HobbyZone Firebird Phantom User Manual page 10

Flying
1. After launching your Firebird Phantom,
it will begin climbing at full throttle.
With the throttle all the way on, your
Firebird Phantom should climb without
any elevator input.
2. Make right- and left-hand adjustments
to keep your airplane heading directly
into the wind. Do not attempt a turn until
you have reached a minimum of 50–100
feet of altitude. That's about as tall as
a 4- to 8-story building. It is hard to
determine altitude when you're in a wide
and open space outside, so the best rule
is to err on the side of caution and allow
yourself sufficient altitude when flying.
3. Control range is 1300 feet. Don't let the
airplane get too far away. Keep the
aircraft UPWIND from you. Failure to
do this could result in a flyaway!
Remember, the wind is stronger as your
plane gets higher in the air. It's OK to fly
higher, just be cautious and watch how
your plane reacts to the wind. Most of
1
the time, you can fly at higher altitudes at
half throttle. This is great for smooth, easy
™
flying when you're first learning to fly and
conserves battery power.
4. When you have reached higher altitudes
and want to practice using the elevator,
begin with small and smooth inputs to the
transmitter, as very little input is required
to get the plane to turn, climb or descend.
5. Avoid long vertical dives, with power on
or off, as it can cause a lot of stress on the
airplane.
Left digital trim is for throttle. Trim buttons
located directly under right stick are for adjust-
ing rudder trim. Trim buttons to the immediate
left of right stick are for adjusting elevator trim.
Flying (continued)
NOTE: Digital trims can be used for making
quick in-flight adjustments. Trims will auto-
matically re-center each time the radio is
powered on. It is recommended that you first
make manual corrections by adjusting the
control linkages. See page 22.
ACT On/Off
Sharp Turns:
Move the stick in the direction you want
to turn and add a bit of UP elevator at the
same time (pull back on stick). The plane
will make a sharper banking turn.
Rudder Trim:
If the Firebird Phantom seems to drift in
™
one direction when the control stick is in
the neutral (centered) position, press the
rudder trim buttons below the control stick
in the OPPOSITE direction of the drift.
Adjust until the plane flies straight with the
control stick at neutral.
Elevator Trim:
If the model always "hunts" up or down,
use the trim buttons to the left of the stick
to correct this problem. If it hunts up, push
the upper trim button until it flies level. If it
hunts down, push the lower trim button until
it flies level. The model should fly straight
with the stick at neutral. Your Firebird
Phantom should have a steady climb at full
throttle when it is trimmed properly.
1