What is a “Torque Roll?” This is one of the most exciting and visible maneuvers that an RC plane can perform. The torque roll involves orienting the aircraft in an up and down orientation to the ground and turning the aircraft around on the axis of the aircraft’s body. What is seen from the ground is an airplane hovering in the sky and spinning like a top, slowly.
Any air show would be incomplete without at least one airplane performing this difficult and dangerous maneuver. Not every RC plane is suited for a torque roll maneuver and only certain types of aircraft can generate the power needed and have the aerodynamic properties required. Done right, it is a dramatic showing of the capabilities of flight.
Learning the Torque Roll
For the RC airplane hobbyist this is also the holy grail of skill. While a special model airplane is not needed, the type of plane that is best suited must be used. Learning how to do a torque roll will take more than just the right model plane, it will take a great deal of time. Those who are just learning how to fly for fun will not have the fine motor skills needed to adjust the controls with enough skill to get into the starting position.
This done by flying the model aircraft straight up and slowing it down to the point that it is no longer moving, which is known as a hover. The key to the hover is balancing the model planes engine thrust against the force of gravity, generated by the weight of the plane. The result is that only enough thrust is generated to keep the plane from falling backwards but not enough to make it go higher. This one phase of the maneuver is one of the hardest to learn either for RC pilots or real ones, although more dangerous for the former.
What to Avoid when Torque Rolling
The next skill that must be learned is avoiding “falling out.” This is when, inevitably, the plane starts to fall either to one side or backwards and is where the fine control learned comes in. Since the plane is no longer actually moving through the air, controlling the airplane is more difficult and complex. The control surfaces, such as the flaps and ailerons, have less effect as they require moving air. In the torque roll, the only moving air is coming from the engine and controlling the plane becomes a more delicate affair. With practice and some training, this can be mastered and that leaves the last part of the torque roll.
This is the actual rolling part is the easiest, oddly enough. Once holding the plane in position at dead vertical is mastered, the plane will begin to roll automatically. This is a result of the torque or twisting force of the engine’s propeller. The longer that the plane remains in position, the faster it will roll. Recovering from the maneuver is the last thing to learn. After conducting a successful torque roll, it would be embarrassing if the plane headed straight to the ground and crashed. This is learned like anything else, with much practice.
