Pre-Flight
Have and experienced pilot assist you with pre-
flighting your new model. Just like having
someone proof read something you’ve written,
having a second
fresh
set of eyes to inspect your
final product is often helpful at avoiding disaster.
While not an exhaustive pre-flight check these are
some of the major items that you should consider
using when developing your own pre-flight check
list. Get in the habit of always pre-flighting your
models before each and every flight.
☐
Weight and Balance
- Check
QuickOats’
™
balance. The model should balance between
1-5/8 - 1-3/4 inches from the leading edge of
the wing (basically at or just forward of the
main spar). Use a permanent marker or trim
tape to mark the underside of the left and
right wing half at the forward and aft most CG
measurements as given above.
☐
Use your right and left hand index fingers and
suspend the model from below, between the
marked CG measurements. Site from profile
of aircraft against horizon. If the top edge of
the fuselage appears to hang level with
horizon line, then
QuickOats
™ is properly
balanced to fly. Move equipment and or
battery within fuselage to obtain proper
balance.
☐
Check Weather
-
QuickOats’
™ first flight
should be outdoors and in
zero
wind
conditions.
QuickOats
™ is capable of flying
in winds up to 5-8 mph so long as the pilot is
capable.
☐
Inspect airframe
for warps and obvious signs
of wear or damage. Do not fly a damaged or
warped model.
☐
Inspect control surfaces
for center, proper
direction of travel, rate of throw, secure
pushrod connections, hinges, and receiver/
servo mounting hardware.
☐
Check wing attach points
for damage and/
or wear. Inspect rubber bands, that they are
installed correctly and in good condition to
adequately retain wing.
☐
Inspect battery for full charge.
Never begin
a flight with a partially charged battery.
☐
Clear prop!
Before applying power to the
model, clear and keep clear of the prop arc.
☐
Range check radio.
Follow the radio makers
guidelines for performing a proper range
check.
☐
Check for traffic.
Proceed to the flight line
(With your mentor/instructor if you are a
novice pilot) and observe other RC traffic. If
the runway is clear, and no one is in the
pattern to land, loudly announce your
intentions to take off. Remember etiquette
dictates that all aircraft on ground must yield
the runway to those landing.
☐
Go flying.
Point model into wind (if present)
and steadily advance throttle to full. Use
rudder to correct track while on ground roll.
Within several feet the model should be
airborne. Fly model to a comfortable 1-2
mistake high altitude, reduce throttle to stop
climb, then trim model for straight and level
flight at a comfortable cruise speed
(Depending on speed control responsiveness
QuickOats
™ typically cruise at just over 1/2
throttle).
☐
Setup for landing.
Clearly announce your
intention to land. Make landings into the
wind. With rudder/elevator control and no
ailerons setting up landings in cross-winds
should be avoided until you are comfortable
with the model’s in-flight behavior.
Congratulations!
You’ve completed your first flight(s) on
QuickOats
™
By now you’ll have noticed that
QuickOats
™ is a
very stable airplane. When built straight, and
trimmed for level flight,
QuickOats
™ should
always return to wings level from any attitude.
We’ve found
QuickOats
™ to capture the
imagination of prospective pilots both young and
old. We never miss an opportunity to allow an on-
looker at the field to get some stick time in with
QuickOats
™. In-fact we’ve found
QuickOats
™
to be a very capable, instructor assisted, three
channel trainer.
If your first flight was a bit more exciting than
you’d have liked and are having problems with
erratic flight performance; please inspect your
equipment and airframe for damage, improper
installation, and/or twists and warps. The most
common mistake is to try and fly with a warped or
Build Instructions
© 2010 Stevens AeroModel all rights reserved.
!
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