to give them a try and I do like using them. We welcome all sorts of newbies to our RC club field as long as they are willing to learn to fly safely who cares if a gyro is used. It's someone flying something near power lines in a public park for example that really gets to me. Prior to gyros this didn't happen, now it is all too common, and now we have to deal with the FAA because of it. There really are two sides of it and as far as what might be destroying the hobby, one could make the same argument against gyros since many people just don't get into it now due to the regulation, which didn't exist before gyros.
Hobbies only grow if people feel welcomed and artificial barriers to entry aren't erected. Gyros aren't really a FAA-related issue - drones use them to stabilize themselves but model aircraft can't fly like a drone can. The people using drones to fly into restricted airspace or otherwise interfere with manned aviation (or peeping on people) is what's causing the regs to come down.
i actually fly foam rc planes i teach and help any one who wants to fly rc , what annoys me is that newbies with no ideal what and where to fly ,with the gyros in them (mainly drones) ,causing the government to put in the new drone enforcement laws in place just because the idiot flew over an airfield,or homes, that is what is killing the hobby , a gyro is a good way to help learn to fly and save your p[lane at times. But if you set your plane up correctly it doesn't need a gyro to fly , but if you enjoy using 1 then that is your choice ,and no 1 else's. myself i prefer to feel what the aircraft is telling me and fly within the real limits without a gyro,
So you're saying that Horizon, Flex, FMS, and every other company that sells aircraft with gyros doesn't know how to set them up correctly? That's a bold statement.
@@TwoBrosRC so how did we fly with out them and i take all the supplied gyros out of all my foamies they fly fine maybe you should try it .it might surprise you or cant they make plane that fly without them .the gyros are supplied for beginners to have a wider selection ,once only a high wing trainer was used
I actually just had a very interesting conversation with Jon about your exact comment. I would just like to thank you for not being like most people. I think that many people could learn from this comment in the way that it is your choice how you want to fly and that your are stating what YOU prefer not saying what everyone should prefer. On the flip side I feel like by saying that "If you set up a plane correctly you don't need a gyro" you are undermining a whole type of flying. Yes if you have a nose heavy plane, it will not need a gyro to fly well and controllable. If you have a tail heavy plane and are trying to fly at the edge of the envelope, setting up a plane correctly doesn't make it fly as if it had a gyro. Just my 2 cents.
It's like this in amateur radio too. I joined the local amateur radio club. I was new to the hobby in 2014 and I have to admit I was disgusted that people thought it was a legitimate sport to put me down at club meetings and on air. They'd serve food but I was directed to stay away from it as it is for members only. I said I am a paid member. I was told to I'm nobody around here. You must understand I was 49 years of age at the time, own everything I've got, fit and have a life. I simply wouldn't allow them to treat me as a 2 year old and went and took a plate and sat down and ate something in front of them. It was like a hanging offense. I could never speak to anyone locally on air, at swap meets they even refused to sell stuff to me. These guys are in walking frames! They've commandeered the hobby and if you're interested in amateur radio you basically have to kiss ass to use the airwaves without profound harassments, jokes made about you license class, radio & equipment, antenna setup. No one backs you up, no one wants to speak to you. If you get advice and choose not to follow it, well then that's the end of you. I never use any of the $10,000 of equipment I have, never talk, never listen to conversations but I do renew my license each year LOL. A more arrogant bunch of utter nobodies you'd be hard pressed to find I reckon. I joined a gliding club and got very similar treatment. Went on a gliding camp as a student intending to do a first solo on the camp and after the CFI left all the members took the gliders allocated to me via pre paid rostered slots with an instructor and went flying. I actually went there to go solo. No one talked to me at the barbecue, no one wanted to even try and speak to me - this went for wives and partners too. Never got my money back. Left and never went back. The CFI did call me and I told him what happened and I don't think he believed me or thought it was my fault but I pointed out the paperwork records speak for themselves. This sort of thing goes on in volunteer organizations too. This is why getting people to volunteer is impossible these days. People with narcissism personality disorder insert themselves into positions of trust and ruin everything by displaying compassion and empathy to those above them but those below them get the full unrelenting double barrel bullying including lies they tell about you to the people above them. Who would ever volunteer??? As long as I live I'll never join another club again and after this vid I'll be doubly sure to stay well away from the local RC club (which is next door to the amateur radio club peculiarly enough).
I’m put off because I can only like this once; you nailed it, Jon. I retired from a career in process control. I returned to the hobby to learn how much it has advanced, with wide amazement. For example, I’d love to see just ONE of the naysayers fly a UMX Pitts in a little wind… say 3-4mph, gusting to 7-8mph, without AS3X. No further debate will be necessary. Has anyone hacked a way to turn it off?
UMX models would be nearly unflyable in turbulent wind, even if the wind is light - the AS3X gyros keeping those things stable is a work of engineering brilliance.
AS3X/SAFE is what got into the hobby two years ago, still got a long way to go, but I appreciate your insight and assistance as well as the other channels I follow.
Gyro is a tool. And if you can enable or disable it at will, like FMS Reflex can be done with flick of a switch (channel 5 with PWM/SBUS settings), where's the harm in having "oh sh..." button or aid in flying when conditions are less than optimal? Also FYI, there's difference between noob and novice. Novice is, well, new to something and don't have knowledge/experience on the topic. Noob is someone refusing to learn and often being cranky when you point out his/her errors.
There is unfortunately no distinction - "noob" comes from n00b which was just 1337speak for "newbie" - people have tried to make distinctions over the years between newb/n00b/noob but it's basically the same thing right now - it means someone new to a hobby. And those people who crap all over anyone for flying differently than they do are one of the reasons why this hobby isn't as popular as it should be. It has a well-earned reputation for being gatekeepy. Which really sucks because it's so much fun.
@@TwoBrosRC I still like to make that distinction, even if its obsolete nowadays. I've seen to many equivalents of "I have 10 years of experience behind sticks and I've yet to land without breaking something" in games to use the same word for novices to the hobby and remarkably dense specimens.
I really appreachiate your video. It is fact, using a gyro is not only a beginner thing. If you find your plane in a dangerous situation (heavy gusting) a gyro will save your plane. Gyro haters will potentially destroy their planes - but hey... "I would never use a gyro".... sure...
Needed to be said Jon. Thanks. Ironically I see the same people pull an iPhone from their pockets- not an old Bakelite decadic dial phone on a lon….g lead 👌
I was able to start flying thanks to Horizon Hobby and their affordable Spektrum Transmitters(Dx8G2) I have used gyros and I use them still on occasion especially when trying aerobatics on new planes or I have that occasional brainfart or dumb thumbs. I've gotten into it with several @$$es, you learn to set them up over time and crashing planes, so if I can save $400 by throwing the switch yes I will, as for them, they're mad this technology is out now and not in 1967. As for foamies, they're superrrrrr easy to fix and easy to replace and a foamie with a gyro is great for getting new people into the hobby and for a quick flight when unexpected time presents its self. I could go on and on but I say if you're having the most fun you're the best pilot on the field
Nice Video! I just wanted to ask you how you seperated the Aileron from the Canards on the Eurofighter? Could you maybe make a video how to do it. Please
Yes, yes, yes,,,, exactly. I welcome every single new technology advancement that makes it down to our hobby ..... and yes, I've been flying since the 1400's (1979 to be exact). The constant advancements in technology keep the hobby exciting and fun, and helps welcome new people to the hobby. Now I'm off to start building my MB-339 Turbine, which I will be installing a Cortex Pro gyro in .... because, I can.
Nice topic Jon. What gets me is prevalent in everything these days...being in a "camp". It's all of one thing or way of thinking...or nothing. What this hobby needs from everyone, the old guys and the newbies...is flexibility. I see and hear it from both sides honestly. The people that have never used a gyro tell the new folks how stupid they are for using one, but I also see plenty of people that have used gyros since they started tell guys that don't they are stupid for not using one. There are criticisms from both camps, and it boils down to simple psychology. People are afraid of, and resistant to things they don't understand. As a guy that has multiple planes with...and without gyros, and as a guy that has experience setting planes up to fly well with and without them, I can say there are merits, and much to be learned from both. The gyro camp and the anti gyro camp are greatly divided. Both think they are the smart ones. The truth is they are BOTH full of it. A guy that doesn't use gyros, doesn't program them, tweak the set ups, etc. can't speak to it and has NO business criticizing someone that does use them about what they are doing. But, that is a double edged sword. A guy that uses gyros in everything all the time can't speak to setting up and flying planes at a high level without them, and has no business criticizing people that don't use them. Basically you're right about not being a jerk about it to people. No reason for that ever and just displays ignorance. I would add to that no reason to only be in one steadfast camp. See how the other half lives so to speak. Again, much to be learned from both philosophy's, and gaining experience both ways only makes for a more flexible, capable, and knowledgeable pilot/modeler. I'm not in a camp, I'm a Model AV8R. I use gyros, and I don't. I have fun and fly well either way, and most important to me...I can help a new guy no matter what they show up to the field with...weather it has a gyro or not. Regardless of what a pilot decides...we should all respect the choices of others. That is easier to do when we understand what they are doing.
The ultimate point we're making is just don't be a jerk to people. Enjoy the hobby to see people flying and getting into aviation, not to exclude them and use it as a climbing summit to Mt. Ignorance so you can claim everyone is less skilled than you because they don't fly with (foam airplanes, gyros, expo, computerized transmitters, anything but control line) what you personally don't. If more people were just content to enjoy people being **in** the hobby at all, regardless of what they chose to fly or how they chose to approach flight, we'd wager that it would have grown a lot larger by this point.
@@TwoBrosRC I get that Jon, and I'm not diminishing your point. You're right, and I agree, there is no point in being a jerk about whatever point of view a person has on the subject. Doing that can absolutely run people off from the hobby. That said, you opened up the conversation, and it is a multi faceted subject with many caveats. You mention "Older Hobbyists being A holes" like they are the only guys being jerks on the topic. You may not mean it that way, but it is a generalization none the less. It is as if they (we, because I am an old guy) are all jerks to gyro users. I know many old guys that do as I do and use gyros in some things, but not all, and I know old guys that use them in everything. Many mentor young guys with gyros too. I also know a jerk or two about it, and they aren't all the old school fellas. Some are the younger crowd snickering at the old fellas that can't "get with the times". You know me reasonably well Jon. We've talked a good bit about a lot of deeper subjects. You know I'm generally a voice of reason, and fair. I'm not knocking your video at all...I agree with the majority of it. My one and only critique would be that there is no suggestion that the pro gyro camp can be unprompted jerks as well, and the fact is many can. I've heard both sides because I fly with everybody. Many of them see me doing one thing a particular day, and then assume that is the only way I do it. So they speak their negative garbage to me thinking I'm "in their camp". I'm simply adding to the conversation my friend, and make no mistake...everything is worth a conversation. Unfortunately it is human nature to be critical, and to judge. Some loose track of whether or not a feeling should be turned in to speaking. Sometimes the best thing to do if you can't control your emotions is to say nothing, but as we all know that is a struggle for many. I'm merely suggesting anyone might be a lot less critical if they tried to learn and understand where the other folks are coming from, why they do what they do, and what advantages there might be from that. That bleeds in to useful, polite conversations, and educates us all. Much like some of our deeper conversations, we have both learned from each other, and even if we don't agree, we can agree to disagree and finish the conversation more informed than when we started, and still friends. People are going to chose what they do, thats a fact. The question is will we pay enough attention to others for a conversation, or so little attention that we can only criticize what we don't understand.
I was just at the field this morning boys with my F-22, flying with my father who at the time was piloting his P-51. We usually have no problems flying together but at one point as we were turning together I took a path much wider than his and started going behind a tree line, probably should've had my coffee first. Without panicking I flipped my flight mode into safe and regained visual orientation of my bird. Brought her back home without a scratch on her. Safe mode allowed me to fall in love with this hobby last summer and I believe it probably saved my 90mm F-22 and me around $600 today.
It's amazing to be able to fail and still bring something back home safely instead of being stuck climbing a huge pine tree to bring a model aircraft back down in pieces. We still can't get why anyone has any issues with this except that perhaps they feel left out.
@@TwoBrosRC I hear you bud. The technology that's available these days is allowing this hobby to become accessible to a much wider audience and that sounds S.A.F.E for all of us.
Exactly why I love SAFE!
That is exactly why I always take the time to set up auto leveling on my planes, even if I don't plan to use it for regular flying. I've had multiple instances where being able to flip that switch saved my plane.
I dont call it safe, I call it insurance 😂 imagine taking the bait and seeing £600 go into the ground 😢.
I've been in the hobby for 20 years, took almost an 8 year break, and got back into it a little over a year now, and all my planes have gyros. I only wished I had them back in the day. It boils down to, folks have small "sticks" and need to take their anger out on others 😂 you do you and I'll do me.
Great topic, Jon! 👍
Great video! I've been flying RC for ~30yrs. EVERY newer plane I have has a 6 axis gyro. I won't be without it. I certainly don't _need_ a gyro to fly and have fun, but they make the experience better. I also don't _need_ power steering or power brakes in my car, but they sure make the experience of driving better.
Just last weekend, I was flying at the field when an insect fly into my eye at high speed. Felt like someone punched me in the face. I immediately hit the self level switch and just held a little right aileron with my right hand while my left hand went straight to rubbing my eye. Why anyone would actively avoid having such wonderful technology in their RC plane is just beyond me. Fragile ego most likely...
Insect attacks, dog attacks, even people attacks make self-leveling an amazing tool to have. Otherwise, there goes your super expensive model aircraft because of something you couldn't control.
Glad someone said it! Thank you for addressing this. Love your channel 😊
@@TwoBrosRC when a dog ran towards me, I quickly switched to safe to see what the dog was going to do...., Yes ,giro `s are handy
Before I flew my first plane I practiced on a simulator. In turn I heard some grumbling about that. For the first few months I would fly in SAFE until I felt comfortable. It gave me the confidence to keep flying and to work towards not needing it. I heard some whispers about that too. After I stopped using SAFE I have to say it's saved me 3 or 4 times and I'm glad its there. I pretty much always use AS3X as most of my planes are BNF. I've been told a few times to rip that out and put a different receiver in there. I just don't understand the criticism over anyone of these. I left high school 40 years ago but sometimes I feel like I'm at school again. These three things helped me to really enjoy this hobby and I've learned to tune all that stuff out and just say, I'll do me and you do you.
Most of my planes have safe/as3x i use safe when i 1st fly a plane and sometimes when landing since i live in very windy area and wind is always from a side 60-90°
I used to fly rc plane without gyro but recently i realize how important it is with a gyro to help fight the turbulence. Even if you are a pro don’t need the auto leveling mode, enabling the optimized/wind rejection mode is highly recommended which can help smooth the shaking when facing crosswind during landing.
Also, there's the wood vs foam model airplanes. If you fly foam airplanes, you're considered to be a lesser r/c airplane enthusiast!
Oh no, flying a foamy instead of a woody! The amount of gatekeeping in this hobby is way too high.
Please don't!!!
@@TwoBrosRC Next video topic....???
Same thing for electric vs gasser. Different approaches to learning pipeline (ground school -> trainer w/buddy box vs DIY w/sim). Disapproval of 1st/2nd/3rd airframes for new pilots. The club airfield Fudds literally drove me away from flying fixed wing between their negative attitudes about all the things I liked (to include my Hitech Aurora 9 radio). Trying to get back into it on my own and avoid all the AMA-geezer field-fudds because holy smokes their type I find insufferable, but they literally gate keep the good places to fly.
Great video John. Completely agree, but did not a one time. I've been flying RC for over 35 years starting with AM radios. Having a gyro would have saved me many $$ when I started flying. I saw gyros start to be used a few years ago and was of the camp that they are nothing but a crutch and does not allow you to learn RC flight correctly. Until I flew a plane that a gyro and experience the different modes. I changed my mind very quickly after that flight. They are a great tool to learn how to fly especially if you have very little help in the learning process. I always strongly suggest a newbie find an RC club that you like (if there is one near you) join and learn to fly with the clubs help. I now have gyro's in a few of my planes, all are prop planes of various types. My use of them is primarily for wind correction. Our field is often windy and always seems to be a cross wind. That wind forces you become a better pilot if you want to fly more. But with a gyro on board it can make a 15mph gusty wind feel like near zero.
It's really great to get your perspective after having changed your mind on the subject. Thanks for sharing that!
Well spoken sir!👏👏👏 I love gyros. All of my Jets have one in them. I also have some plane like some of my warbirds that don't have them because there is something about flying "raw" that I do like, but my preference is always a gyro!. At the end of the day what I always say is "fly whatever you have and however you want to fly it." Just get something in the air because I want people to experience this great hobby of flying rc planes that we're so passionate about!
That's all it comes down to, man!
The only reason why I didn’t quit the hobby was safe technology! Spending 300$ on every crash just to prove that you are a “real pilot” is stupid! Gyros are a great way to start even without a trainer.
😂 it prolly won’t be the last time this subject is talked about. I think the only reason I’m still in this hobby is safe mode. Granted, I no longer set ANY of my planes or jets up with safe mode anymore.
But my first few months I did and it’s what kept me here.
Some of us don’t know how to set up the simulator on the computer…
Do what you need to do to have fun and make sure your jet is in one piece after the fact.
This is what it comes down to. It's your model, enjoy flying how you'd prefer to fly. If a flight control computer is good enough for the Blue Angels and other fighter jet pilots, it's good enough for people in this hobby.
The hobby isn't dying, not ay my field at least. What's killing the hobby is $600 flying foam models. Balsa and nitro is making a comeback which is amazing!
Happy to hear that your field is prospering!
Same here (in NZ), we get raped for plane prices for example the Eflight 64mm A-10 $430usd over here is bloody $730usd, so really that kinda money on a foam plane makes gyro/safe a mandatory feature lol.
Well if you are in EU and compare prices with USA then you can see that plane which cost 220$ in USA costs 350€ in EU. Also there is rarely something on a sale and its hard to find something in stock. Importing from USA would be to expensive(i bought by accident front landing gear from US shop instead EU) and for over a month my gear is travelling acros USA😅 and once it comes to my country i will have to pay 25% import tax(think its even more cause of USA) than on top of that 25% VAT + handling, papers, etc. So it will cost me almost double. 😢
Post-covid, flying foam doubled in price & beyond! Not to mention electronics' $$$ is beyond ridiculous nowadays. Nothing changed except for the prices!
@@old-rcplane-phart so true, an ix20 is $2546 usd! Around covid they were bloody $1090 usd, absolute rip off bullshit. We have trade agreements with China and we still get bent over, I'm also a QS for work and we monitor inflation in the supply chain, these increases are not real. They use increaseing costs as excuses but they haven't increased that damn much, corporate greed at its finest.
Started flying the old fashioned way, trainer, no gyro for my first 2 planes, I loved flying but crashed a lot so it was a love/ hate relationship.
Then my 3rd plane came with SAFE and it allowed me to learn so much more, push the plane, try new maneuvers and just flip a switch if I got confused, total game changer.
It's been a few years, still use gyros and safe, still crash sometimes but I wouldn't have gotten so far without this technology. As long as I can get something in the air and have it do what I want it to, I'm happy, I know many see it as a crutch but limping beats standing still.
Good video, I’m one of those that learned how to fly model airplanes with giro. I’m an old man , I always loved aviation but I never had the opportunity to get into the hobby until retirement (five years ago). I can tell that I really started to fly with the Aero Scout, because it comes with giro, radio, battery and charger. Right now I can fly warbirds, sport planes, and do aerobatics, of course with no giro, right now I only use the giro when I’m in a dangerous situation. So I think people that learn how to fly with no giro, is because at the time that they started to fly, giro didn’t exist and they were young guys…
Thank you.
I'm in my 70s and started flying a few years ago with the Sport Cub s. Still have it. My plane of choice is the Timber Evo. I fly alone at home so there is never a heckler 😆. Three years now. I only fly off safe at higher altitudes and flip it on when I think I can't recover. I've crashed and rebuilt many times. I enjoy the challenge. I really wanted to fly warbirds even as a kid. But I know now that hi-wingers are just my speed. Relaxing to fly and keep me smiling 😊. Real excitement is getting my 50 year old Norton and tearing up the back roads 👍 22 with 50 years of experience.
Hey Jon. You mentioned that the hobby of RC Airplane flight is declining. If that's true, I think one of the reasons is that the prices of everything RC is skyrocketing. Once you're an experienced pilot, price means nothing. You're addicted. If you need it, you buy it. It's just got to be done. But for a new person looking to getting into the Hobby, the prices are scary. Also, everything is so Regulated. Where you can fly and what time. Back when I started, Years and years ago before Electric was an option, you can just crank up the motor and let her rip into the sky right out in front of your house. Try that now, and Karen And her husband will both be out there threatening you. When it comes to Gyro's, half of my airplanes have em. Great video Jon. Keep flying.
Anything that flies under its own power and can be controlled costs quite a bit of money. Full scale and model scale aviation aren't exactly known for being cheap hobbies - but that's where FliteTest foamboard models come in. People can fly for significantly less money using one of those models.
yes, way to expensive, the new models from horizon...........
I'm 73, have been flying R/C since 1963 (yes, for 60 years now), and enjoy setting up and flying Spektrum AS3X/SAFE receivers in all of my planes. Naturally, I'm the only one at our field that understands anything about them. I currently have 18 EDF's and several propeller planes because I don't destroy them in crashes. I'm still flying the first EDF I bought 4 or 5 years ago. One of our club members refused to use the gyro that came in his new F-100 Super Sabre and he put it 40 feet up in a tree on the maiden flight. I tried to help him, but some people just can't be helped.
Thank You! This needs to be said loudly and often!
I learned to fly back in the 80s. Instructor on a buddy box, all "old school" Crystal radios, etc. I walked away several years later, frustrated by things that didn't work too well, months building, seconds destroying. If you were around back then you know. Jump forward around 40 years. I walked into a hobby shop to look around, saw a Horizon Hobby "Champ S+" The airplane bug bit again, so I bought it. Even though I was skeptical of foam instead of balsa and monokote. Easiest plane I ever flew! All the electronics made it easy for a guy in his 50s get back into flying. The AS3X, and SAFE mode made it possible for me to relearn how to fly without buddy-boxing and depending on others to fly with. I don't depend on the technology any longer, I can fly without the help of a gyro, but I like to have the assist if things get squirrely, or using SAFE as an "OH SHIT" switch if I lose orientation, or get into something I can't figure out how to get out of. I'll take "flip a switch and save my plane over being a tough guy and crashing. The technology mad it easier and more fun for this "Old Guy" to fly again, and help younger people fly. I still have that old Champ, it's been flown by a lot of people.
I’m hitting 50 soon. I fell in love with flying in 70’s and I started with line control. The actual Cox Helldiver still new in the box that my dad had never opened. I took a break and returned to gyros and radiomaster radios. They’re wonderful. They are allowing new people to get into the hobby and stay in it.
I’ve seen many people run off from confrontations and ignorant comments at the field. Many have just found private land to fly on and that’s the opposite of what we are supposed to be about in clubs.
I’ve pushed myself into tense conversations that I could see were getting into rough unwanted territory and that is so ridiculous. All because someone wants to fly stable. 😂 it still blows my mind that anyone would want to take time away from flying and smiling just to cut down someone’s joy.
My story is very similar to this. 72mHz Futaba Radios with whip antennas and crystals. Buddy box was our simulator. No gyros in those days. A good flying aircraft in manual mode will will even better with a gyro, IMO.
(Great video subject John!)
I have old men criticize me all the time about me using gyros. Had one guy even criticize me for using expo 😂
Oh no, expo! How dare you!
People ripping out AS3X receivers, or advising you to do so, don't even know that you can unlock them, reprogram them, and set them up however you want. I'm just starting on the hobby, and I am trying to experience by myself what exactly gyros are doing, so I reprogrammed my planes, including my AeroScout trainer, to have SAFE/AS3X/Nothing on a 3 way switch. So far I have not seen AS3X making much difference in any of my planes (AeroScout, SR22T, Conscendo Evo, PA-18, ASW-17), but all of them are pretty stable beginner friendly planes to start with. They are less affected by turbulence with AS3X on, but that's pretty much it. As I'm a beginner, I don't do any crazy aerobatics, so my experience is limited to "regular" flight.
Regarding SAFE, I don't like to use it, it's just too different to normal flight. Great as a way to have some fun when you're completely new though. And as others said, a life saver when you screw up, that's why I keep it available on the switch, it has saved me a few times already.
Been in the hobby about 4 years now and as an older guy, who'll turn 79 in August, I seriously doubt I would have stuck with it without the help of gyros. "SAFE" in particular saved me from many a crash; I think I would have quit the very first year if it were not for this technology.
Happy to hear you stuck with it! Flying is challenging enough without SAFE.
I teached myself how to fly with a gyro. I am not now a person who only relies on gyros. In fact in many planes, I don’t even have a gyro! Now I’m sure I’ll get some hate for my way of learning how to fly, but so be it. There is no point in making something harder than it already is. RC flying is intimidating enough when you go to fly your 300 dollar 1+ meter wingspan plane.
This can also manifest in injury and damage to property. I almost lost a finger due to people telling me that I wasn’t going to actually “learn how to fly” if I was using a gyro.
That’s enough ranting from me, but great video and keeping it real.
Your story is a lot more common than you might think - which is why we made this video. We wanted to bring attention to the fact that a lot of people are choosing to fly how they want to fly, and they don't need anyone's permission or approval to do it. You can either choose to welcome self-taught pilots with leveling assistance or you can shun them and watch this hobby die off. We'd rather be welcoming - because flight is a wonderful gift we'd rather share instead of keep hidden away from people.
Great video, to each their own! Personally, I love a pure and relaxing soaring aircraft, riding thermals with the only inputs being what I send. But I also love flying high performance aircraft to the edge of their flight envelope, down to the deck for that adrenaline rush and where a gyro does wonders. Different tools for different situations.
Yes, Yes and YES. I've been flying for 20+ years. I bought my daughter a Champ with a gyro so she could learn and fly at Flight Fest West years ago. She was the youngest female pilot there (8 years old). It gave her the confidence to fly at the event, with all the wind we had, and successfully nail landings. I flew it a bunch there too and flipping on the gyro on approach with all the wind was the only way a plane that small was going to be flyable with the afternoon wind. Since then I've put gyros on several planes, every FPV wing I've flown since has had one.
We use gyros all the time, regardless of wind. They make a well-flying model fly even better. There's no real downside to them.
Yeah... I know who Peter Webber is.
Man I'm to young to be this old.
And speaking of maturing on the timeline of life....
I'm back in the hobby and spending my dollars because of EPO foam and gyros.
My skill set was weak back in the day when I was build ing with balsa.
Like many reading this, I don't have the time or room to go that route anymore.
Long live gyros to keep us stable and steady on our journey to becoming a better RC pilot.
Cheers!
I started flying about a year ago. I love to fly but don't have the time to do so regularly enough to get good. Safe allows me to have fun and also learn by switching it off and on. Lets face it, these things are expensive. Safe allows someone to grow and learn without smashing several hundred dollars worth of plane and getting discouraged. My 2 cents.
Just wanna post this quote(about real F16).
The F-16 is inherently unstable, andactually requires a quad-redundant computer to fly. No human can respond quickly enough to control the aircraft. The computer is constantly adjusting the control surfaces to keep the plane flying. If all 4 computers were to fail, the aircraft would crash.
In the F-16, the pilot isn't directly adjusting the control surfaces, but the computer takes the pilot's input and adjusts the control surfaces to get where the pilot wants to go without losing control. I believe this is what is meant by the saying "the F-16 flies you".
A human is not necessary to fly the F-16, an autopilot is certainly capable of controlling the aircraft. An F-16 recently(Dec. 08) performed an autoland, landing successfully without any pilot input.
I learnt to fly without a gyro, but the model is a slow and stable high wing trainer, plus I had a patient instructor. Of the twelve models I own three have a gyro. With the gyro, I use “safe” as a panic button, flick it on regain control flick it off. The gyro makes a small unstable plane fly like a much larger model.
I notice members of the anti-gyro brigade prefer to fly big models, and I understand why. It’s a mixture of being easier to keep orientation, more stability, and elitism. Maybe these people are angry because they see others spend less money, less time getting ready, than they do, and have just as much fun flying.
Stabilization is used such that we can focus on flying instead of preventing crashes. Gyros or flight controllers take away a lot of stress that I can enjoy flying no matter the conditions. People who gatekeep are literally just coping with the fact that they can’t be bothered to set gyros up or that other people can have more fun with gyros.
I use a cane to keep from falling down, I use aileron/rudder mix , when wanted, on my scale models. Using a "crutch" is my business. Been flying RC since the early 60's. Will try using a stabilizer soon, more fun flying when winds come up rather than packing up and going home.
Great video with great points!! I gotta say that thanks to you I started using gyro and it helps me a lot stabilize and also prevents some undesirable crashes due to environment conditions! So thank you for keep pushing this topic! 🙏🏻🙌🏻
Love that you posted this. Let's all just have fun no matter what that may look like. Thanks for the great channel content. Keep it up!
Consider people who have motor control issues or they can't see as well. Stabilization keeps them flying years longer. Another example is skiing, which got so much more fun because ski technology got so good that beginners skied like experienced skiers and experienced skiers ski like experts. There are still some people who talk about the old days but almost all old school skiers can't wait to get the new tech.
What tech are you referring to?
Absolutely agree. If you are new to RC then be safe and have fun, if you are experienced in RC help people to be safe and have fun. If something is fun it naturally encourages learning more about it.
Anyone who needs to learn the power of a gyro should fly one of those Eachine mini warbirds....small 400mm planes ..... almost impossible without it but incredibly good even in wind with it. Just some fun for the experienced as they're not true hobby grade I guess but alot of folks will start the hobby with these due the appeal of cheap entry.
As someone who grew up in 1823 having to get used to flying model planes without wings, I think kids these days are a little too soft. Like no, you don’t need a propeller when you can climb to the top and throw it, a lil excersise don’t hurt? L.O.L
Most days in the late fall, winter and early spring I take my Cessna 170 from Flex with the Aura 8. Our field is 1/2 hour away and as luck would have it, by the time we get there the wind is up beyond what you would normally feel safe to fly in. That is why I use the old Cessna. Even in 30 mile per hour winds you can still get a flight or two so you haven't wasted your time. Another great one for really rough days is my Grand Tundra also using an Aura 8. With it's articulated gear this one is ready for anything. I don't find the need for stabilization on my 1/4 scale stuff so much, but do use an Aura 8 to tame the rudder on my BUSA Tri-plane to pretty much guarantee nice normal landings rather than the usual for WW1 aircraft, especially tri-planes. This year makes 50 years of RC flying for me.
Addressing the buttholes was overdue ! Good job. My first RTF spitfire got me hooked last year. It had a built in gyro which made flight so much more enjoyable ! Now I'm onto a smart TX and several EDF jets. Can't wait to get them flying with safe and as3x
I left scale balsa and AMA fields because those guys years ago. Now I'm all foam, flight controllers, inav and FPV. Gyros were my gateway to flight controllers
It is a little ironic that this video judges other people for judging other people. However, I agree with your message that the hobby is supposed to be fun and don’t spoil other people’s fun because your idea of fun is different.
That isn't irony. What you're describing is the paradox of tolerance - to have a community that thrives and prospers, you must weed out the intolerant who seek to exclude people. This hobby would be dead if everyone who flew was a gatekeeping jerk who told newcomers to bugger off. Someone has to stand up against that kind of behavior, and we'd like to use some of our influence to tell people that it isn't OK to treat people like that.
@@TwoBrosRC They won’t change. All we can hope to do is help people to ignore them. It is the main reason I fly in the park and avoid “RC fields” and clubs… I was trained at an early age.
I fly 3d, and the gyro just locks all of your maneuvers like it's on rails and it's great. Harriers are wonderful without a lot of wing rock when you got a nice gyro setup
This. I had an unstabilized 3D plane that I was rarely flying anymore. Too squirelly in any kind of wind. Then I put an FrSky S6R stabilized receiver in it. Now I can fly it in some wind and harriers are much more enjoyable. Also it's nice to have the self-levelling / panic modes just in case. Not that I need them 🤣😂🤣😂🤣🙃😇.
@@boeing747400ifly Same, I had an old MX2 3d plane with no gyro and it flies so stiff/rugged in the air you can't hold maneuvers smoothly. Slapped a gyro and now it helped muff out those rough edges.
I have a larger Extra 300 with a gyro and you'll see how well it flies here with winds on the link ua-cam.com/video/hTh-5LSsoYw/v-deo.html
I fly a Saab 340 for a living and it is our standard operating procedure to turn the Yaw damper and autopilot on at about 10 seconds after takeoff.
I say use technology to make things easier and more enjoyable and use your skills to stay sharp. Use both of those things in harmony.
That was just spectacular, John! I am just getting started in the hobby after a 36 plus year career flying commercially and a stint in the Navy flying fighters before that. I was thinking, hmmmm, half of the full scale stuff today wouldn’t fly without all the wiz bang computer inputs, and then you brought it up. Perfect! Aviation is a humbling experience as much as it is an exhilarating one. Nobody knows it all and I was LMAO at your response to those who think they do 😂
You do an awesome job and I am thankful for the knowledge and experience I get to take away from your presentations. Bravo my friend!
Happy to be of service!
Someone bought an Ferrari Enzo. He was commenting on the traction control. He said, "unless you're Micheal Schumacher, do not turn off traction control".
Excellent video. Part of my response is tongue and cheek, most isn't. When I learned to fly, we didn't have no stinking gyros. We had to learn to fly the plane ourselves on a corderd buddy box and before that, we would hand the transmitter back and forth. Now having said that, I have switched a few of my planes over to using a gyro after I purchased a new 91" ExtremeFlite NG that was equipped with an Aura8 Pro. OMG, I love being able to enjoy just flying. I don't have a switch on my transmitter that says "Gyro, do rolling harrier", "Gyro do inverted flat spin", "Gyro do rolling circle" or any of the other maneuvers I try to do. What the gyro does for me, is make flying in windy conditions something that you don't think about like I used to. Even with a gyro, the P factor on an upline for a hammerhead still pulls and you have to compensate with the rudder. I switched over my FW AvantiS to my AS3X ready receiver and an already stable and fantastic tracking plane, now flys even better in wind. I have a 74" EF Laser that feels like a larger 91" EF laser now that it has the AS3X gyro in it.
Back to Tongue and Cheek. Back in my day we didn't fly no coffee cup airplane with no fancy smancy gyro. My response to these folks is "There was a time where man didn't walk around with clothing, or drive a car too, but things change"
Nothing reminds me faster that I’m just playing with foam toys than an RC plane in the wind without a gyro;)
I fly a flag at my airstrip that says Chillen the Most.
I wouldn't be as far as I am with out gyros let alone today's awesome radio program ability.
Fly it like you STOL it.
Cheers
I re-learned to fly nov 2019. Safe was great, cause i was waaay off 4th base 😂! After a few months, getting my reflexes back (ps5), & my hand/eye coordination where it was once, i felt i didn't need a gyro anymore. Thats ME!
Everyone i fly with weekly, (15 pilots, 12 use a gyro), & when i started flying again, it was only me. Everyone i fly with now 'used to fly 20 yrs ago' during the crystal/nitro days.
As ive said 100's of times b4, each to their own! My friends who fly range from 20's to 80's, me being 57.
Personally, I've not had/used a gyro since March 2020. Except for my umx birds, but don't gotta activate it. Just don't assign it🤷♂️.
I fly horrible foam FPV things with the usual array of electronics, but will likely never set foot on an AMA field for LOS flying simply because of the attitude. It'd be nice to improve my LOS skills, but I can learn on my own, I guess.
We're with you on that, though there are good clubs out there - they're just hard to find in our experiences.
Thanks for another helpful video. Simply put, this technology has helped many new flyers learn and stay in our hobby. After a 30 yr break I " relearned" how to fly using SAFE. I no longer use it, but I'll never bash those who do, In fact, I encourage it !
I don't have social media so this is really my only platform for rc airplanes I follow a few of you guys based on attitude I am a beginner started with a volantex p51 have a carbon cub s2 and a few others I've looked into the airfields and that's all I keep getting told is to hook up with an instructor and a buddy box membership and all that and I'm really not ready for all of it. So I end up just flying outback or at the park close to me and I know if I got Facebook or what not I could probably find some good guys to fly with. So I just watch videos and and apply what you all have to teach me and I use gyros I've lost a couple planes but I've seen pros lose 40000 dollar planes so it comes with the hobby but I've noticed a lot of you guys have a spotter camera guy so it's another set of eyes. Anyway thanks for the video you guys and enjoy the skies!!!!
gyros are great both for beginners and old gentlemans. As Im a weekend flier it helps alot. Dont listen to negative people, listen to your self. Happy flight ✈️
I started flying RC helicopters in 07 and there were very little aids out there to help a person learn. As a result my first summer was a mind bending array of crash, order parts, repair and repeat. That winter I swallowed my pride and got a simulator, did that over the winter and by spring 08 was capable of basic upright helicopter flight. Fast forward to this day and I fly everything that can fly. My helicopters have flybarless gyro systems (because who flies a flybar anymore), my freestyle quads are of course gyro stabilized. My planes do not have gyros as I don't really need them for the flying I do. That being said, I always endorse anything that can help a new person learn because I'm not an old codger who sneers at modern technology. If it gets you in the air who cares if it's a 6 axis squirrel spinner inside the plane as long as the smiles and joy happen. We do not tolerate negative judgement peeps at our field, it's all about the fun. We all work too hard during the week to put up with tiny minds on the weekends.
I tried a gyro-less nitro heli decades ago. Uh, NO!!
Heli's a gyro is a definite must have! (I'm too young for a heart attack!)
in real life most aircraft are fly by wire meaning there most definitely is a gyro or flight computer on board. in most cases the fighter aircraft we see today cannot fly without these gyros as they would be nearly impossible to control. as a byproduct, smaller planes that replicate those larger aircraft will inherently fly better with a gyro. its just common sense to have one without one you're flying by the seat of your pants quite litterally! great video. keep em coming!
I'm one of those no gyro fliers....but to each their own....I do t use them because I had a hard time learning how to set them up to where they don't throw me off....the beauty of this hobby is there is more than 1000 ways to skin a cat....I fly pretty much strictly 3d now days...I learned gow to fly with a simulator and no buddy box or instructor....and flew for a couple months before joining a club....I'm glad I learned that way because it got me used to flying low at first and not knowing the normal rules was venificial to me....I'm also glad i never learned how to use a gyro because it made me confident I can fly a plane ate its complete base setup...but it doesn't bother me at all when others use them...they just don't work for me from lack of knowledge....if flew turbines I would absolutely want a gyro and also liked the pre setup one on my umx turbo timber I used to fly qll the time....what's good for one isn't always good for the other and no one is right or wrong we all lik different things... this hobby isn't copy and paste....so do what works for you
Many thanks for highlighting all of that in a humerous way.
NOW, lets get down to exploring how to make best use of gyros and in particular those available in the Spektrum family. One reason I follow you is because I too use Spektrum. All my aircraft are fitted with SAFE RXs.
In my 70s I joined the hobby in 2020. Luckily I have enough property to have been able to make my own airstrip. Thanks to gyros and SAFE I was able to teach myself. Now that I no longer rely on SAFE and have moved on to EDFs such as FMS A10 and SU34 etc... I am exploring the finer points of AS3X gain and how to make use of an expanded SAFE.
The other day I increased SAFE angle limits to their full allowance and was surprised to find the aircraft became "not much fun to fly" and I could loop and roll somewhat weirdly. Annoyingly, strong winds here in mid UK have stopped flying for a while but I ventured into strong gusty conditions today to show my grandson how my Turbo Timber flies and the conditions really showed me how effective AS3X is. The ailerons were clearly flapping away to keep the Timber stable for my flight. I didn't try SAFE to see how it would help.
I hope you will now delve into the finer detail of how to benefit from Spektrum's gyros to get the best out of one's aircraft when flying at the edge of the flught envelope.
I have been a professional fixed and rotary pilot all my working life - outside the airliner world. Military, corporate, bush in Africa and HEMS.
We can definitely consider a "how to tune your gyro for maximum performance" vid in the future. Thanks Tommy!
I fly on a 2.5km ex-military landing strip. It is very open space(no tree in 2-3km radius) and VERY windy. Gyro keeps me get my plane home in one piece. As a new pilot am spending most of my time on a strip learning landings. Since i cant change strip orientation, my plane always get hit by 60-90° wind from a right side which is quite challenging for a beginner pilot cause wind mostly blows in gusts. If someone wants to fly in those conditions without gyro, its their choice just like mine is i wanna fly with gyro.
So argument "real pilots dont use gyro" is on the same level as "real bikers dont wear helmets"
Great Video very well said, I hear it allot take the GYRO out and do it, I can do it with or without a GYRO, but it makes every maneuver smoother, bottom line you still have to fly the plane! People think it fly's the plane totally, now a 50cc 3d plane you can crash pretty easy on 3D rates unless you are on your game, and landing it helps a bunch if turbulent wind starts blowing which here in Arizona it can sometimes it corrects radical movements of the plane faster than you can, it made me look good many times when the winds picked up about one minute before landing when your timer goes off!
Just got my first plane yesterday! It's a sport cub s2 and I've had a blast with it. I've only been able to keep it in the air for 30 sec to a minute at a time haha. So terrified to crash it. I love your channel, especially your crash videos. And the fact you stand up for the newcomers is awesome too. Can't wait to meet all the die hard anti-gyro fellas
Trust us, you don't want to meet them.
I must be in a great club, because I don't think even once ( thankfully) have I EVER heard another member disparage a person for using a gyro. My main reason for using a gyro is because it makes the plane look so much more realistic looking in the wind. And, when a friend built me a very nice looking Flitetest Viggen with a 6s set up, after adding a hobby eagle gyro, I felt it flew as nice as anything made by Freewing! Before the gyro- not so much!
When I started this hobby over 15 years ago, I destroyed 4 Depron airplanes before I could reasonably fly.
If there had been affordable gyros back then, I probably would have only needed a plane to learn. Admittedly, a simulator would have gotten me to my destination just as well.
There is nothing useful to say against gyros.
It's the same stupid argument when old people say: XYZ didn't exist before, so I don't need it now either. But to be honest, I'm 45 now, sometimes I catch myself saying bullshit like that to my kids 😀
Thanks for this bro this is exactly why I never fully joined the 2 clubs around me. Both of them have their own group of dickheads that talk shit about you while your flying so I just stay away and I found a farmer with a field it sucks because I'm always by myself but I like flying to much to give up
I use gyros because it' makes flying easy and I'm lazy I want to have fun and not work hard at flying I can fly without but I get tired of controlling it
I have been learning to fly in safe mode and I will continue to do so as I learn to fly and I have no intention to stop completely with gyros untill I can fly with a gyro
We still use SAFE in our models. It's important to have the ability to throw a switch and put it in auto-level mode in case you're distracted by insects or being talked to by people, or if you make a mistake. There's nothing wrong with flying how you want to fly!
I experienced playing arpund with a gryo on my first AL37 three years ago. The guy i bought it from had put in a 636. At first i just turned it off and didnt think i needed one for such a big docile plane and that i couldnt be bothered at the time to learn about gyros like that. Then one day i decided to turn it on using gains from a guy on rcgoups and it was awesome. All those little twitches or tail waggles from flying with cg behind the stock setting and with the winds out here in the midwest was dampened beautifully. It made flying a more fun and i have totally jumped into the deep end with using rate gyro settings to help when needed and i even enjoy the occasional "safe" setting even after flying rc planes since 2007😅.
A well-tuned gyro does fantastic things for almost any airframe!
Great video. I first started flying about 16 years ago with some 3ch entry level models from Horizon like the Aerobird and the Stryker. I don't know if gyros were even available back then, but the planes I was flying certainly didn't have them. After crashing my Stryker many many times, I got frustrated and stopped flying for over 10 years. When I came back to RC flight a few years ago, I started with an RTF Aeroscout and it was the SAFE technology that really enabled me to fall in love with the hobby again, even more so than back when I started. Now I have multiple planes that I fly several times per week, most of the year. I use stabilization at some point on every flight, even if only takeoff and landing.
Would I be a better pilot if I weaned myself off of it? Probably, but I truly don't care. I'm not a professional pilot. I don't care to be better than anybody else. I fly solely for my own enjoyment and I'm able to do so because of gyros.
And we're happy to hear that! There's some people who will try to push you out of flying in SAFE. If that's all you want out of the hobby, then we hope you have fun and enjoy it!
To be or not to be. To use or not to use. It's a simple choice. I find it puzzling why such arguments are put forth about the use of stabilization and SAFE technology. If the flip of a switch can help bring a valued aircraft back safely, so be it. If there are those who choose not to utilize stabilization, fine, but don't assign blame to those that do. AirHammer out!!
For us beginners, could you do a video on setting up a gyro. Only flown my RTF, just bought a NX8 and getting ready to bind my first AR631 to it, in a kingfisher, been doing this about 6 months, and having a blast on safe/ax3s. Thank you guys for all you do for this hobby.
You can check our setup guides for models, we've demonstrated how we've set up our Spektrum AS3X systems before. A more in-depth guide is most likely coming in the future. Thanks!
I have a video on programming the AR636. Some of the things I discuss apply to other gyros. I also just made one on how to check a gyro.
I just watched your comments on a GYRO and had to finally subscribe. I love the transparency and could not agree more with you, thank you for posting. I have been back in RC for the last 7 years after limited flying time while coaching my kids into men as a dad and running a company. I have always been confident as a builder , but over time lost confidence in my flying from work stress and lack of airtime.
Making matters worse I fly warbirds lol, so we all know what can wrong with typically heavier loaded rc models .
In 2022, I learned how to program a gyro, yes it was that late in my RC life 2022.
Setting the gyro up at virtually 20% of max and having the option of on and off , the gyro has been a blessing in taming difficult takeoffs and landings.
I love the added stability the technology has added and in fact its only made me a better pilot.
In closing thank you again , I have been at the field when you hear “ thats cheating, I dont use Gyros and all the negative comments, I don't care , I go home with my beautiful warbirds in one piece !
Thanks again , love your videos and flight reviews.
Rcgroups member LDM
Happy to hear it, man!
I started in RC with helicopters in the 90's. I bought a simulator (very primitive at the time) and got my first 100 crashes out of the way on the sim. Then moved to the actual heli, with training gear (Roto Pod) for stability and a bigger footprint. When I finally took the Roto Pod off, I was well on my way to flying the heli. All these crutches I used, and yet - NOBODY flew helicopters without a gyro. Nobody.
Stability augmentation isn't a bad thing. We don't have seat-of-the-pants feedback when we fly RC, like you would in a full size. We do have the option to crash and walk away (unlike full size), but regardless - who wants that?
Technology is good, only plane I own with a gyro is the aeroscout. I only flew it in Safe once and disliked how controlling it was but AS3X only mode really helped in the wind. I wouldn't berate someone for using a gyro especially not a new pilot, but I have seen in RL and UA-cam pilots that never learn to fly a trainer without safe while moving on to harder to fly planes and they never acquire the skills needed to fly the harder planes and always crash. Just my two cents - Gyros = good, but not learning to fly out of Safe = bad, Safe is a good tool to have as a backup or oops moment.
Some people just want to fly in SAFE and that shouldn't be looked down on - not everyone has a desire to push themselves. We do, so we prefer to fly to test our own limits, but it's important to remember that not everyone shares your own goals. There's a sizable amount of people who just enjoy flying in circles and that's all they want out of the hobby.
@@TwoBrosRC If people want to fly in Safe and fly in circles that's cool. I wouldn't say I look down on and I never criticize people or say things to discourage someone from flying. My comment is more of an observation. I say people that won't bother to learn to fly out of safe on a trainer have no business moving to low wing planes, warbirds or EDFs. Even if said planes have Safe I see these types of people constantly crash because they simply don't have the skill to fly those planes. When that happens I never talk bad to them, I try to encourage them. I only say this as a comment because what I see is they always get discouraged and end up not wanting to fly.
Well said !
And the same goes for those guys that hate on the newer, GPS, stabilized helicopters that are as easier to fly. "You'll never learn how to fly a helicopter with that toy".
I've been flying RC since the mid 70s, and am so happy that the technology allows me to continue to enjoy this hobby even more. Stabilization, self leveling, return to home, loiter, etc. are all wonderful and not only help me as I get older, but can teach you new tricks. Not to mention having digital HD, head-tracking FPV in many of my planes. This hobby just gets better and better.
Cheers!
You and your videos have been brought up many times at the field. And the #1 thing we all agree on is that you do not maiden a plane in its stock, by-the-book, configuration/recommendation. What we would like to see is the first part of new plane video have it demonstrated in it it's stock setup, followed by a demonstration with your recommendations/modifications and/or setup. This would hands down blow all the other "New Plane" videos out of the water.
And yes, I too am happy the EC-150 is back ! I kinda think you had something to do with that, LOL.
Flying purely stock is probably something we won't do - our audience expects our models to fly the way we show them off. If we can find a way to make it work, though, we'll definitely consider it. Thank you!
I don’t us a gyro because im broke af😂 I started with a a piper with a badly tuned gyro. So i had a bad impression of a gyro! But when i got some UMX Turbo Timber and the gyro when the gyro was actually tuned right it felt magical! I think gyros are good for beginners but once you get better it’s good to at least turn off SAFE for once and learn to control the airplane. Gyros are good. End of discussion.😊
Thank you for this video! When I came back to this hobby - I was faced with this with every other post.
Gyros are a good thing for beginners and for hand launching special planes with a bad behavior 👍
I prefer to fly without, because it's more interesting, but some planes have a gyro.
Crashing planes and repair them it's my pleasure.😂
Gyros are useful for a lot of things, not just self-leveling!
Awesome video! I so needed this as it was spot on. Be an inspiration to the enjoyment of RC flying and not THAT GUY! You just put it all in a nutshell. Been flying RC for years.
Well said!
lol i remember when a 1 axis gyro was larger than a go pro. needed 3 , oh how tech has evolved. from a radio that filled my 72 impala trunk to a AM kraft radio. enjoy the tech it is there use it. , sad part is you just described most ama sites and members. hence why i don't join a club . been in many . lots of great people but too many snobs
I could not agree more with you.
But at some point I wasn't sure if you were talking about rc or marriage 😂😅😂😅
Gyros are a fact of life in aviation, it's great that they finally trickled down to rc. Issues. I learned to fly drones in auto level first. Only recently have I learned to fly without the auto level. I wish I did it the other way around. I see this a possible issue with fixed wing. As I learned that without auto level and I think I'm better for it. Other thing my UMX Timber did not have enough rudder authority in SAFE mode and almost lost the plane on a windy day. Lucky I found the switch and got it back. I guess don't fly your 150g plane unless you crank up the throws. User error but still.
Thank you. Very well stated Jon. Gyro’s helped me get back into the hobby quickly, after a 30 year break. Many RC flyers in their senior years benefit from Gyros and are able to enjoy the hobby, without having to worry about crashing on takeoff or landing, for example.
I fly quad copters…you literally cannot get one off the ground without a gyro and a flight controller 👍 great video
Thanks for sharing. I have no shame in using gyros. I have both Hobby Eagle and Spektrum. I am happy and it keeps my confidence up and thus enjoy the hobby further.
Safe/A3SX saved a dying hobby. Gyros have brought more people into the hobby than ever before. ❤️✌️
I didnt even know what is safe/as3x when i bought plane that had those. 😅
Gyros helped me take the plunge and try RC flying, after being into boats and cars only. I just wasn't looking forward to buying or building a plane, and wreck it on the first flight. Now I am enjoying RC flight, because I know that if I lose orientation, or the wind suddenly picks up, and landing becomes tricky, I can count on the gyro to help me give a better odds. It still won't land the plane for me, it still needs to be flown there. I wonder if these pilots giving people who use a gyro, a hard time, also drive cars without powersteering, and full manual motor management, so they have to manually set the mixture for each rpm range, manifold, switch on fuel pump etc. Or do they enjoy the convenience of a "turn-key" vehicle? But surely, anyone running a car with automated stuff isn't a "real driver", right? ;-)
I use gyros in my planes for takeoff and landing because I like not having my planes turned into expensive piles of foam. Real pilots have flight computers to help them, why shouldn’t I 😎
so far AS3X has never interfered with me controlling the plane, at least not that i have noticed it, so against turbulences it's quite nice. it's also nice to have a button to activate safe on a plane, especially when it's a new plane and haven't been trimmed yet. when i bought the umx a-10 i thought that 850mAh batteries would be way too large so i used the 500mAh that i already had. that plane was not controllable at all and without activating safe and flying a HUGE circle to land, it would've been destroyed at the first flight :D (it flies really great with 850mAh batteries though, no safe needed at all :3 ). what i hear people say all the time, and i believe it's true, is that learning with safe or a similar system teaches new pilots bad behavior. the best thing, i assume, is to either learn with a sim, have someone with experience to buddy-fly or at least have some idea how a plane acts (tbh, even flying planes in GTA is "realistic" enough to teach some basics that are true for rc flying as well)
I got told my FW-190 with Saito Radial was not "scale" as the real one had an inline engine.
I like the video and it makes some excellent points but there is another side to it. Gyros gained in popularity with multi rotor 'drones', which, with their advanced gyro systems, made flying something radio control ready accessible to the masses. This, as well all know by now, has lead to the RC hobby becoming very regulated as of late when prior to the advent of the 'anyone can fly it' out of the box systems, flying somethin g RC was a niche that never gained much attention from the FAA and the general public. I think it is those middle aged and older that got into this hobby years ago. before gyros. that really had to learn how to fly without a 'safety net' and learned how to fly safely (flying safely being key) while being instructed without the use of advanced gyro systems is where a lot of the animosity comes from, i.e., learning the hard way vs. opening up a box with no prior experience and doing something potentially unsafe because one might not know any better. I used to be quite anti gyro myself for these reasons but eventually decided to give them a try and I do like using them. We welcome all sorts of newbies to our RC club field as long as they are willing to learn to fly safely who cares if a gyro is used. It's someone flying something near power lines in a public park for example that really gets to me. Prior to gyros this didn't happen, now it is all too common, and now we have to deal with the FAA because of it. There really are two sides of it and as far as what might be destroying the hobby, one could make the same argument against gyros since many people just don't get into it now due to the regulation, which didn't exist before gyros.
Hobbies only grow if people feel welcomed and artificial barriers to entry aren't erected. Gyros aren't really a FAA-related issue - drones use them to stabilize themselves but model aircraft can't fly like a drone can. The people using drones to fly into restricted airspace or otherwise interfere with manned aviation (or peeping on people) is what's causing the regs to come down.
l fly gyros in some of my jets, l dont normally fly gyros in my aerobatic planes such as my Pitts.they have their uses.
i actually fly foam rc planes i teach and help any one who wants to fly rc
, what annoys me is that newbies with no ideal what and where to fly ,with the gyros in them (mainly drones) ,causing the government to put in the new drone enforcement laws in place just because the idiot flew over an airfield,or homes,
that is what is killing the hobby ,
a gyro is a good way to help learn to fly and save your p[lane at times. But if you set your plane up correctly it doesn't need a gyro to fly , but if you enjoy using 1 then that is your choice ,and no 1 else's.
myself i prefer to feel what the aircraft is telling me and fly within the real limits without a gyro,
So you're saying that Horizon, Flex, FMS, and every other company that sells aircraft with gyros doesn't know how to set them up correctly? That's a bold statement.
@@TwoBrosRC so how did we fly with out them and i take all the supplied gyros out of all my foamies they fly fine
maybe you should try it .it might surprise you
or cant they make plane that fly without them .the gyros are supplied for beginners to have a wider selection ,once only a high wing trainer was used
I actually just had a very interesting conversation with Jon about your exact comment.
I would just like to thank you for not being like most people. I think that many people could learn from this comment in the way that it is your choice how you want to fly and that your are stating what YOU prefer not saying what everyone should prefer.
On the flip side I feel like by saying that "If you set up a plane correctly you don't need a gyro" you are undermining a whole type of flying. Yes if you have a nose heavy plane, it will not need a gyro to fly well and controllable. If you have a tail heavy plane and are trying to fly at the edge of the envelope, setting up a plane correctly doesn't make it fly as if it had a gyro.
Just my 2 cents.
Again, you appear to be implying that the companies that manufacture model aircraft don't know what they're doing. That's a strange take.
@@speedfix7 it is personal choice .how far do you want to learn ,at some point your relying on something else , or do you feel the flight
It's like this in amateur radio too. I joined the local amateur radio club. I was new to the hobby in 2014 and I have to admit I was disgusted that people thought it was a legitimate sport to put me down at club meetings and on air. They'd serve food but I was directed to stay away from it as it is for members only. I said I am a paid member. I was told to I'm nobody around here. You must understand I was 49 years of age at the time, own everything I've got, fit and have a life. I simply wouldn't allow them to treat me as a 2 year old and went and took a plate and sat down and ate something in front of them. It was like a hanging offense.
I could never speak to anyone locally on air, at swap meets they even refused to sell stuff to me. These guys are in walking frames! They've commandeered the hobby and if you're interested in amateur radio you basically have to kiss ass to use the airwaves without profound harassments, jokes made about you license class, radio & equipment, antenna setup. No one backs you up, no one wants to speak to you. If you get advice and choose not to follow it, well then that's the end of you. I never use any of the $10,000 of equipment I have, never talk, never listen to conversations but I do renew my license each year LOL. A more arrogant bunch of utter nobodies you'd be hard pressed to find I reckon.
I joined a gliding club and got very similar treatment. Went on a gliding camp as a student intending to do a first solo on the camp and after the CFI left all the members took the gliders allocated to me via pre paid rostered slots with an instructor and went flying. I actually went there to go solo. No one talked to me at the barbecue, no one wanted to even try and speak to me - this went for wives and partners too. Never got my money back. Left and never went back. The CFI did call me and I told him what happened and I don't think he believed me or thought it was my fault but I pointed out the paperwork records speak for themselves.
This sort of thing goes on in volunteer organizations too. This is why getting people to volunteer is impossible these days. People with narcissism personality disorder insert themselves into positions of trust and ruin everything by displaying compassion and empathy to those above them but those below them get the full unrelenting double barrel bullying including lies they tell about you to the people above them. Who would ever volunteer???
As long as I live I'll never join another club again and after this vid I'll be doubly sure to stay well away from the local RC club (which is next door to the amateur radio club peculiarly enough).
We've never been interested in club flying - and clubs in general are prone to the types of people you're describing. Just isn't worth it.
I’m put off because I can only like this once; you nailed it, Jon.
I retired from a career in process control. I returned to the hobby to learn how much it has advanced, with wide amazement.
For example, I’d love to see just ONE of the naysayers fly a UMX Pitts in a little wind… say 3-4mph, gusting to 7-8mph, without AS3X. No further debate will be necessary. Has anyone hacked a way to turn it off?
UMX models would be nearly unflyable in turbulent wind, even if the wind is light - the AS3X gyros keeping those things stable is a work of engineering brilliance.
I wouldn't have been able to start flying RC if it wasn't for gyros I've learned a lot since then but I still use it on landings
AS3X/SAFE is what got into the hobby two years ago, still got a long way to go, but I appreciate your insight and assistance as well as the other channels I follow.
Hi Jon loved you video on gyros,I love them and use them were I can because our strip allways has a cross wind with out fail so gyro it is.
Gyro is a tool. And if you can enable or disable it at will, like FMS Reflex can be done with flick of a switch (channel 5 with PWM/SBUS settings), where's the harm in having "oh sh..." button or aid in flying when conditions are less than optimal?
Also FYI, there's difference between noob and novice. Novice is, well, new to something and don't have knowledge/experience on the topic. Noob is someone refusing to learn and often being cranky when you point out his/her errors.
There is unfortunately no distinction - "noob" comes from n00b which was just 1337speak for "newbie" - people have tried to make distinctions over the years between newb/n00b/noob but it's basically the same thing right now - it means someone new to a hobby. And those people who crap all over anyone for flying differently than they do are one of the reasons why this hobby isn't as popular as it should be. It has a well-earned reputation for being gatekeepy. Which really sucks because it's so much fun.
@@TwoBrosRC I still like to make that distinction, even if its obsolete nowadays. I've seen to many equivalents of "I have 10 years of experience behind sticks and I've yet to land without breaking something" in games to use the same word for novices to the hobby and remarkably dense specimens.
I really appreachiate your video. It is fact, using a gyro is not only a beginner thing. If you find your plane in a dangerous situation (heavy gusting) a gyro will save your plane. Gyro haters will potentially destroy their planes - but hey... "I would never use a gyro".... sure...
Needed to be said Jon. Thanks. Ironically I see the same people pull an iPhone from their pockets- not an old Bakelite decadic dial phone on a lon….g lead 👌
I was able to start flying thanks to Horizon Hobby and their affordable Spektrum Transmitters(Dx8G2) I have used gyros and I use them still on occasion especially when trying aerobatics on new planes or I have that occasional brainfart or dumb thumbs. I've gotten into it with several @$$es, you learn to set them up over time and crashing planes, so if I can save $400 by throwing the switch yes I will, as for them, they're mad this technology is out now and not in 1967. As for foamies, they're superrrrrr easy to fix and easy to replace and a foamie with a gyro is great for getting new people into the hobby and for a quick flight when unexpected time presents its self. I could go on and on but I say if you're having the most fun you're the best pilot on the field
Nice Video! I just wanted to ask you how you seperated the Aileron from the Canards on the Eurofighter? Could you maybe make a video how to do it. Please
Check out the first vid we published on it. The setup guide is at the end.
Yes, yes, yes,,,, exactly. I welcome every single new technology advancement that makes it down to our hobby ..... and yes, I've been flying since the 1400's (1979 to be exact). The constant advancements in technology keep the hobby exciting and fun, and helps welcome new people to the hobby. Now I'm off to start building my MB-339 Turbine, which I will be installing a Cortex Pro gyro in .... because, I can.
Because you can is as good a reason as any!
Nice topic Jon. What gets me is prevalent in everything these days...being in a "camp". It's all of one thing or way of thinking...or nothing. What this hobby needs from everyone, the old guys and the newbies...is flexibility. I see and hear it from both sides honestly. The people that have never used a gyro tell the new folks how stupid they are for using one, but I also see plenty of people that have used gyros since they started tell guys that don't they are stupid for not using one. There are criticisms from both camps, and it boils down to simple psychology. People are afraid of, and resistant to things they don't understand. As a guy that has multiple planes with...and without gyros, and as a guy that has experience setting planes up to fly well with and without them, I can say there are merits, and much to be learned from both. The gyro camp and the anti gyro camp are greatly divided. Both think they are the smart ones. The truth is they are BOTH full of it. A guy that doesn't use gyros, doesn't program them, tweak the set ups, etc. can't speak to it and has NO business criticizing someone that does use them about what they are doing. But, that is a double edged sword. A guy that uses gyros in everything all the time can't speak to setting up and flying planes at a high level without them, and has no business criticizing people that don't use them.
Basically you're right about not being a jerk about it to people. No reason for that ever and just displays ignorance. I would add to that no reason to only be in one steadfast camp. See how the other half lives so to speak. Again, much to be learned from both philosophy's, and gaining experience both ways only makes for a more flexible, capable, and knowledgeable pilot/modeler. I'm not in a camp, I'm a Model AV8R. I use gyros, and I don't. I have fun and fly well either way, and most important to me...I can help a new guy no matter what they show up to the field with...weather it has a gyro or not. Regardless of what a pilot decides...we should all respect the choices of others. That is easier to do when we understand what they are doing.
The ultimate point we're making is just don't be a jerk to people. Enjoy the hobby to see people flying and getting into aviation, not to exclude them and use it as a climbing summit to Mt. Ignorance so you can claim everyone is less skilled than you because they don't fly with (foam airplanes, gyros, expo, computerized transmitters, anything but control line) what you personally don't. If more people were just content to enjoy people being **in** the hobby at all, regardless of what they chose to fly or how they chose to approach flight, we'd wager that it would have grown a lot larger by this point.
@@TwoBrosRC I get that Jon, and I'm not diminishing your point. You're right, and I agree, there is no point in being a jerk about whatever point of view a person has on the subject. Doing that can absolutely run people off from the hobby. That said, you opened up the conversation, and it is a multi faceted subject with many caveats. You mention "Older Hobbyists being A holes" like they are the only guys being jerks on the topic. You may not mean it that way, but it is a generalization none the less. It is as if they (we, because I am an old guy) are all jerks to gyro users. I know many old guys that do as I do and use gyros in some things, but not all, and I know old guys that use them in everything. Many mentor young guys with gyros too. I also know a jerk or two about it, and they aren't all the old school fellas. Some are the younger crowd snickering at the old fellas that can't "get with the times".
You know me reasonably well Jon. We've talked a good bit about a lot of deeper subjects. You know I'm generally a voice of reason, and fair. I'm not knocking your video at all...I agree with the majority of it. My one and only critique would be that there is no suggestion that the pro gyro camp can be unprompted jerks as well, and the fact is many can. I've heard both sides because I fly with everybody. Many of them see me doing one thing a particular day, and then assume that is the only way I do it. So they speak their negative garbage to me thinking I'm "in their camp".
I'm simply adding to the conversation my friend, and make no mistake...everything is worth a conversation. Unfortunately it is human nature to be critical, and to judge. Some loose track of whether or not a feeling should be turned in to speaking. Sometimes the best thing to do if you can't control your emotions is to say nothing, but as we all know that is a struggle for many. I'm merely suggesting anyone might be a lot less critical if they tried to learn and understand where the other folks are coming from, why they do what they do, and what advantages there might be from that. That bleeds in to useful, polite conversations, and educates us all. Much like some of our deeper conversations, we have both learned from each other, and even if we don't agree, we can agree to disagree and finish the conversation more informed than when we started, and still friends. People are going to chose what they do, thats a fact. The question is will we pay enough attention to others for a conversation, or so little attention that we can only criticize what we don't understand.