Preflight; Identify Your Model; Charge The Transmitter Batteries; Balance The Propellers - GREAT PLANES Fokker D.VII ARF ElectriFly Instruction Manual

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 Transmitter Batteries

Follow the battery charging instructions that came with your
radio control system to charge the transmitter. You should
always charge your transmitter 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 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 motor mounting screws and bolts loosen,
possibly with disastrous effect, but vibration may also
damage your radio receiver and servos.
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.

Proper Care of Your Motor

Using multiple battery packs to run the motor for successive
flights may cause the motor to become excessively hot. We
recommend at least a 10-minute motor cool-down period
between flights.

Ground Check

Before the first flight, 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.
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 30m [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 motor running
at various speeds with an assistant holding the model, using
hand signals to show you what is happening. If the control
surfaces do not respond correctly, do not fly! Find and
correct the problem first. 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.
MOTOR & BATTERY SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS
Failure to follow these safety precautions may result
in severe injury to yourself and others.
Use safety glasses when running the motor.
Do not run the motor 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 run the motor.
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.
Always remove the LiPo (Lithium-Polymer) battery from the
plane before charging.
Always use a charger designed to charge LiPo batteries for
charging the LiPo flight battery.
Never leave the LiPo battery unattended while charging. If the
battery becomes more than just warm, discontinue charging.
18

Range Check