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Cuban 8 RC airplane aerobatics

This page will show you how to fly the popular 'Cuban 8' based rc airplane aerobatics; the Cuban 8, Half Cuban 8 and the Reverse Half Cuban 8.

Cuban 8 based aerobatic maneuvers are a lot of fun and look smooth when pulled off well. They're not too difficult to learn but an airplane with ailerons is needed, as all the Cuban 8 maneuvers involve rolling the airplane through 180 degrees.

The Cuban 8:

The Cuban 8 is the largest of the three maneuvers.

How to fly it: Fly straight and level in to wind and at point 'A', in the picture above, apply full power and up elevator to initiate a climb, as if starting an inside loop.

Let the airplane go in to its vertical climb and roll over on to its back at the top of the loop, point 'B'.

Continue with the loop but at point 'C' apply aileron to smoothly roll through 180 degrees, bringing the airplane right side up. Reduce power slightly and use elevator to maintain a 45 degree dive.

Continue the brief dive and level out at the altitude at which you entered the maneuver.

As soon as you've levelled out, point 'D', increase power and begin a second loop and repeat the process of letting the airplane roll over on to its back, point 'E', before applying aileron at the start of the dive, point 'F', to roll through 180 degrees.

Continue the 45 degree dive and start to recover at point 'G', to resume straight and level flying at your original altitude.

To test your accuracy successive Cuban 8s can be flown while trying to keep the cross-over point in the same place in the sky, and both loops equal size.

Below is the Cuban 8 on video (on the RealFlight rc flight simulator), including close-ups of the Tx stick inputs and the airplane's response...

The Half Cuban 8:

How to fly it: A half Cuban 8 can be performed by completing the first loop and roll-out of the Cuban 8 and then returning to a straight and level course in the opposite direction to your entry-course, instead of going straight in to the second loop.

Below is the Half Cuban 8 on video (on the RealFlight rc flight simulator), including close-ups of the Tx stick inputs and the airplane's response...

The Reverse Half Cuban 8:

How to fly it: A Reverse Half Cuban 8 is performed thus...

Fly straight and level and enter the maneuver by commencing a 45 degree climb, point 'A' in the picture above. After a couple of seconds climbing, use ailerons to smoothly roll through 180 degrees to invert the airplane, point 'B', and use up elevator to perform what is, in effect, the back half of an inside loop, point 'C'.

Fly the airplane out of the loop and return to straight and level (point 'D') in the opposite direction to that which you entered the maneuver.

Below is the Reverse Half Cuban 8 on video (on the RealFlight rc flight simulator), including close-ups of the Tx stick inputs and the airplane's response...

The Half Cuban 8 and Reverse Half Cuban 8 rc airplane aerobatic maneuvers are both ideal end maneuvers - a flashy alternative to just turning the airplane around 180 degrees in a normal banked turn to fly back the other way.