Servos must be installed solidly, and pushrods and clevis connections must be free moving, but slop free. This prevents any tendencies for the surface to show a double center (ie. Surface does not come back to the same center point from both directions of travel)

Once you have the aileron differential and rudder set so you are getting a nice true roll about the fuselage at the low airspeeds, you can (if you have this option on your tranny) set up a rudder mix for a med-high speed cruise, and even set it to 0% or, to use the highly critical measurement terminology, “just a little bit” for your high speed or reflex setting. I like my rudder mix to be high, low, and off. Off is cool for inverted flying. OK, your rudder is mixed….on to the next most important mix, Elevator to Flap.

Keep in mind that all of this programming and mixing that we are doing here is only being done because we want the airplane to be easier to fly CORRECTLY.

So, with most of today’s transmitters we have this thing called elevator to flap mixing. This is different from flap to elevator mixing. The reason these two are different is because the “Master” and “Slave” functions are reversed between the two. Flap to elevator mix is what you might use if you want to have your flaps move as a percentage of your elevator input. More on that one later. Elevator to flap mix is where the elevator moves automatically depending on the movement and position of the flap. The flap is the primary control or the “Master” and the elevator is the secondary control or the “Slave”. We know from experience that we will need down elevator in conjunction with the deployment of flaps every time we pull that flap lever, so lets make it happen automatically.

The goal here is to get a nice even balance between the flap and elevator. The trick is, as with Aileron and Rudder mixing, that different airspeeds, and different flap settings, require different elevator inputs to reduce the pitch change to an acceptable degree of insignificance. So we don’t get too carried away here, the only part of the flight that I care at all about this mix is in the approach. I don’t even personally care too much about the transition from speeding around in decent mode to my final approach speed. To clarify final approach speed, I mean that my entire approach is flown as close to a constant airspeed as possible all the way the point of collision with mother earth, not the airspeed on “final” approach.

My radio has a two point flap to elevator mix curve. Some have 5 point curves, and I think that there are some video game equipped radios out there that have more points available. Life can get so complicated here. Two works just fine, and for most purposes only one setting works ok. On the ground, make your initial set up so that there is approximately 5 degrees of downward deflection at full flap throw. Full flap throw should be as stated above at least 70 degrees. Launch your Sharon and get it flying broadside to you so that you have a very clear view of the fuselage. If you are at a slope, so much the better. As you fly by at best glide speed or best L/D, pull open you flaps smoothly and completely. Notice that the nose rose as the flaps came out, and then as the speed settled down and became more constant, notice if the nose either seems to remain too high or seems to settle in to a nice nose low glide along that desired steep descent angle. My set up required that most of my elevator movement occurs at the first 50% of flap movement and then only the remaining 10% to 15% of the elevator travel for the mix comes in for the remaining 50% of flap travel. If I had kept the same ratio throughout the flap travel range I would either have a nice smooth deceleration, followed by a dive that is too steep at full flap, or the other alternative; the glider would tuck or dive initially when the flaps are deployed, and after the deceleration phase, I would get a nice perfect “full flap” decent. With a two, or multiple point curve, we get the best of both worlds. My set up has my first level of elevator to flap mixing occurring up to about the 50% point of the flap stick movement with a very high ratio of approximately 75%. The remaining 50% of flap stick travel will only use the remaining 25% of elevator travel, if that. So, all you do is fly back and forth, keeping a good view of the fuselage profile and actuate the flaps. Get the slow speed, full flap setting done first. Once that is done, land and deploy the flaps and mark the elevator deflection. Then while still on the ground make a guess at your intermediate setting and give it a launch. Now you can just set this rate, and not worry about effecting the full flap setting. Make sure that when you are flying for this setting, that you fly fast enough to ensure that you have gotten the mix right to negate that ballooning effect.

One last note on the elevator to flap mix. Make sure that your full flap setting provides a constant descent rate, and a stable airspeed. Your Sharon should not speed up and steepen its glide angle, nor should it slow down and, well, steepen its glide angle. OK, maybe just a few more words. Full flaps are only to be used to make major adjustments on your approach. A perfect approach for me is when I set the flaps as I enter the pattern, and only adjust them 5% or less in either direction. True, this only happens 3 to 5% of the time, but I strive for it on every single landing. By now, that shiny new Sharon 3.7 Pro of yours should be handling quite nicely. But I still have a few tricks up my sleeve to really make it track well on final approach. Stay tuned.

Ok so you are zeroing in on the spot. Your landings are getting more consistent. Lets talk a bit about getting that nose on “centerline” and putting it in the center of the landing target.

First and most importantly is your pattern. Pick a pattern that you can consistently fit on the flying fields you frequent, and use it all the time. There should be no need to vary your approach much except for a right hand or left hand pattern. Sometimes you will be forced to extend a leg or two depending on the rules put in force at a particular event, but that can be managed. Your goal for the consistent pattern is to put your glider on final at the proper airspeed and altitude to allow you precise control all the way to the spot. That said, your final approach should be a straight line, lined up on an imaginary centerline as soon as you roll out of your base turn. If this is done correctly and consistently, you will only have to make small corrections final as you home in on the hunsky.

So that is the goal, practice makes perfect, and the more you practice the luckier you get. Blah blah blah…..you’ve heard this all before, but it is still as true as ever. Perhaps you could use a little trick to help make life on final approach that much easier.

Directional corrections on final should be crisp and quick, and should not require additional corrections to stop induced oscillations. Proper rudder and aileron coupling is essential. Usually, a high rudder to aileron mix is desired here, but too much could be very detrimental to your quest for the hundred. The tip – Adjust your differential or your rudder mix to keep your rolls true and your slips and skids to a minimum. Do you use “Crow”? I little of upward deflecting aileron with your flaps down will really settle down the Sharon on final, but this nasty little thing happens when you want to roll a little bit. You know that upward deflecting aileron? Well if you apply a little roll input, lets say “left”, the right aileron moves downward….right. But, look closer. At some point that left input you applied, which caused the right aileron to move down, caused it to line up exactly with the trailing edge of the wing. So what you say??? Well, we have a high rudder to aileron mix to counteract adverse yaw, and you have no downward deflected aileron. The result is way too much rudder input when you least want it. The trick here is to use reverse differential while in landing mode if you use crow. This will give you a more balanced control input with less adverse effects. Try the “1/4” to 3/8” crow and reverse differential with high aileron to rudder mix” trick. Let me know how you like it. Oh, and resist the urge to use increased camber on approach. You will be less consistent in the long run. This was one of my most favorite set up tricks. It works, try it. I have a couple more useful and functional tips. Come back one or two more times to check for updates.