BALANCE THE PROPELLERS
Carefully balance your propeller and spare propellers before
you fly. An unbalanced prop can be 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
If the engine is new, follow the engine manufacturer’s
instructions to break-in the engine.
After break-in, confirm
that the engine idles reliably, transitions smoothly and rapidly
to full power and maintains full power–indefinitely. After you
run the engine on the model, inspect the model closely to
make sure all screws remained tight, the hinges are secure,
the prop is secure and all 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 [30m] 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.
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.
To stop a glow engine, cut off the fuel supply by closing off
the fuel line or following the engine manufacturer’s
recommendations. Do not use hands, fingers or any other
body part to try to stop the engine. To stop a gasoline
powered engine an on/off switch should be connected to the
engine coil. Do not throw anything into the propeller of a
running engine.
Read and abide by the following Academy of Model
Aeronautics Official Safety Code:
GENERAL
1. I will not fly my model aircraft in sanctioned events, air
shows, or model flying demonstrations until it has been
AMA SAFETY CODE (excerpt)
Failure to follow these safety precautions may result in
severe injury to yourself and others.
ENGINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
21
