Instruction manual

MODELING TERMS AND TRIVIA
Adverse Yaw - The tendency of an airplane to yaw in the
opposite direction of the roll. For instance, when right
aileron is applied, the airplane yaws to the left, thus
opposing the turn. Adverse yaw is common in trainer type
airplanes having flat bottom wings. It is most noticeable at
slow speeds and high angles of attack, such as during
takeoffs and when stretching a landing approach. Caused
by the unequal drag of the upward and downward
deflection of the ailerons, this undesirable trait can be
minimized by setting up the ailerons with Differential Throw
or by coordinating the turns, using the
aileron and rudder
controls simultaneously. (See Differential Throw.)
Ailerons - Hinged control surfaces located on the trailing
edge of the wing, one on each side, which provide control
of the airplane about the roll axis. The control direction is
often confusing to first time modelers. For a right roll or
turn, the right hand aileron is moved upward and the left
hand aileron downward, and vice versa for a left roll or turn.
Angle of Attack - The angle that the wing penetrates the
air. As the angle of attack increases so does lift and drag,
up to a point.
ARF - A prefabricated model - Almost Ready to Fly.
Buddy Box - Two similar transmitters that are wired
together with a “trainer cord.” This is most useful when
learning to fly — it’s the same as having dual controls. The
instructor can take control by using the “trainer switch” on
his transmitter.
CA (Abbreviation for “Cyanoacrylate”) - An instant type
glue that is available in various viscosities (Thin, Medium,
Thick, and Gel). These glues are ideal for the assembly of
wood airplanes and other materials. Note: Most CA glues
will attack Styrofoam.
Carburetor - The part of the engine which controls the
speed or throttle setting and lean/rich mixture via setting of
the needle valve.
CG (“Center of Gravity”) - For modeling purposes, this is
usually considered — the point at which the airplane
balances fore to aft. This point is critical in regards to how
the airplane reacts in the air. A tail-heavy plane will be very
snappy but generally very unstable and susceptible to more
frequent stalls. If the airplane is nose heavy, it will tend to
track better and be less sensitive to control inputs, but, will
generally drop its nose when the throttle is reduced to idle.
This makes the plane more difficult to land since it takes
more effort to hold the nose up. A nose heavy airplane will
have to come in faster to land safely.
Charge Jack - The plug receptacle of the switch harness
into which the charger is plugged to charge the airborne
battery. An expanded scale voltmeter (ESV) can also be
plugged into it to check battery voltage between flights. It
is advisable to mount the charge jack in an accessible area
of the fuselage so an ESV can be used without removing
the wing.
Charger - Device used to recharge batteries and usually
supplied with the radio if NiCd batteries are included.
Chicken Stick - A hand-held stick used to “flip start” a
model airplane engine.
Clunk - A weighted fuel pick-up used in a fuel tank to
assure the intake line is always in fuel.
Dead Stick - A term used to describe unpowered flight
(glide) when the engine quits running.
Differential Throw - Ailerons that are set up to deflect
more in the upward direction than downward are said to
have Differential Throw. The purpose is to counteract
Adverse Yaw.
Dihedral - The V-shaped bend in the wing. Typically, more
dihedral causes more aerodynamic stability in an airplane,
and causes the rudder to control both the roll and yaw axis.
This is why some trainers and sailplanes require only 3
channels of radio control—i.e., having no ailerons.
Ding - Minor dent or damage to the structure. Also, a nick
in a prop. Dinged props must be replaced.
Down Thrust - Downward angle of the engine relative to
the centerline of the airplane. Down thrust helps overcome
the normal climbing tendency of flat bottom wings.
Electric Starter - A hand-held electric motor used for
starting a model airplane engine. Usually powered by a 12-
volt battery.
Elevator - Hinged control surface located at the trailing
edge of the horizontal stabilizer, which provides control of
the airplane about the pitch axis and causes the airplane to
climb or dive. The correct direction of control is to pull the
transmitter elevator control stick back, toward the bottom
of the transmitter, to move the elevator upward, which
causes the airplane to climb, and vice versa to dive.
Epoxy - A two-part resin/hardener glue that is extremely
strong. It is generally available in 6 and 30-minute formulas.
Used for critical points in the aircraft where high strength
is necessary.
Expanded Scale Voltmeter (ESV) - Device used to read
the battery voltage of the on-board battery pack or
transmitter battery pack.
Field Charger - A fast battery charger designed to work
from a 12-volt power source, such as a car battery.
Flaps - Hinged control surface located at the trailing edge
of the wing inboard of the ailerons. The flaps are lowered to
30