The Electra was designed for long, slow, relaxed flying
- not loops or similar aerobatic maneuvers. Save that
kind of lying for your next, higher performance sport
plane. Practicing precise control and glide planning on
the Electra is good preparation for the demands of
advanced aerobatic flying.
We recommend you use 3 channels, as this will allow
you to cut power whenever you wish to do so. On your
first few flights, after a couple of minutes, you may feel
you have "had enough" and want to land and relax. A
2-channel system without motor control will not give
you this option; you will have to keep flying until the
battery power runs down.
You can expect a good solid 4 or 5 minutes of powered
flight with a properly charged battery. In this amount of
time, Electra will gain several hundred feet of altitude
and will allow you time to get oriented and familiar with
the control "feel." When the battery power begins to
run out, climb will slow down and the model will begin
a slow descent. You should continue flying your same
flying pattern as the model slowly glides.
For your initial landings, you should not be concerned
about trying to land at a specific spot. Your prime con-
cern should be a controlled landing, always into the
wind, with wing level. With practice, you will be able to
plan your approaches to land just about where you
want.
The Electra must be hand launched. This is easy to do,
but must be done carefully to avoid damaging the
model. It is best to launch over some tall grass.
Facing INTO the wind, hold the transmitter in one
hand, the model in the other and raise it above your
head. The wings should be level and the nose point-
ing straight ahead-not slightly up. Imagine that you are
gliding it towards a spot about 50 feet ahead. DO NOT
throw the model UP. It's a natural tendency, but it will
make the model stall (fall) and dive to the ground.
After checking all controls, seeing that the Tx trim tabs
are centered, and making sure the Tx meter registers
in the safe zone, turn on the motor and hand launch
the model into the wind. Immediately take the Tx in
both hands and, remembering to operate the controls
smoothly, begin to direct the model in a gentle climb.
Add slight back stick pressure, if necessary, to keep
the model from descending. Soon, when it is about
100 feet away from you, it will start to climb. Be patient;
let it climb slowly. If the climb is too steep, the model
will stall and fall to the ground. Avoid over-controlling.
CLIMB OUT. 1.
During the climb out, just try to keep
the model flying into the wind with the wings level until
you reach an altitude of at least 150 feet.
STARTING THE PATTERN 2.
At 150-200 feet of alti-
tude, add just a touch of left or right stick pressure until
the model begins a very shallow turn in the direction
you want to go.
3.
Try to maintain this shallow turn.
The wind will tend to blow your plane and the pattern
further downwind. Try to keep it flying upwind at all
times prior to your landing approach. It is more difficult
39
1
1
CLIMB OUT SHOWN HERE IS
EXAGGERATED. ACTUAL CLIMB
OUT IS QUITE SHALLOW.
2
2
3
3
DOWNWIND TURNS A LITTLE STEEPER
UPWIND TURNS SHALLOW
HAND LAUNCHING