22
Once you have determined the amount of weight required, it
can be permanently attached. If you need tail weight the best
place to apply it would be to the bottom of the horizontal stab.
❏
4.
IMPORTANT:
If you found it necessary to add any weight,
recheck the C.G. after the weight has been installed.
Balance the Model Laterally
❏
1. With the wing level, have an assistant help you lift the
model at the center of the bottom of the fuselage and the
bottom of the fuse under the fi n. Do this several times.
❏
2. If one wing always drops when you lift the model, it means
that side is heavy. Balance the airplane by adding weight to the
other wing tip.
An airplane that has been laterally balanced
will track better in loops and other maneuvers.
PREFLIGHT
Identify Your Model
No matter if you fl y at an AMA sanctioned R/C club site or if
you fl y 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 fl ying sites
and AMA sanctioned fl ying events. Fill out the identifi cation
tag on page 24 and place it on or inside your model.
Charge the Batteries
Follow the battery charging instructions that came with your
battery to charge the batteries.
IMPORTANT:
Carefully read and follow all the instructions
included with your LiPo battery and battery charger. LiPo
batteries are not forgiving like NiCd or NiMH batteries.
Overcharging or charging the LiPo battery at too high a
current will damage the battery and could damage property.
Charge your transmitter following the instruction with the
transmitter.
Balance Propellers
Carefully balance your propellers and spare propellers before
you fl y. An unbalanced prop can be the single most signifi cant
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 fl ight box.
Ground Check and Range Check
Run the motors at full power for a couple of minutes. Afterward,
shut the motors off and inspect the model closely, making
sure all fasteners, pushrods and connections have remained
tight and the hinges are secure. Always ground check the
operational range of your radio before the fi rst fl ight of the
day following the manufacturer’s instructions that came with
your radio. This should be done once with the engine off and
once with the engine running at various speeds. If the control
surfaces do not respond correctly,
do not fl y!
Find and correct
the problem fi rst. 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
Failure to follow these safety precautions may result
in severe injury to yourself and others.
●
Get help from an experienced pilot when learning to operate
motors.
●
Use safety glasses when starting or running engines.
●
Do not run the motor 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 run the motor.
●
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.
AMA SAFETY CODE EXCERPTS
Read and abide by the following excerpts from the Academy
of Model Aeronautics Safety Code. For the complete Safety
Code refer to
Model Aviation
magazine, the AMA web site or
the Code that came with your AMA license.
General
1) I will not fl y my model aircraft in sanctioned events, air shows,
or model fl ying demonstrations until it has been proven to be
airworthy by having been previously, successfully fl ight tested.
