For the majority of R/C pilots, earning their Bronze Wings and being able to fly their aircraft solo is all that is required for many years of happy aeromodelling.  However, if you wish to fly in competition, at shows or be able to teach others to fly then you will be required to pass your Gold Wings.

The Gold Wings is purely a test of flying skills.  The manoeuvres required as part of the schedule are included to give the pilot an opportunity to demonstrate more precise control of their aircraft throughout the entire flight envelope.  The Gold Wings is not purely a test of aerobatics. For example, if you complete the three rolls by simply throwing in full aileron and completing all 3 rolls inside of 2 seconds then you will probably be asked to do them again – slower and with more control.

If you are thinking about taking your Bronze Wings then you should already know how to fly the required manoeuvres.  This guide is intended to give you some tips on how to arrange the schedule and some tips on what your examiner will be looking for:

The Manoeuvres:

1. Outside Figure 8 – Flying along the runway heading perform the figure 8 with the first 90 degree turn away from you.  This must be flown with constant rate and altitude turns, balancing all control surfaces for a nice smooth turn.
2. Inside Figure 8 – Start the manoeuvre on the outfield leg and make the first 90 degree turn in towards you.  Keep the circles smooth and constant for best results.
3. 3 Aileron Rolls – Keep them slow and make them last the length of the field.  Practice using all controls to keep the rolls axial without losing altitude.
4. 3 Loops – Remember to balance the power and use the ailerons to keep the loops tracking straight.
5. Immelman Turn – Make sure that your Immelman finishes with the model flying straight and level and does not start descending.
6. Inverted Flight 5 Seconds – Make sure to keep it straight and level.
7. Cuban 8 – Both loops should be equal in size and track with the cross over and roll directly in front of the pilot’s box.
8. Procedure Turn – Like the Figure 8, the turns should be constant and no altitude should be lost.
9. 3 Turn Spin – Best performed into wind and make sure you do the full three turns.  Do not be afraid to pull out early if you do not have enough height.

All manoeuvres in the test (except the spin) must be flown twice with each manoeuvre flown both from left to right and right to left.  You also need to make a landing circuit in each direction.  To pass the Gold Wings you have up to four flights to complete all the required manoeuvres.  The ideal though is to complete the test in one or two flights.

Rather than throw your plane into the air and simply try to complete the manoeuvres in any old order.  Think of the test as a competition schedule and organise it that way.  There is nothing wrong with handing your examiner a bit of paper with the order you will be flying and getting him to act as your ‘caller’.  Here is an example of what I mean:

Use the principle of the Aerobatic Box (read this post for more details) the idea is to fly each manoeuvre once one into wind and one downwind.  Land after the first schedule is complete and then, if the wind is calm, take off in the opposite direction and perform the schedule again with each manoeuvre flown the other way.

Try this schedule (<<< Wind Direction <<<):

1. >>> Outside Figure 8 >>>
2. <<< Inside Figure 8 <<<
3. >>> Three Aileron Rolls >>>
4. <<< Three Loops <<<
5. >>> Inverted Flight 5 Seconds >>>
6. <<< Cuban 8 <<<
7. >>> Procedure Turn >>>
8. <<< Immelman Turn <<<
9. >>> Three Turn Spin >>>
10. >>> Landing Circuit >>>

The arrows denote which direction to fly the manoeuvre.  Try to make sure there is no ‘messing about’ between manoeuvres – Fly one figure into wind through the ‘box’, turn around and fly the next coming back the other way.

And that’s it!  Practice each manoeuvre individually and into wind before putting them together in your routine.

Good luck – practice makes perfect…

Once you have passed your bronze wings (and in a lot of cases before) the first thing you want to do is start throwing your model around the sky like a lunatic so that everyone will be impressed by your incredible skills on the sticks.

However, there is a safe way to go about it and a not so safe way – so I thought I should start writing a series of posts on how to improve your aerobatic skills…

Finding a suitable model

Not all models are aerobatic although most can be made to do some manoeuvres, and before you start mentioning Bill Hempel flying 3D freestyle with a 50% Cub on YouTube don’t get your hopes up – but it does prove that anything is aerobatic if you modify it enough.

We can show you ways to improve the performance of your trainer by increasing the throws on your control surfaces and changing the incidence on your wings.  This is probably the safest way to go as your trainer will still have some inherent stability that could save some expensive accidents.  Once you get more confident you can move on to a more advanced model.  I would recommend starting with an advanced low-wing trainer before you refinance the house and get that 2 meter 50cc TOC Extra 260!  Things to look for in an advanced trainer include…

• Low or mid-mounted wings
• Semi-symetrical or symetrical wing section
• Larger control surfaces, possibly with a servo on each aileron
• Rudder, elevator, aileron, and throttle control

Stick with something that still has a trainer type construction – box type fuselage, built up wings and solid tail feathers – this will make it easier to repair when you have those almost certain mishaps.

Moving onwards and upwards

Once you have the basics of aerobatics mastered and want to move onto something more advanced you need to decide where you want to focus your attention.  There are three main types of aerobatics (as defined by competition):

1. Precision – Popular in Europe, this is highly specialised models flying extremely precise aerobatic figures to a predetermined schedule.  Precision aerobatics is not for the faint hearted and takes a lot of practice (and a lot of money) to master.
2. 3D/Freestyle – All the rage at the moment, these are the models that hang around in the air for ever and perform manoeuvres with names like ‘Blender’, ‘Waterfall’, ‘Wall’ and ‘Harrier’.  Freestyle rounds in competition are often flown to music.
3. IMAC – The International Miniature Aerobatics Club is the small version of the IAC.  Competition models must be scale in appearance and fly scale type aerobatic manoeuvres.  Planes are often large petrol engine powered models.

At the moment the most popular models are those that are either total 3D/Freestyle models or IMAC style scale models.  If I was to recommend a model type then it would be a scale IMAC model such as the Extra 260, Yak54, SU26, Extra 330 or Edge 540 as these models are light and strong and can be flown with precision on low rates or 3D with high rates.

A note about size…

There are lots of good models out there and sometimes it can be hard to choose what you want to fly.  A lot of people are doing very well flying small foam models such as ‘Shockflyer’ style models or the Multiplex Acromaster.  These are fine electric models with good performance in light winds which help build confidence without putting a huge dent in your wallet.

Larger models around the .46 to .60 size are the most popular.  They will return a good performance for a pretty good price, and will still fit in the car easily.

More and more people now are turning to larger models with petrol engines.  1/4 scale models with 25cc engines are the smallest seen in competition these days with 50 – 100cc being popular with the experts.  The truth of the matter is that – when it comes to advanced aerobatics – bigger models fly better and are easier to lock into the hover.  They do however cost a lot of money and you have to ask yourself how confident you would be practicing rolling harriers 6 inches off the deck with the kids college money?!?!

Well that’s it for this post.  Next time we’ll start looking at some aerobatic theory so we can begin to practice safely…