Hi, I have been a long-time on-off user of several of the FS versions, but this is the first time I have really "got into" it. I am currently running FSX. I have a problem whereby I can't seem to get the hang of how to use the rudder/aileron trim. I have the rudder trim mapped to the left-right rockling of the hat switch on my X52 throttle controller. I have set it so that it does not repeat. So, one click of the switch will send a single keystroke to the sim, and I have verified this with the Saitek software.

 

My problem is that just one click of rudder trim seems to send the AC progressively more and more verring to the side. Yesterday, I took the KCFS Seabee for a spin in an area where there was a 26kt wind coming from my left side. Needless to say, the little bee was veering to the right constantly. So, I applied a single click of the rudder trim, and it then (slowly at first, but progressively more and more) started veering into the wind. I am sure this is not how it is supoosed to work and it makes hands-off flying in any kind of wind impossibe.

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on what might be going wrong?

 

Andy.

You could switch to using your keyboard for trim keys, they might work better.

If there is a 26 knot wind coming from the left side, you should notice your aircraft turning to the left, not the right. This is because, rather than being blown by the wind in the direction the wind is going, it will instead weathercock into the wind because the tail surface effectively acts as a sail, which pushes the tail around to leave you facing into the wind.

 

It can depend on the aircraft type as to how significant the effect is on a light aircraft, but it is particularly the case on taildraggers with a free-castoring tailwheel that they can easily pivot into the wind in a significant crosswind when riding on the main wheels on a take off roll. This is one of the reasons why many taildraggers have a tailwheel which can be locked centrally for a take off roll, and why you might want to try holding the tail down on the take off roll in order to provide some extra directional stability before you've picked up enough speed to allow inertia to overpower most of the effects of a crosswind on the tail. Don't hold in a lot of back stick for too long though, or you might come off the deck at just above stall speed with a very high angle of attack, and aside from trim, keep in mind too that coming off the deck with any rudder input is normally not a great idea unless you like spectacular returns to earth as one wing stalls before the other (seen a couple of pilots do that, and pulled one out of the wreckage once), so centralise any rudder input once you are off the deck.

 

Incidentally, 26 knots is a pretty hefty crosswind component for a light aircraft, and although I don't know the demonstrated crosswind limit for a Republic RC-3 Seabee, I know it has a pretty big tail surface area, so I wouldn't mind betting that the limit is below 26 knots, although to be fair, there is probably a lot of propwash on that tail too, which should help to keep it straight..

 

Al

It's very seldom you would ever need to use either rudder or aileron trim in FS, now elevator is constantly used. Do you have a twist rudder on your stick? if so just add enough to stay straight and once your speed is up release it

..My problem is that just one click of rudder trim seems to send the AC progressively more and more verring to the side...

 

 

Maybe the 'Repeat' order has something to do with it, i've often noticed it in the right-hand column such as below, but i'm not sure how it works, maybe it needs to be deleted in case it confuses the stick and yoke settings-