LEARNING TO DO ROLLS

**NOTE** REMEMBER! THESE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE TO GIVE YOU ONLY AN IDEA OF WHAT IS TO HAPPEN. YOU NEED TO BE MUCH HIGHER IN ALTITUDE BEFORE TRYING ANY AEROBATICS FOR THE FIRST TIME. USE EXTREME CAUTION AND HAVE AN INSTRUCTOR THERE WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES. ALSO THESE ILLUSTRATIONS AND LEARNING TECHNIQUES ASSUMES THAT YOUR HELICOPTER IS SET UP TO DO THESE AEROBATICS. MAKE SURE YOUR MIXES AND COLLECTIVE IS SET CORRECTLY! GET AN EXPERIENCED FLYER TO CHECK THEM OUT AND DO FEW FIRST.

Like learning the loop, to learn the roll you will probably just give full right cyclic and let the helicopter "fling" its self over to the right. Helicopters that have clockwise rotation (looking down from the top) usually will roll to the right easier. So do them to the right to start. I have noticed that rolling to the left takes less negative pitch to do but usually feels kind of weird to me... maybe its because I'm right handed. As with the loop, the faster you go into them the less negative pitch you need when your inverted. You should start with a good normal speed going into them.

Photo #1

Photo #1 shows the helicopter flying straight and level from right to left. Unlike a roll you should do the roll down wind. This will keep you from running out of forward speed. For contest style rolls you will want the point where the helicopter is inverted to be right in front of you. You will also want the last part of the roll to be the same length as the first part of the roll. However since these are your first rolls do them as the helicopter passes you. This way your behind the helicopter again if any thing goes wrong.

Photo #2

Photo #2 shows the helicopter on its side. When the helicopter is on its side you want to be about 1/4 throttle stick or where your 0degres of pitch is. This way the helicopter doesn't push in towards you if you have to much positive pitch or pushes away from you if you have to much negative pitch. Usually this is minimal if you have good forward speed. Also notice that on the radio your not pushing the right cyclic stick any more. You have backed off it. Its a good idea to do this because when your inverted your not pushing the nose of the helicopter up. In fact after you learn to do rolls and want to do slow rolls you will have to start pulling the stick back some.

Photo #3

Photo #3 shows the helicopter at a full inverted position. Here you are at full negative pitch. However depending upon your forward speed, you might not need full negative pitch. Just enough to hold the helicopter level. Again, you might need to pull some aft cyclic to bring the nose of the helicopter back down. This is more so if your trying to do slow rolls.

Photo #4

Photo #4 shows the helicopter back on its side. Just like in Photo #2 your back up towards 0degree of pitch so the helicopter will not blow into or away from you. Just a note: if your tail rotor mix is off you will see it in photo #2 and photo #4 the best. The tail rotor will either push the tail towards the ground or up and you will or can get a "cork screw" type roll. However!!! if you are just off on the collective stick with your timing... you can get the same signs...

Photo #5

Photo #5 shows that your roll is done. It has finished hopefully at the same distance from you it has started (GRIN). Your transmitter sticks are now back in the forward flight position.

Well ...that's it... good luck... Its pretty easy if your high enough.