While not an exhaustive pre-flight check these are
some of the major items that you should consider
using when developing your own pre-flight check
list. Get in the habit of always pre-flighting your
models before each and every flight.
☐
Weight and Balance
- Check
Rockette’s’
™
balance. The model should balance 1-5/8
inches from the leading edge of the wing
(basically at the main spar). Use a permanent
marker or trim tape to mark the underside of
the left and right wing half at the CG
measurement as given above.
☐
Use your right and left hand index fingers and
suspend the model from below, between the
marked CG measurements. Site from profile
of aircraft against horizon. If the lower edge
of the fuselage side along F1 appears to hang
level with horizon line, then
Rockette
™ is
properly balanced to fly. Move equipment
and or battery within fuselage to obtain proper
balance.
☐
Check Weather
-
Rockette’s’
™ first flight
should be outdoors and in
zero
wind
conditions.
Rockette
™ is capable of flying in
winds up to 5-8 mph so long as the pilot is
capable.
☐
Inspect airframe
for warps and obvious signs
of wear or damage. Do not fly a damaged or
warped model.
☐
Inspect control surfaces
for center, proper
direction of travel, rate of throw, secure
pushrod connections, hinges, and receiver/
servo mounting hardware.
☐
Check wing attach points
for damage and/
or wear. Inspect rubber bands, that they are
installed correctly and in good condition to
adequately retain wing.
☐
Inspect battery for full charge.
Never begin
a flight with a partially charged battery.
☐
Clear prop!
Before applying power to the
model, clear and keep clear of the prop arc.
☐
Range check radio.
Follow the radio makers
guidelines for performing a proper range
check.
☐
Check for traffic.
Proceed to the flight line
(With your mentor/instructor if you are a
novice pilot) and observe other RC traffic. If
the runway is clear, and no one is in the
pattern to land, loudly announce your
intentions to take off. Remember etiquette
dictates that all aircraft on ground must yield
the runway to those landing.
☐
Go flying.
Point model into wind (if present)
and steadily advance throttle to full. Use
rudder to correct track while on ground roll.
Within several feet the model should be
airborne. Fly model to a comfortable 1-2
mistake high altitude, reduce throttle to stop
climb, then trim model for straight and level
flight at a comfortable cruise speed
(Depending on speed control responsiveness
Rockette
™ typically cruise at just over 1/2
throttle).
☐
Setup for landing.
Clearly announce your
intention to land. Make landings into the
wind. With rudder/elevator control and no
ailerons setting up landings in cross-winds
should be avoided until you are comfortable
with the model’s in-flight behavior.
Congratulations!
You’ve completed your first flight(s) on
Rockette
™ When built straight, and trimmed for
level flight,
Rockette
™ should always return to
wings level from any attitude.
If your first flight was a bit more exciting than
you’d have liked and are having problems with
erratic flight performance; please inspect your
equipment and airframe for damage, improper
installation, and/or twists and warps. The most
common mistake is to try and fly with a warped or
twisted wing. With such a fat chord and short
moments a small warp can cause big in-flight
problems. Make certain that your wing is straight
before you fly.
We are committed to improving your build and
flying experience and are constantly refining our
processes, designs, and manuals to reflect
customer feedback. You may correspond with
Stevens AeroModel staff using any of the
following methods:
E-Mail -
RCGroups.com - Forum Build Threads
Facebook.com - Search for Stevens AeroModel
Phone - 719-387-4187
Build Instructions
© 2011 Stevens AeroModel all rights reserved.
!
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