40
The Blender
What it is
: The Blender or Panic maneuver is a
vertical diving roll that virtually stops its descent as it
instantaneously enters into a flat spin.
Setup
: Follow the 3D setup as described in the
manual. Be sure to use Expo. Setting the CG toward
the aft location will help, but I have had great results
even at the forward CG location. This is a wing tester
and can be extremely violent but will always generate
gasps of excitement. But done correctly, the Extra
330S can handle the challenge.
How to do it
: Start from about 400–500 feet
straight and level, chop throttle, and push the nose
straight down. As soon as the model is diving
straight down at low throttle, add full left aileron. Let
the model compete two or three rolls and then
quickly transition the sticks to an inverted snap
roll position (left aileron, right rudder, down elevator)
all at the same time. As soon as the Extra enters a
spin, quickly neutralize the ailerons while holding
full right rudder and down elevator. If you do it right,
the airplane will instantly transition from a left roll
to a flat spin in the same direction, and the decent
will all but stop.
Tip
: Add full throttle just after the spin goes
flat. That’ll keep fuel going to the engine, make
the rotation speed high, and help stop the
vertical descent.
Recovery
: Simply release rudder and hold just a
little down elevator. The model will stop rotating and
begin to fly out. As it gains airspeed, roll back to
upright. Since you’re in 3D mode, make sure you
don’t do anything abrupt, or you’ll stall again.