RunRyder - Looks like I am going to just do it ...

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e-E-Sky Honey Bee- Lama- Belt CP- E-Smart > Looks like I am going to just do it ...

TJinGuy
Elite Veteran
Location: Socorro, NM - USA

I know there has been some talk in the past about this and I am sure there will be more talk as time carries on, but I think I am going to switch over to the pinch method. I was flying the Mini today and I just didn't have the feel I wanted. Most of it is on the throttle, as I have a hard time making small adjustments to it on the Mini. The King didn't matter as much but with the extra power in the Mini, I need some tiny adjustments or I am overshooting all the time.

Anyhow I think I am going to go cold turkey here, not more thumbs. So I finished out the last 3 minutes of a pack pinching and then got my neck strap and flew another whole pack pinching. Man am I bad at it but man do you have an amazing amount of feel and control. My problem is that although I don't have small hands, I don't have great flexibility in them ... so spreading all my fingers that far is tough but doable. I am sure it will become trivial as time goes on but for now I feel like a newb again.

Greg you switched a while back right? Who else is pinching? Any other thoughts ya'll?

- Chris

Variety+spice+life=King2+Rex450+Some500

06-29-2008 11:29 PM

tryan02
rrProfessor
Location: Canton, Missouri

cant pinch tried and failed.

I have less control cant get the sticks to go to the corners. But I have big web like hands so I think it may be mechanical ability.

Also I like my triger fingers on the idleup and T/H the whole flight.

Canton MO backyard flying club
Club President
Team No funds left.

06-29-2008 11:58 PM

HOMEPAGE

Gregor99
Key Veteran
Location: Western Wa

Ok, let kick this off there so there's no confusion. Pinching is not superior to thumbs for all pilots. The connection from pilot to Tx is organic and as such varies widely from one person to the next.

The main reason I switched to pinching is that I was having a hard time feeling the fine area around center stick. I was more able to detect stick position when pushing against the springs. But around midstick it was kind of dead. I played with spring tension but it didn't make a huge difference unless it was really tight. I kept feeling like I was putting bandaids on a larger problems that other pilots had solved by going to pinching.

When I switched, I did it cold turkey with very little sim time. I would have liked to do more sim time, but it didn't work out. My plan was to do it long enough so that I had worked through the enevitable discomfort of switching. I had commited to get to the point where I could do either comfortable so the choice was not skewed by the learning curve.

Since switching I have found that around-center control I was looking for. In fact, once past the learning curve, the heli felt slow and less responsive. I got the response back by removing all EXPO and turning up the cyclic pitch range.

Pinching works for me, but I probably wouldn't be doing it unless thumbs weren't working. My thumb movement isn't great, so for my hands, I get better control with the pinch.

Again, you don't have to pinch to be a good pilot. But to find out if your hands work better in the "pinch" you have to work through the adjustment period before you can make a clear assessment. The first 10-20 flights will feel really odd, no getting around that. But don't judge it until you are past that. Once you aren't fighting the learning curve, then you can see if its for you.

Taking the road less traveled

06-30-2008 12:26 AM

DougsRC
Elite Veteran
Location: MA

I have been pinching from the very beginning so it feels natural. I don't use a neckstrap either-- my pinky and ring fingers are behind the TX and middles are in front. I can fly with thumbs as well but for some reason I feel more connected to the heli -pinch-gripping

I guess it's a -- everyone's a little bit different kinda deal.

06-30-2008 12:49 AM

MMike
Key Veteran
Location: Holland,Mi-USA

Pincher and Neckstrap here.

06-30-2008 01:37 AM

HOMEPAGE

jwhitacre
Key Veteran
Location: Creighton,PA- US

Quote
Pincher and Neckstrap here

DITTO

Depleting the world of parts, one crash at a time!!

06-30-2008 02:23 AM

TJinGuy
Elite Veteran
Location: Socorro, NM - USA

Hey now there GREG, I never said it was better ... I just said I am going to give a proper go. All the plank guy swear that it is the only way to fly but me being a pretty healthy gamer over the last 10 years, my thumbs are well calibrated. But for this particular use, I am finding that my left thumb just does not do a good enough job. Once I switched to pitching for a pack and a half, my throttle stick is much better controlled but my cyclic is hurting. But like you said greg, I am going to give a full go of 10-20 packs before I decide. As a note, I also found the heli to be much slower while pinching. Partly because I have more control and it makes me wish for more speed so I don't ave to move the thumbs so far. I will let you all know how the switch progresses.

- Chris

Variety+spice+life=King2+Rex450+Some500

06-30-2008 02:59 AM

Gregor99
Key Veteran
Location: Western Wa

Quote
Hey now there GREG, I never said it was better ...

Chris, the comment was definitly not directed at you in response to any of your comments. I just want to make sure that no one takes my comments, or this thread as a "pinchers" are better than thumbers kind of a thing. When I researching it, I found ALOT of very polorized threads (not in this sub forum thankfully) where some pinchers were talking down to the thumbers. I don't think thats right, or polite. So I thought I'd try to head that off. Sorry if it sounded like it was directed at you.

Taking the road less traveled

06-30-2008 03:15 AM

toolman18
Key Veteran
Location: Texas

Im a thumber.

Dont wait for me. Ill get there when i get there

06-30-2008 03:49 AM

Griffin
Senior Heliman
Location: USA

Here's my big thumbs up to all my fellow thumb brothers.

06-30-2008 04:14 AM

Gregor99
Key Veteran
Location: Western Wa

Griff, you and Tryan have some amazing thumb dexterity!

Taking the road less traveled

06-30-2008 04:16 AM

toolman18
Key Veteran
Location: Texas

Thats a crazy thumb bro

Dont wait for me. Ill get there when i get there

06-30-2008 04:19 AM

Griffin
Senior Heliman
Location: USA

LoL yeah my mutant gene.

If I put pressure on them I can bend them well past 90°

06-30-2008 05:05 AM

2old2fly
Veteran
Location: Mill Creek, Wa.

All thumbs here.
Back in the fixed wing days, I tried the pinch method (it's big with the fixed wing crowd). I didn't feel I had the same control. I could feel things just fine with my thumbs. It was just more natural to me.
I did fly with a neck strap though. I had many, many hours of stick time on the fixed wings. I still fly them in the sim when I just want to get something airborne, and play around & relax.

Now with the heli, I'm finding that I need a lot finer control of the left stick when making small adjustments to the throttle/collective. With just my thumb, it is sometimes difficult to make just that small adjustment. It feels like I'm going to over shoot... so pinching just may be an option on the left stick, and just a thumb on the right. (I like to keep a finger near the TH switch, and I can't do that and pinch - small hands!). I may get a neckstrap and give that a try.

So I may be looking to do a pinch on one side, and a thumb on the other.

What I'm saying here is: Do what is most comfortable, and makes the most sense for your hands. One persons solution may be another persons crash.

Helicopters don't fly, they beat the air into submission.

06-30-2008 05:20 AM

Texas Dar
Senior Heliman
Location: Branson-Hollister Mo. USA

Starting out, and flying with all the R/C Pilots useing pinch, I dident know any better. Planks are eazer with pinch. With heli's, I still like the pinch. It's like flying a real heli. Yr left hand suqezzing the colective arm, you can "Push-Pull" on it. Same with Cyclic, and It just felt like I had better and smother movements. Put yr hand around a pen, and move it like yr flying cyclic, in a hover. If you realy want to feel what its like, hold it between yr knees whAre it would be. Then use yr thumb, and try it................? I found my thumb was doing a lot more work, than the pinch mode. Maby we should tell Fatuba, to build a TX, that is more like the real thing. It would hang from left, to center. Both hands would be in the corect placement. Make the grips, so you could wrap yr hand around them. The feel would be real. The TX would need the strap. Kinda like my joy stick, for cars. Right stick pointing up, and left laying down at neg. pitch and comming out of the TX on the left side. Cost,,,,,,$200.00 more. Realisem, "Price-Less" Tx would look like a trey, with neck strap. Trey would be the TX, WITH Hand size grips. Pinch, and squeeze, could be a thing of the past. Is Dar dreaming again.........YES ! Could it be done........YES ! Will they........"Who Knows" All it would take is redesineing the case, and adding the real feel grips. You could have the throtle in the grip, like the real heli's TJ, You want to take this asignment for us.........?
You guy's using pinch, try using just yr 2 fingers on cylic. thAre's where you get fine feel for the stick. On colective I pivit my whole hand from my wrist. I found it ezayer to keep the throtle from moving. Dar,,,,,Dar,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,DAR...........! "Wake-Up" !

Mommy Said, I Can "Come Out & Fly With You Guys"

06-30-2008 07:17 PM

HOMEPAGE

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e-E-Sky Honey Bee- Lama- Belt CP- E-Smart > Looks like I am going to just do it ...

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