5
Building and Operating Instructions - Air Trainer 140 ARF
No. 2581
24
Balancing the model
- Mark the Centre of Gravity - „C.G.“ - on both sides of the
fuselage at a point 75 - 90 mm from the wing leading edge
at the fuselage.
- Support the model at the marked points and allow it to
hang freely. Ideally the model will now balance level, with
the nose inclined slightly down.
- Adjust the position of the flight battery if necessary.
- Mark the battery location in the fuselage, so that you can
be confident of replacing it in the same position after remo-
ving it.
Lighting system (navigation lights)
- The lighting system is switched on permanently, and cannot
be controlled from the transmitter. If you prefer to fly without
the lights, disconnect the plug at the distributor board.
- The lighting system uses LEDs, whose minimal current
drain has no effect on flight times.
Test-flying, flying notes
- Read the sections in the Safety Notes entitled “Routine pre-
flight checks” and “Flying the model” before attempting to fly
the model for the first time.
- For your initial test-flights please wait for a day with no more
than a gentle breeze.
- A good flying site consists of a large, flat, open grassy field,
devoid of trees, fences, high-tension overhead cables etc.
- Repeat the check of all the working systems.
- The model is capable of taking off from a hard surface as well
as being hand-launched.
- The model must always be launched directly into any wind.
- If a suitably smooth runway is available, we recommend a
ground take-off.
- Carry out a series of taxi tests to become accustomed to the
model‘s ground handling and response to the control surfaces.
- With the nose pointing straight into wind, apply full-throttle and
allow the model to pick up speed. Once it is moving at an ade-
quate speed, apply up-elevator brief to lift off.
- Ask an experienced modelling friend to hand-launch the
aircraft for you. He should be capable of giving the model a
reasonably strong, flat launch.
- With the motor running at full-throttle, give the aeroplane a
firm launch directly into any breeze, with the fuselage and
wings level.
Fig. 24
,
checking the working systems
Check the channel assignment at the receiver, and if
necessary swap the plugs as necessary.
- Set the transmitter sticks and trims to centre.
- The control surfaces should now also be at centre (neu-
tral). Adjust the clevises if necessary.
- Carry out fine corrections at the transmitter.
-
Check the direction of rotation of the servos.
- Stand behind the model. - When you move the rudder stick
to the right, the rudder should also deflect to the right.
- Pull the elevator stick back towards you, and the rear edge
of the elevator should rise.
- Moving the aileron stick to the right, you MUST check that
the trailing edge of the right aileron rises, the left aileron
should go down.
- If any function works the wrong way round, correct it using
the servo reverse facility on your transmitter.
- Set the control surface travels to the stated values, refer-
ring to the radio control system instructions.
Checking the power system
- Hold the model in such a way that the propeller is free to
rotate. Caution: Whenever you are working on the power
system (for installation, set-up or maintenance) keep well
clear of the rotational plane of the propeller - injury hazard.
- Check the direction of rotation of the motor: the propeller
must turn anti-clockwise when viewed from the front. If this
is not the case, swap over any two of the three connecting
wires between the motor and the speed controller.
- After landing, and after every test-run, always discon-
nect the flight battery from the speed controller first,
then switch the transmitter off.
- The control surfaces travels are measured at the
inboard end of the control surface.
- The stated control throws are just a guide for the first
few flights. You will probably need to adjust the actual
settings to suit your individual flying style.
- The Expo settings should also be adjusted to suit your
own preference.
Aileron
30 mm
30 mm
Rudder
15 mm
15 mm
Elevator
15 mm
15 mm