And now for something completely different!

Before trying this, you should be capable of doing rolls in a straight line. This maneuver is much easier to do with a slow roll rate rather than the much higher roll rates that many fliers use - you just don't have the time to get all the correct stick inputs in.

If you've got continuous rolls down to a fine art, you are probably aware that if you don't get the elevator timing correct the model goes off course. A rolling circle is simply getting the elevator timing consistently wrong!

Very roughly, you are trying to feed up and down elevator in when the model is in knife edge flight. The more smoothly this is done, the more circular the circuit. Hopefully, the diagram above makes this a bit clearer. The main thing is to watch the model closely as it rolls round the circle.

Once you start rolling, keep constant aileron and throttle thoughout the circle. You can then forget them and concentrate on elevator. As the model goes into the first quarter roll, feed in up elevator slowly to maintain height and to start the circuit. This will compensate for the model starting to drop due to loss of upward lift.

As the model rolls past the knife edge position, slowly decrease the up elevator and start feeding in down elevator until you have sufficient in to stop the model dropping as it goes to inverted.

Continue feeding in more down elevator as the model passes the inverted position. This will again maintain height and continue the circle.

Now start decreasing the down elevator as the model approaches the second knife edge position and start feeding in up elevator.

Simply repeat this series of inputs to take the model round the circle and stop rolling when the model is in front of you again.

The thing to remember is that, like continuous straight rolls, the timing of the elevator inputs is regular - a drumbeat up/down/up/down.

You will also quickly discover that this can all go horribly wrong! There are a couple of positions round the circle when your head will turn to mince.

Most reasonable fliers can make it about half way round the circle and then the model starts to drop. Very wisely, they stop rolling and save their model. Provided they have tried this with sufficient height, no harm's done. Generally with continuous straight rolls, you don't have to consider wind direction. In a circle, you do. When you're heading downwind, you will need to apply a greater amount of up and down elevator than you do heading upwind - the height is being lost heading straight downwind.

The second problem area - and this is true of all circular maneuvers - is with the Döppler effect in the final quarter circuit. As the model approaches you - pretty much head on! - the engine revs appear to increase. This is associated by any sensible flier with a loss in height, even though the model is maintaining the same height. Combine this with changes in engine noise associated with the model rolling and it's no surprise that there is an uncontrollable urge to stop doing what you're doing! There is also the problem that at some point here, the model is going to be rolling inverted and coming straight towards you - a real problem with orientation

Both these problems can be overcome by carefully watching the model all the way round the circle.

There's no denying that mastering a rolling circle will take a lot of practice but it remains a very impressive maneuver. There's no substitute for a lot of practice and a lot of height!

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