Preflight; Charge The Transmitter Batteries; Identify Your Model; Ground Inspection - GREAT PLANES BLT Instruction Manual

2. With all parts of the model installed (except for the motor
battery), lift the model at the balance point. If the tail drops, the
model is "tail heavy". If the nose drops, it is "nose heavy". Use
a piece of cellophane tape to attach the motor battery to the
bottom of the fuse while balancing the plane. The tape will
allow you to move the battery forward or aft. Because excess
weight is critical to the flight performance of park flyers, it is best
to balance the plane by moving the battery.
3. After the plane is properly balanced, mark the location
for the motor battery. The motor battery is held on to the
fuse with two small rubber bands. Our plane balanced with
the motor battery mounted under the two servos. We
attached the aft end of the battery to the fuse with a small
rubber band. Make a small hole through the wing pylon and
route a second small rubber band through the hole and
attach it to the front of the motor battery.

PREFLIGHT

Charge the Transmitter Batteries

Follow the instructions that came with your radio to charge
the batteries the evening before you plan to fly. You should
always charge the transmitter batteries before flying and at
other times as recommended by the radio manufacturer.

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 page 23 and place it on or inside your model.

Ground Inspection

Before you fly you should perform one last overall
inspection to make sure the model is truly ready to fly and
that you haven't overlooked anything. If you are not
thoroughly familiar with the operation of R/C models, ask an
experienced modeler to perform the inspection. Check to
see that you have the radio installed correctly and that all
the controls are connected properly. The motor must also
be checked by confirming that it reaches full power and the
prop is rotating in the correct direction. Make certain all
control surfaces (elevators and rudder) are secure, the
pushrods are connected, the controls respond in the correct
direction, radio components are securely mounted, and the
C.G. is correct.

Range Check

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 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.
Note: If the radio appears to be affected only when the
motor is running, it is possible that the electric motor is
causing radio interference. If this happens, you may try
installing a .01 µF capacitor between the motor leads, then
repeat the range check with the motor running.

PERFORMANCE TIPS

Cycle the Batteries

For the longest flight duration, and to get the most from a new
battery, the battery should be cycled. "Cycling" a battery means to
fully charge ("peak" charge) the battery, then to discharge it (never
fully discharge a battery). Many battery chargers have peak
charging and automatic discharging capabilities. If you do not have
a charger that is able to discharge batteries, you can discharge the
battery yourself by running the motor with the propeller attached
until the propeller barely continues to turn. Charge and discharge
the battery 3 or 4 more times on the ground before flying. Be sure
to remove the battery from the airplane between each cycle and
allow it to cool before recharging.
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