Post-Flight Check List - THUNDER TIGER Dragonfly 15 Assembly Instructions Manual

POST-FLIGHT CHECK LIST

have an experienced pilot make the adjustments for
you while you fly the plane.
If you get disoriented or the plane gets out of con-
trol, simply take your hands off all the controls and
allow the plane to stabilize. Clear your head and try
to picture yourself sitting in the cockpit. Then input
the required control movements to get the plane
back on the correct flight path. If you run out of time
or flying space and realize the plane is going to hit
something (ground, tree, etc), pull the throttle back to
idle and pull the elevator stick back about half way.
This will reduce the speed of the plane and minimize
the damage sustained.
When you are ready to land, do a couple of slow
fly-bys at a safe altitude to get familiar with the
plane's slow-flying characteristics. An important fac-
tor to remember here is that you should regulate
your altitude with the throttle not the elevator as you
might expect. Practice raising the nose of plane
slightly with a touch of "up" elevator and then using
the throttle to regulate the plane's altitude. When you
are ready to land, fly downwind past the runway.
When the plane is a hundred yards or so downwind,
reduce the throttle to almost an idle and turn 90
degrees towards the runway. Fly straight for a sec-
ond or two until the plane is almost even with the
runway. Turn 90 degrees again and fly directly toward
the runway using the throttle to govern how quickly
the plane is descending. Keep the nose of plane up
slightly with the elevator and allow the plane to fly
gently onto the runway. Do not try to stretch the glide
path without increasing the throttle or the plane may
stall.
POST-FLIGHT CHECK LIST
1. Be sure that both the transmitter and
receiver switches are turned off.
2. Drain all excess fuel from the tank. Fuel left
in the tank for extended periods can "gunk
up" the tank, fittings and carburetor.
3. Clean the plane with paper towels and a
light-duty spray cleanser. Keeping your
plane clean will make it last longer and
keep it looking nice.
4. Put a few drops of after-run or light oil in the
carburetor and turn the prop over a few
times (without the glow plug ignited) to dis-
tribute the oil throughout the engine.
5. Inspect the prop and replace it if any chips
or cracks are found.
6. Inspect the entire plane for covering tears,
new dings and dents, loose screws and
connectors and any other wear and tear.
7. Use a voltmeter to check the receiver bat-
tery voltage. If it is low, you now know not
to fly so long next time. If it is still high, you
should be able to fly a little longer next
session.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
1. Wear safety glasses when starting and run-ning
all model engines.
2. Model engine fuel is very flammable and the
flame is very dangerous because it is almost
invisible! Do not smoke or allow sparks, high heat
or other flames near the fuel.
3. Do not run model engines inside a garage or
other closed room as they give off large amounts
of deadly carbon monoxide gas.
4. Do not run model engines around gravel, sand or
other loose debris. These materials will be ingest-
ed through the carburetor and can also be kicked
up by the prop.
5. Always stay behind the propeller when the engine
is running. Make all engine adjust-ments from
behind the engine. Under no circumstances
should you allow your face or body near the plane
on rotation of the propeller when the engine is
running.
6. Do not allow loose clothing or other loose objects
close to the prop.
7. To stop an engine, cut off the fuel or air supply to
the engine. Do not throw rags or other objects into
the prop to stop the engine.
8. Do not touch the engine or muffler during or right
after it has been running–It gets very hot!
9. If you hear any unusual noises while your plane is
flying, land at once and determine the problem
before returning to the air. Control surface flutter,
which often emits a
quickly destroy an airplane and should not be
ignored. Flutter is usually caused by sloppy con-
trol surfaces and is generally relatively easy to
cure.
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low-pitched "buzz", can