PREFLIGHT
Identification
No matter if you fly at an AMA sanctioned R/C club
site or if you fly somewhere on your own, you should
always have your name, address, telephone number
and AMA number on or inside your model. It is
required
at all AMA R/C club flying sites and AMA
sanctioned flying events. Fill out the identification tag
included with the decal sheet and place it on or
inside your model.
Charge batteries
Follow the battery charging procedures in your radio
instruction manual. You should always charge your
transmitter and receiver batteries the night before
you go flying, and at other times as recommended
by the radio manufacturer.
NOTE:
Checking the condition of your receiver
battery pack is
highly recommended
. All battery
packs, whether it’s a trusty pack you’ve just taken
out of another model, or a new battery pack you just
purchased, should be cycled, noting the discharge
capacity. Oftentimes a weak battery pack can be
identified (and a valuable model saved!) by
comparing its actual capacity to its rated capacity.
Refer to the instructions and recommendations that
come with your cycler. If you don’t own a battery
cycler, perhaps you can have a friend cycle your
pack and note the capacity for you.
Balance propellers
Carefully balance your propellers before you fly. An
unbalanced prop is the single most significant cause
of vibration that can damage your model. Not only
will engine mounting screws and bolts loosen,
possibly with disastrous effect, but vibration may also
damage your radio receiver and battery. Vibration
can also cause your fuel to foam, which will, in turn,
cause your engine to run hot or quit.
We use a Top Flite Precision Magnetic Prop
Balancer
™
(TOPQ5700) in the workshop and keep a
Great Planes Fingertip Prop Balancer (GPMQ5000)
in our flight box.
Ground check
Follow the engine manufacturer’s instructions to
break-in your engine.
After you run the engine on
your model, inspect your model closely to make sure
all screws remain tight and your pushrods and
connectors are secure.
Range check
Ground check the operational range of your radio
before the first flight of the day. With the transmitter
antenna collapsed and the receiver and transmitter
on, you should be able to walk at least 100 feet away
from the model and still have control. Have an
assistant stand by your model and, while you work
the controls, tell you what the control surfaces are
doing. Repeat this test
with the engine running
at
various speeds with an assistant holding the model,
using hand signals to show you what is happening.
If the control surfaces do not respond correctly,
do
not fly!
Find and correct the problem first. Look for
loose servo connections or broken wires, corroded
wires on old servo connectors, poor solder joints in
your battery pack or a defective cell, or a damaged
receiver crystal from a previous crash.
ENGINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Keep all engine fuel in a safe place, away from high
heat, sparks or flames, as fuel is very flammable. Do
not smoke near the engine or fuel; and remember
that engine exhaust gives off a great deal of deadly
carbon monoxide. Therefore
do not run the engine
in a closed room or garage
.
Get help from an experienced pilot when learning to
operate engines.
Use safety glasses when starting or running engines.
Do not run the engine in an area of loose gravel or
sand; the propeller may throw such material in your
face or eyes.
Keep your face and body as well as all spectators
away from the plane of rotation of the propeller as
you start and run the engine.
Keep these items away from the prop: loose clothing,
shirt sleeves, ties, scarfs, long hair or loose objects
such as pencils or screwdrivers that may fall out of
shirt or jacket pockets into the prop.
Use a “chicken stick” or electric starter to start the
engine. Do not use your fingers to flip the propeller.
Make certain the glow plug clip or connector is
secure so that it will not pop off or otherwise get into
the running propeller.
Make all engine adjustments from behind the
rotating propeller.
The engine gets hot! Do not touch it during or right
after operation. Make sure fuel lines are in good
condition so fuel will not leak onto a hot engine,
causing a fire.
Failure to follow these safety precautions may
result in severe injury to yourself and others.
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