User Manual
50
CHECK LIST
During the last few moments of preparation your mind
may be elsewhere anticipating the excitement of the rst
ight. Because of this, you may be more likely to overlook
certain checks and procedures that should be performed
before the model is own. To help avoid this, a check list
is provided to make sure these important areas are not
overlooked. Many are covered in the instruction manual,
so where appropriate, refer to the manual for complete
instructions. Be sure to check the items off as they are
completed (that’s why it’s called a check list!).
❏
1. Fuelproof all areas exposed to fuel or exhaust residue
such as the cowl ring, wing saddle area, etc.
❏
2. Check the C.G. according to the measurements provided
in the manual.
❏
3. Be certain the battery and receiver are securely mounted
in the fuse. Simply stuf ng them into place with foam rubber
is not suf cient.
❏
4. If you still y on 72MHz, extend your receiver antenna
and make sure it has a strain relief inside the fuselage to
keep tension off the solder joint inside the receiver.
❏
5. Balance your model laterally as explained in the
instructions.
❏
6. Use threadlocking compound to secure critical fasteners
such as the set screws that hold the wheel axles to the struts,
screws that hold the carburetor arm (if applicable), engine
bolts, etc.
❏
7. Add a drop of oil to the axles so the wheels will turn freely.
❏
8. Give the control surfaces a rm tug to make sure all
hinges are securely glued in place before and after every ight.
❏
9. Reinforce holes for wood screws with thin CA where
appropriate (servo mounting screws, aileron hatches, etc.).
❏
10. Con rm that all controls operate in the correct direction
and the throws are set up according to the manual. Checking
the direction should be performed before every ight. With
computer radios it is easy to mistakenly change the model.
❏
11. Make sure there are silicone retainers on all the clevises
and that all servo arms are secured to the servos with the
screws included with your radio.
❏
12. Secure connections between servo wires and
Y-connectors or servo extensions, and the connection
between your battery pack and the on/off switch with vinyl
tape, heat shrink tubing or special clips suitable for that
purpose.
❏
13. Make sure any servo extension cords and air lines you
may have used do not interfere with other systems (servo
arms, pushrods, etc.).
❏
14. Make sure the fuel lines are connected and are not
kinked.
❏
15. Balance your propeller (and spare propellers).
❏
16. Check that the spinner bolt is tight.
❏
17. Place your name, address, AMA number and telephone
number on or inside your model. This is an AMA rule.
❏
18. Make sure the failsafe is set, to prevent accidents.
❏
19. Cycle your receiver and ignition battery pack (if
necessary) and make sure it is fully charged.
❏
20. If you wish to photograph your model, do so before
your rst ight.
❏
21. Range check your radio when you get to the ying eld.
PREFLIGHT
Identify Your Model
No matter if you y at an AMA sanctioned R/C club site
or if you 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 ying sites and AMA sanctioned ying events.
Fill out the identi cation tag on page 59 and place it on
or inside your model.
Charge the Batteries
Follow the battery charging instructions that came with your
radio control system to charge the batteries. You should
always charge your transmitter and receiver batteries the night
before you go ying, and at other times as recommended
by the radio manufacturer.
CAUTION: Unless the instructions that came with your
radio system state differently, the initial charge on new
transmitter and receiver batteries should be done for 15
hours using the slow-charger that came with the ra-
dio system. This will “condition” the batteries so that the
next charge may be done using the fast-charger of your
choice. If the initial charge is done with a fast-charger the
batteries may not reach their full capacity and you may be
ying with batteries that are only partially charged. If you
are using LiFe transmitter and receiver batteries, follow
the instructions that came with your batteries and be sure
to use a charger that is designed to charge LiFe batteries.
Ground Check and Range Check
Run the engine for a few minutes to make sure it idles reliably,
transitions smoothly and maintains full power inde nitely.
Afterward, shut the engine 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 rst
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 y! Find and correct the problem 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 from a previous crash.