Balance Your Model Laterally; Preflight; Identify Your Model; Charge Your Radio Batteries - GREAT PLANES Performance Reactor Instruction Manual

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2. With the wing attached to the fuselage, all parts of the
model installed (ready to fl y) and an empty fuel tank, place
the model on a Great Planes C.G. Machine, or lift it at the
balance point you marked.
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3. If the tail drops, the model is "tail heavy" and the battery
pack and/or receiver must be shifted forward or weight must
be added to the nose to balance. If the nose drops, the
model is "nose heavy" and the battery pack and/or receiver
must be shifted aft or weight must be added to the tail to
balance. Moving radio equipment to achieve proper balance
is an option when using the electric or glow setup. Because
gasoline engines generate electrical noise, all components
involved in spark generation must be kept away from radio
equipment. Lead ballast weight is available to help you
balance your airplane. Use Great Planes (GPMQ4485) "stick-
on" lead. A good place to add stick-on nose weight is to the
fi rewall (don't attach weight to the cowl–it is not intended to
support weight). Begin by placing incrementally increasing
amounts of weight on the top of the fuse over the fi rewall
until the model balances. Once you have determined the
amount of weight required, it can be permanently attached.
If required, tail weight may be added by cutting open the
bottom of the fuse and gluing it 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 ballast weight has been installed.
Balance the Model Laterally
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1. With the wings level, have an assistant help you lift the
model by the engine propeller shaft and the bottom of the
fuselage under the TE of the fi n. Do this several times.
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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.

Identify Your Model

No matter if you fl y at an AMA sanctioned R/C club site or if
you fl y 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 fl ying sites
and AMA sanctioned fl ying events. Fill out the identifi cation
tag on page 43 and place it on or inside your model.

Charge Your Radio 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 fl ying, and at other times as recommended
by the radio manufacturer. If you have installed a gasoline
engine with an electronic ignition, make sure that you also
charge its battery pack. Carry a voltmeter in your fi eld box
and check the voltage of your batteries before each fl ight.
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 fl ying with
batteries that are only partially charged.
Ground Check & Range Check
Run the engine for a few minutes to make sure it idles reliably,
transitions smoothly and maintains full power indefi nitely.
Afterward, shut the engine off and inspect the model closely,
making sure all fasteners, pushrods and connections have
remained tight and the hinges are secure. Always ground
check the operational range of your radio before the fi rst fl ight
of the day following the manufacturer's instructions that came
with your radio. This should be done once with the engine off
and once with the engine running at various speeds. If the
control surfaces do not respond correctly, do not fl y! Find and
correct the problem fi rst. Look for loose servo connections
or broken wires, corroded wires on old servo connectors,
poor solder joints in your battery pack, a defective cell, or a
damaged receiver crystal from a previous crash.
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PREFLIGHT