Rudder pedals direction question

[Speed]

Hey, I just bought (Saturday) a set of Saitek pro-flight rudder pedals.

 

Getting used to them is a pain! The biggest pain of which seems to be that they seem to work in the wrong direction.

 

Lets say you are standing. You put your right foot forward, then you are going to turn left.

 

Lets say you are driving. You push the right side of the wheel away from you, and pull the left side of the wheel towards you, then you are turning left.

 

You are steering a motor boat. You push the engine handle to the right (assuming towards the bow of the boat is forward), and then you turn left.

 

In almost every instance of steering something I can think of in real life, every instance I have ever encountered at least, if you want to turn a direction, then you push the controls in the opposite direction that you want to turn in.

 

So is it accurate that rudder pedals in a real aircraft work in an opposite method to pretty much every other steering mechanism- i.e., by default, if I push my right foot forward and my left foot back, then I turn right?!?!

 

Even if this is correct, I've just about given up trying to learn this backwards mentality, and I may just reverse the axis. Before you criticise, note that I do in fact fly Blackshark with my throttle in "pull for more lift" collective style... that makes alot of sense. But this push-right-go-right goes against every grain of vehicle control instinct I've ever acquired.

 

Edit: maybe I should have posted this under the input/output section... just read the description on that one and realized this question may be more appropriate there. Sorry mods.

Edited April 25, 2011 by Speed

[MTFDarkEagle]

Right foot forward = nose right

Left foot forward = nose left.

 

I think you need to reverse your axis..

[Speed]

Right foot forward = nose right

Left foot forward = nose left.

 

I think you need to reverse your axis..

 

Well, that's the way it's functioning, left foot forward = yaw left, right foot forward = yaw right. That's the way a real aircraft is? :( That's backwards to the way I've been conditioned all my life to steer any kind of vehicle.

[KillaALF]

I've been using pedals for such a long time that it is all muscle memory for me, but tbh I don't remember it ever feeling weird or wrong. As long as you have no plans on ever flying real planes just reverse your axis if you can't get used to how they work.

[Speed]

I've been using pedals for such a long time that it is all muscle memory for me, but tbh I don't remember it ever feeling weird or wrong. As long as you have no plans on ever flying real planes just reverse your axis if you can't get used to how they work.

 

I suppose I'll give it another week and see if I'm used to it by then. Last night, I horribly botched a crosswind landing because if it though... pushed my rudder pedals in the wrong direction. So there are going to be some destroyed virtual aircraft in the meantime. Thanks.

[MTFDarkEagle]

Well, that's the way it's functioning, left foot forward = yaw left, right foot forward = yaw right. That's the way a real aircraft is? :( That's backwards to the way I've been conditioned all my life to steer any kind of vehicle.

Yep!

What you can do for visual reference: go sit in your a-10c, push your rudder in one direction, and look down to see if it's correct.

[S77th-konkussion]

If it makes you feel better Speed- Several planes (like the C130 for example) have a small nosewheel steering wheel in the cockpit with a suicide knob on it. That steers the way you like. :D

[effte]

If you reverse the axis you will be setting yourself up for creating some very funny tracks once you start using differential braking. Left pedal forward = left yaw in real life, and I strongly suggest you leave it that way... or we'll demand to see those tracks. ;)

[EtherealN]

I'm not sure I'd call it "backwards", and it's not really opposite to many of the things you mentioned. I mean, you push the wheel on your car to turn? O.o

 

The reason why they work like that is very simple tough: from the dawn of motorized flight, that's how it's been due to how the linkages are set up. The two pedals would pull wires or control rods attached to the rudder. Push the right pedal forward and you'll cause the wire to move forward and bring along that side of the rudder, causing the rudder itself to deflect to the right and you induce a yaw moment to the right.

 

Similarly, on the outborder motor (I assume that's what you mean), you push right to turn left due to how it's rigged - but a single rod aimed forward, with the entire assembly pivoting on one point. However, here we are moving something sideways - not pushing it away from us like we do with rudder pedals.