Balance The Model Laterally; Preflight; Engine/Motor Safety Precautions - Tower Hobbies SPORT Instruction Manual

6. If using a brushless motor, once you've determined
where to install the battery, apply the strip of the rougher,
hook-side of the included adhesive-back hook-and-loop strip
to the battery tray in the fuselage. Make a battery strap from
the included hook-and-loop strap material and install the
strap through the cutouts nearest the middle of the battery.

Balance the Model Laterally

1. Lift the Sport several times by the propeller shaft and
the tail to see if one wing drops.
2. If one wing drops consistently, add weight to the opposite
tip by sticking it to the outside or strategically concealing
it inside the balsa tip. An airplane that has been laterally
balanced will track better in fl ight and maintain its heading
better during maneuvers when the plane is climbing.

PREFLIGHT

Engine/Motor Safety Precautions

Failure to follow these safety precautions may result in
severe injury to yourself and others.
Keep all engine fuel in a safe place, away from high heat,
sparks or fl ames, as fuel is very fl ammable. Do not smoke
near the engine or fuel; and remember that engine exhaust
gives off a great deal of deadly carbon monoxide. Therefore
do not run the engine in a closed room or garage.
Get help from an experienced pilot when learning to operate
engines.
Use safety glasses when starting or running engines.
Do not run the engine in an area of loose gravel or sand;
the propeller may throw such material in your face or eyes.
Keep your face and body as well as all spectators away
from the plane of rotation of the propeller as you start and
run the engine.
Keep these items away from the prop: loose clothing, shirt
sleeves, ties, scarfs, long hair or loose objects such as
pencils or screwdrivers that may fall out of shirt or jacket
pockets into the prop.
Use a "chicken stick" or electric starter to start the engine.
Do not use your fi ngers to fl ip the propeller. Make certain
the glow plug clip or connector is secure so that it will not
pop off or otherwise get into the running propeller.
Make all engine adjustments from behind the rotating
propeller.
The engine gets hot! Do not touch it during or right after
operation. Make sure fuel lines are in good condition so
fuel will not leak onto a hot engine, causing a fi re.
To stop a glow engine, cut off the fuel supply by closing
off the fuel line or following the engine manufacturer's
recommendations. Do not use hands, fi ngers or any other
body part to try to stop the engine. To stop a gasoline
powered engine an on/off switch should be connected to
the engine coil. Do not throw anything into the propeller
of a running engine.
WARNING: For brushless electric motors, never have the
motor battery connected to the ESC without the transmitter
turned on – after each fl ight (or any time after running the
motor) always disconnect the battery before turning off
the transmitter. And when ready to fl y (or whenever running
the motor for any reason), always turn on the transmitter
fi rst before connecting the motor battery.
Also make certain your failsafe is programmed for throttle
to 0% so in the event the receiver loses signal the motor
will not turn. Follow the instructions that came with your
radio control system to check and set the failsafe.
The recommended RimFire .32 is rated for 50A constant
current and 80A surge current. Powered by a 4S LiPo on
an APC 13 x 8E it draws about 58A static and momentary,
maximum peaks of about 50 – 55A in the air, but averages a
little less than 20A through a "normal" fl ight. This is a suitable
propeller choice and fl ies the Sport well—it can be zoomed
around in the sky, or cruise at lower throttle settings for more
scale-appearing fl ight.
Typical fl ight time may be as low as 4 minutes or even over
8 minutes depending on how aggressive and active you are
with the throttle – more power means shorter fl ight times.
Always unplug and remove the battery after your fl ight.
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