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PREFLIGHT
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 this page 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 fl ying, 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 fl ying with
batteries that are only partially charged.
Balance Propellers
Carefully balance your propeller and spare propellers before
you fl y. An unbalanced prop can be the single most signifi cant
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 fl ight box.
Ground Check and 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 or a defective cell, or a
damaged receiver crystal from a previous crash.
ENGINE 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 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.
37
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