Flying

Only fly with fully charged batteries. How long you can fly on one battery pack depends on many factors (quality of battery charger, condition and quality of battery, flying conditions etc ….). For an indication for flying times see Airplane Specifications page.

• Check your flight site. Make sure you have enough space to fly your plane.
• Starting the plane, move the throttle stick to Off position before you switch on the transmitter and only then connect the flight battery
• Check all the working systems
• On your first flight carry out some taxi-ing tests to get a feeling and become familiar with the models groundhandling characteristics

There are two ways of getting airborne with the Robbe Cessna, by hand launching the model or by a ground take off.

If you hand launch the model you give full power and throw the airplane gently into the air. Take control of the airplane immediately and let it climb.

You can also take off from the ground. You need a hard surface so the model can ride. Give full power and let the model accelerate. When the model has enough speed the model will get airborne almost automatically. During take off make slight corrections with the rudder to keep the model on course.

Always take off with the nose of the model facing directly into the wind.

Don't forget get to start timing the flying time with you stopwatch!

Flying the cessna is quite easy. For a straight flight just make small corrections to keep the plane straight and level.

For making turns push the rudder stick either to the right or left. Make sure that you don't make the turning bank to steep, let loose of the stick when the model is turning in the desired bank. When making a turn beware that the plane looses some lift, correct this by either lifting the nose or raising power. When then model approaches its desired heading roll the airplane back to its horizontal attitude by pushing the rudder stick into the opposite position.

Climbing can be done by increasing the power or if you have enough speed by the elevator threw pulling the stick backwards.

Make sure that if you want to climb you don't stall the plane. Stalling will happen if you keep the nose high in combination with low speed. The model will fall down by rolling over one wing. You can restore the normal position again when the plane gained enough speed.

If you want to descent, just reduce speed and the model will slowly start to descent.

Although the Robbe Cessna doesn't have ailerons you can perform some nice aerobatic manoeuvres. Some examples;

• Looping, make full speed in a straight flight, push the stick forward to let the model plane dive to the earth, when gained enough speed pull the stick backward and start making the looping
  
• Stall turns, push the stick forward to let the model dive to the earth, when you gained enough speed pull the stick backward to let the model climb right up into sky. Make corrections with your rudder and elevator to let the model climb right into the sky as long as possible. At a certain moment the plane will have no speed any more and it will fall down to earth. Its now your task to correct the planes flying position. This manoeuvre is very speculator to see and a challenge to perform because it can't be predicted how the plane will fall down.

Before performing aerobatic manoeuvres make sure you gained enough altitude to perform the manoeuvres safely.

Landing the Cessna is probably one of the most exiting and difficult parts of flying the model. Before the landing make sure you are aware of the wind-direction an wind-speed. Always land your airplane with the nose facing directly into the wind. Make sure that the plane is lined up with the landing strip long (approximately 100meters) before the actually touch-down. Let the model descent slowly. Pay attention to speed, altitude, distance until the landing strip, wind speed and direction and attitude of the plane, anticipate on all these factors and guide the model to the landing strip.

For controlling speed and altitude during landing remember that speed is controlled by the stick up / down and that altitude is controlled by the speed controller, for example if you are flying to low just increase power and the plane will climb. This might sound contradictory but it is the best way of landing your plane.

When you reached the landing strip and have the right altitude switch off the engine and let the model touch the landing strip. Make use of the rudder to keep the plane on course.

If you are not sure if you can land the plane, don't hesitate, give full power, make a go-around and try again!

When switching off first disconnect the flight battery and only then swith of the transmistter