PREFLIGHT
CHARGE YOUR 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.
BALANCE YOUR 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.
FIND A SAFE PLACE TO FLY
The best place to fly your model is an AMA chartered
R/C club flying field. Contact the AMA (their address
is on page 3) or your hobby shop dealer for the club
in your area and join it. Club fields are intended for
R/C flying, making your outing safer and more
enjoyable. The AMA also provides insurance in case
of a flying accident. If an R/C flying field is not
available, find a large, grassy area at least six miles
from buildings, streets, and other R/C activities. A
schoolyard is usually not an acceptable area
because of people, power lines and possible radio
interference.
GROUND CHECK YOUR MODEL
If you are not thoroughly familiar with the operation
of R/C models, ask an experienced modeler to
inspect your radio installation and control surface
set-up. 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 YOUR RADIO
Ground check the 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 in your battery pack,
or a damaged receiver crystal from a previous crash.
ENGINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Note: Failure to follow these safety precautions may
result in severe injury to yourself and others.
Store model fuel in a safe place away from high heat,
sparks or flames. Do not smoke near the engine or
fuel as it is very flammable. Engine exhaust gives off
a great deal of deadly carbon monoxide so do not
run the engine in a closed room or garage.
Get help from an experienced pilot when you learn to
operate engines.
Use safety glasses when you operate model engines.
Do not run the engine near loose gravel or sand; the
propeller may throw loose material in your face or eyes.
When you start and run the engine, keep your face
and body as well as all spectators away from the
plane of rotation of the propeller.
Always be aware and very conscious of hand
movements and be deliberate in your reach for the
needle valve, glow plug clip, or other items near a
spinning propeller.
Keep loose clothing, shirt sleeves, ties, scarfs, long
hair or loose objects away from the prop. Be
conscious of pencils, screwdrivers or other objects
that may fall out of your shirt or jacket pockets.
Use a chicken stick or electric starter and follow the
instructions to start your engine.
Make certain the glow plug clip or connector is
secure so that it will not pop off or get into the
running propeller.
Ask an assistant to hold the model from the rear
while you start the engine and operate the controls.
Make all engine adjustments from behind the
rotating propeller.
The engine gets hot! Do not touch the engine during
or immediately after you operate it. Make sure fuel
lines are in good condition so fuel will not leak onto
a hot engine and cause a fire.
To stop the engine, close the carburetor barrel (rotor)
or pinch the fuel line to discontinue the fuel flow. Do
not use your (or any body elses’) hands, fingers or
any body part to stop the engine. Never throw
anything into the prop of a running engine.
FLYING
The Top Flite Beechcraft T-34B is a great flying sport
scale airplane that flies smoothly and predictably, yet
is highly maneuverable. Compared to other scale
models, its flight characteristics are docile and
forgiving. The T-34B also has excellent slow speed
flight characteristics. It does not, however, have the
self-recovery characteristics of a primary R/C
trainer; therefore, you must either have mastered the
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Summary of Contents for T-34B MENTOR
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