"full throttle is when the trigger is pulled all the way back and idle is forward"

But others may do it differently...

"Tight Lines!"

Wes

Tim:

As the guys point out, it can be set up both ways. It can be affected by upright or inverted bellcranks and also by certain four-cycle linkages. However, I think it best if the operation is intuitive. Without even thinking about it I want my squeezing of the hand to be the reaction if I need more throttle. At least I found that more comfortable. As John points out, it is opposite of the logic of operating a throttle quadrant. When setting up my electronic controls, I use throttle quadrant forward to increase speed and throttle quadrant back to reduce RPM.

Jim Fruit

This is not really a dumb question. The way you move the trigger is only a preference is you want.  Some may say that it is best to push the trigger forward as if you were pushing the throttle open on a real airplane. Others may suggest the other way is preferred.

I have flown models of my own, back to back, where the throttle was opposite on each.  You get the feel real quick when you pick up the handle and exercise the throttle for high/low speed operation before you launch.  (This happens when I fly a carrier ship with the throttle hooked up one way and one of my scale models where throttle control is the opposite.)

The only time this might be a problem is if you have only flown the throttle linkage a certain way over a long period of time and it becomes ingrained in your reflexes.  It is times like this like when you pick up the handle and all of a sudden down is up and up is down and you cannot react/think fast enough to correct for the error.  (I have seen stunt fliers without too much experience who can fly inverted successfully, pick up the handle backwards - or hook up the lines backwards - and finish the flight without crashing.  Pilots with more experience can have more problems with this and will likely crash.)

Keith

This is a web site a good friend has, he is based in the Denver area, but this web site contains information on CL scale. He has also posted my book on CL scale electronics and CL scale in general. Some of the information is dated. Clancy Arnolds U-tronics is similar to the Bill Young handle and other single channel electronic controls. The book talks about 3-line briefly, but mainly covers electronics controls. I use the JR radio with DSC control or single channel systems on my CL scale models. I converted my last 3-line model to electronic controls back in 1990.

Look for the link to the book on the right side, you will have scroll down a little bit

http://www.eicnetwork.com/eic/Scale.html

Fred Cronenwett

I have flown both ways. What I tell people is to pick up the handle, and without even thinking about it, give full throttle. Whatever direction you automatically default to, do that. There are always to change direction on the plane or engine, so you don't have to settle for however it turns out. Figure how you like it, then make it work the way you want. Not a dumb question at all!

Tim,
I'm the same way, but I didn't realize it was a slot car thing until you mentioned it! Of course, slot car controller, what I'm used to for models. Real airplane or R/C, forward for full throttle. Interesting.
Did you know that before WWII the French used back for full throttle on real airplanes, as well Canadian built T-6's, Harvards mixture control is full back for full rich?
Chris...

the Japanese also had their problems with push or pull for full power.  i'm not sure who used which but one pushed the throttle in for full power and the other pulled the throttle out for full power

And rudder pedals are pretty much universally counter-intuitive for students, since you move the rudder bar in the opposite direction from where you want the plane to travel.  Clyde Cessna used to modify all his personal planes to be "backwards" from the standard -- I'm sure that must have been fun any time he switched planes!

Tim,

Every airplane I ever flown, push left pedal, and the nose goes left, push right pedal, and the nose goes right.

Cb