Inverted harrier, how do you conquer it?

[stgdz]

This one has bothered me for a bit.


Ever since i learned harrier last spring its pretty much all i do. Ive been attempting to do it 30ft up but i cant quite get the hang of it. The orientation and inputs are the biggest issue, it just starts rocking and i get kicked out.


Lately what I`ve tried is a tumble and then figuring out how to come out inverted(not high alpha) to get orientation down

 

[njswede]

It's funny you say that. I've found that my inverted harriers are usually more stable than my uprights.

I practiced some inverted harriers the other day, and I think I did ok, to be honest. HOWEVER, my biggest problem is that I'm petrified by fear every time I do any kind of inverted flying, so I tend to avoid it. Or do it really high...

So yeah, those inverted harriers are my nemesis too!

 

[Steve_B]

Me too.
I'm ok with 'normal' inverted where i can rely on good old 'bank and yank' turns, and maybe the odd jab of rudder if I'm feeling adventurous. But getting my brain to reliably deal with both reversed elevator AND reversed rudder at the same time, in addition to the careful throttle and aileron control needed in harrier is just too much for my old grey cells to deal with

 

[RCAddict16]

What plane are you using? And by "rocking" do you mean wing rocking? If a plane has wing rock in harrier it needs a bigger vert. stabilizer.

 

[horton]

This one has bothered me for a bit.


Ever since i learned harrier last spring its pretty much all i do. Ive been attempting to do it 30ft up but i cant quite get the hang of it. The orientation and inputs are the biggest issue, it just starts rocking and i get kicked out.


Lately what I`ve tried is a tumble and then figuring out how to come out inverted(not high alpha) to get orientation down

The rocking might be due to not completely stalling both wings. Try a higher angle of attack. Inverted flight can be intimidating which may be keeping you from committing to the needed nose-high attitude. Best advice is to commit flight after flight to nothing but inverted flight. Circles and figure eights are great practice.

 

[teookie]

Best advice is to commit flight after flight to nothing but inverted flight.

This is the approach I took and it worked very well.

 

[Steve_B]

What plane are you using? And by "rocking" do you mean wing rocking? If a plane has wing rock in harrier it needs a bigger vert. stabilizer.

Not necessarily. Most 3D models will wing rock a bit if your harrier technique is less than perfect, some are worse than others of course, and some rock no matter how good you are. Larger vertical stabs certainly help (you may have seen the testing videos I did with a HK Slick) but the guy on the sticks also needs to do his bit to control wing rock. The good 3D flyers say that rock tends to be less when inverted (because the vertical stab is in clean air) but I wouldn't know because I'm too chicken to try it.

FWIW... the EF Edge EXP is the most stable plane I have in harrier flight, no rock on that one even with by dumb thumbs.

Steve

 

[stgdz]

The rocking might be due to not completely stalling both wings. Try a higher angle of attack. Inverted flight can be intimidating which may be keeping you from committing to the needed nose-high attitude. Best advice is to commit flight after flight to nothing but inverted flight. Circles and figure eights are great practice.

yeah ive done that.


for me its seems like the range between high alpha and an upline is really narrow for me. i mean i will go from an inverted harrier to an upline is narrower than an upright to an upline for stick movement. ive brought up the exponto control it a bit more but its really narrow


that and it feels like i bail when it falls apart by using up elevator instead of trying to fly out inverted

 

[Steve_B]

The rocking might be due to not completely stalling both wings. Try a higher angle of attack. Inverted flight can be intimidating which may be keeping you from committing to the needed nose-high attitude. Best advice is to commit flight after flight to nothing but inverted flight. Circles and figure eights are great practice.

I'm sure you are right. Although I can fly inverted fine, circuits, figure eights, low(ish) passes etc it's still not nearly as natural feeling as flying the right way up. I'm having to concentrate pretty hard all the time. If I could get to the place where inverted was as natural and effortless as flying upright then it would follow that inverted harrier would also be as easy as an upright harrier. I guess practice is the only answer.

 

[njswede]

for me its seems like the range between high alpha and an upline is really narrow for me. i mean i will go from an inverted harrier to an upline is narrower than an upright to an upline for stick movement. ive brought up the exponto control it a bit more but its really narrow

I have the same problem. Have you tried to go from inverted elevator to harrier? That works a lot better for me. Enter an inverted elevator, increase throttle a bit and ease on the elevator so the plane gets some forward motion, but still loses altitude. Then keep the elevator constant and try to control altitude with throttle only. That has helped me with upright as well as inverted harriers. The trick is to try no to fall for the temptation to gain altitude using the elevator. Elevator is for attitude only. Throttle is for altitude.

In theory... I manage to screw it up royally anyway, but the technique above makes it a bit less pathetic...