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"stick-on" lead. A good place to add stick-on nose weight is to
the firewall (don't attach weight to the cowl–it is not intended
to support weight). Begin by placing incrementally increasing
amounts of weight on the bottom of the fuse over the firewall
until the model balances. Once you have determined the
amount of weight required, it can be permanently attached. If
required, nose weight may be added by removing the forward
hatch on the bottom of the fuse and gluing the weight
permanently inside.
Note: Do not rely upon the adhesive on the back of the lead
weight to permanently hold it in place. Over time, fuel and
exhaust residue may soften the adhesive and cause the
weight to fall off. Use #2 sheet metal screws, RTV silicone
or epoxy to permanently hold the weight in place.
❏
4. IMPORTANT: If you found it necessary to add any
weight, recheck the C.G. after the weight has been installed.
Balance the Model Laterally
❏
1. With the wing level, have an assistant help you lift the
model by the engine propeller shaft and the bottom of the
fuse under the TE of the fin. Do this several times.
❏
2. If one wing always drops when you lift the model, it means
that side is heavy. Balance the airplane by adding weight to the
other wing tip. An airplane that has been laterally balanced
will track better in loops and other maneuvers.
PREFLIGHT
Identify Your Model
No matter if you fly at an AMA sanctioned R/C club site or if
you fly 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
flying sites and AMA sanctioned flying events. Fill out the
identification tag on the decal sheet 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 flying, 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 radio
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
flying with batteries that are only partially charged.
Balance the Propellers
Carefully balance your propeller and spare propellers before
you fly. An unbalanced prop can be the single most
significant cause of vibration that can damage your model.
Not only will engine mounting screws and bolts loosen,
possibly with disastrous effect, but vibration may also
damage your radio receiver and battery. Vibration can also
cause your fuel to foam, which will, in turn, cause your
engine to run hot or quit.
We use a Top Flite Precision Magnetic Prop Balancer
(TOPQ5700) in the workshop and keep a Great Planes
Fingertip Prop Balancer (GPMQ5000) in our flight box.
Ground Check
If the engine is new, follow the engine manufacturer's
instructions to break-in the engine. After break-in,
confirm that the engine idles reliably, transitions smoothly
and
rapidly
to
power–indefinitely. After you run the engine on the model,
inspect the model closely to make sure all screws remained
tight, the hinges are secure, the prop is secure and all
pushrods and connectors are secure.
Range Check
Always ground check the operational range of your radio
before the first flight of the day. With the transmitter antenna
collapsed and the receiver and transmitter on, you should be
able to walk at least 100 feet away from the model and still
have control. Have an assistant stand by your model and,
while you work the controls, tell you what the control surfaces
are doing. Repeat this test with the engine running at
27
full
power
and
maintains
full
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