Q-12: I fly full-scale aircraft and was always taught that you change elevation primarily with the engine throttle, not the elevator. I noticed when learning to fly RC that even my instructor used the elevator to change the altitude of the model. Which is correct?
A-12: You should be using the throttle or motor control to control the basic elevation of your model. I see many average RC pilots using up- and down-elevator to change the altitude of their aircraft. Aerobatic maneuvering, of course, should be done with elevator commands, but while cruising, you should gain altitude by increasing the throttle setting. When you attempt to lose altitude you should reduce the throttle setting. By pushing the stick forward for down elevator you are gaining speed which often you don’t want or need.
The same goes with landing the RC model. I see many beginners making two kinds of mistakes; both involve improper use of throttle control. The first mistake cuts the throttle completely and then struggles to almost dead-stick land the model. Often the model falls short of the runway simply because the throttle wasn’t advanced a little.
The other mistake is that the flier cuts the throttle a little (not all the way) and then proceeds to use the elevator to dive toward the runway. The resulting extra speed will usually make the airplane overshoot the runway.
You should learn to fly a regular pattern approach to the field or runway. While maneuvering the downwind leg, then the base leg, and then on final approach, keep progressively reducing the throttle. As the wheels are about to touch the ground you can cut the motor to dead idle. You will use more throttle than elevator and more importantly you are at a relatively slow speed at touchdown.
During your final landing approach, vary your motor speed to set yourself up for the landing. If you are too high, cut back on the throttle. If you are too low, add some throttle so you don’t end up short. Try doing this maneuver with the throttle and not the elevator.