... harmonize the individual
 pilot/model relationship.

Have aeromodelers given up their sense of individuality just because they fly ARFs? Some people have said that on any given weekend, dotted around the field are the same models seen at the hobby shops or in magazine ads. It's as though we're being told what to like so we buy whatever fad model comes out next.

     I believe, however, that even though on the surface it may look like we're all copycats, how the model is set up is unique to the individual pilot. Therefore, the way one person's model flies isn't the same as the next.

     A fellow sport modeler and I were talking about the setup of a similar model we were both flying. Most of the trim adjustments he mentioned were subtle, but necessary to suit his flying style. What he suggested were changes I'd hesitate to attempt simply because that's not how I would want the model to perform.

     We shared some stories about how our mentors had recommended setups based on what worked for them, but we later found that trying to copy their flying style didn't always mesh with what we wanted. The solution that ended up working was very personal, although the collaborative experience did help overall.

     We should always be willing to try a new idea—that's how we grow—but pilots should also understand that what they like or dislike is a very important part that is needed to harmonize the individual pilot/model relationship. The changes we make to our models might take a little getting used to; but for the most part the experience will teach not just something about the model's performance, but also something about ourselves as well.

     Thanks to the manufacturing technologies of today, ARF models are available set up extremely well right out of the box. This makes the goal of harmonizing the relationship between the model and the pilot go much faster.

     That aircraft is as similar as possible to the prototype designed by an expert—someone who has his or her own individual tastes, but also someone who knows how to design a model that won't need a lot of trimming to fly well.

     How we take it from there is the personal experience. How it's flown, how it performs, and its potential is as individual as the pilot.

     So if a person looks down the flightline and sees many similar airplanes, does that mean they all fly alike? Of course not. What the ARF market has created is the opportunity for any pilot to experience a great-performing model.

     Today we're flying models that are safer and more user-friendly than ever before. Although on the surface it may seem that we're all lazy flying ARFs, but truthfully the ARF opportunity has enhanced the ability for aeromodelers to become better pilots.

     Looks are only skin deep after all. If a person isn't happy that his or her model is decorated the same as the next person's model, by all means change it. Likewise, if the looks of a model aren't to a person's taste, he or she isn't going to really want to fly that model, or fly it well for that matter. It's like asking everyone to enjoy the same kind of food.

It's surprising how small adjustments to a model will make a huge difference. There was a model once that I had pretty much become bored with and thought it was time to move on to a different airplane, even though the airplane, in many people's opinion, was a good flier. A friend of mine suggested changing the balance point on the model so it was on the aft CG point.

     Honestly, that change made the airplane feel like a whole new model. All of a sudden it would knife-edge, snap, and spin better than I could have hoped.

     Later on I upgraded the rudder servo and again the model improved with cleaner snaps and stronger knife-edge loop authority. Those changes weren't visible on the outside, but my Extra 300 didn't fly the same as the next person's and I couldn't have been happier.

     Fads will come and go, so it's okay if some of us are flying similar airplanes. The little tweaks and changes we make by choosing different engines, radio equipment, and programming will set all of us apart and update the demands for what model we'll be looking to fly next.

     So keep pounding at the control sticks, winding the rubber band, and stretching out those control lines. If you don't like the way it flies, change it. The experts are out there to help make the model, ARF, or scratch-built as unique as the pilot.  MA