FLYING PAGE CONTENT
CHECKS DONE BEFORE YOU GO TO THE FIELD
This assumes that all radio equipment has been installed and tested and all other components have been installed.
Place the motor batteries in the completed plane at the location nearest to the center of balance which is one third back on the wing. Take your left and right forefingers and pick up the airplane under the wing at the main spar area. Adjust the location of the batteries to have the nose of the airplane slowly drop down being just slightly nose heavy. This is the safest way to set up a model airplane for a test flight.
Hang the plane upside down at the motor shaft and the tailwheel area with a strong string. Balance the plane side to side by adding small screws into the wing tip on the light wing tip side.
Visually check the wing for washout which is a slight upsweep of the trailing edge at the wing tips.Most important is that the washout is even on both sides and that there is no twist or warp to the total wing. To take a warp out of a wing or to add more washout place the wing between your legs with the wing half requiring change extending out. Grasp the wing tip with one hand and slightly over twist the wing in the direction of the desired twist. Heat the covering on both sides of the wing to set the twist in the wing. Repeat the operation until the required washout and warp free wing is accomplished.
Check the landing gear line-up for a slight toe-in condition.The wheels should point in to the center so it is just noticable but not exaggerated.
Check the security of all components such as the motor, prop adaptor, prop nut, receiver battery, speed control, servos, push rods, linkages to control surfaces and hinges.
Test run the motor hooked up to the speed control to adjust for high rpm setting. Adjust the speed control per manufacturer's instruction. Note on the throttle trim where the trim has to be for max rpm and remember to use that setting for take-off. Pull the trim back to shut the motor off and leave it in that position until you are ready at the field for a take-off.
With the motor running at low speed shake all the electrical connections in the plane individually and check for intermittent electrical failure.
Test taxi the model in the driveway to check the tracking. Adjust as required to track straight.
Charge the transmitter and receiver battery all night just before the day you fly. Charge all the motor power packs the night before and top them off at the field just before flying.
CHECKS AT THE FIELD
Range check your radio at the field before flying .Clear your frequency and abide by the club frequency rules. When clear turn the transmitter on first and then the model. Leave your transmitter antenna in and walk about 30 feet away from the model working the controls. Return to the model and turn the model off first and then the transmitter. If the range check fails Do Not Fly!
Do a last check of the directions of the controls. Make sure each surface is checked as follows as you stand behind the plane;
Rudder control left = Rudder surface moves left
Elevator control foreward = Elevator surface moves down
Aileron control left = Left aileron surface moves up.
TAKE-OFF AND LANDING
When your lined up into the wind for take-off switch the motor arming switch on. Set the throttle trim for maximum rpm. Remember if you have to abort the take-off pull the throttle back and immediately pull the throttle trim back to motor off.
Before take-off mentally pick an area that you can land the plane fairly straight ahead if something goes wrong.
Add power at a rate to keep your take-off straight but get to full power as soon as you can. Let the plane stay on the ground until the speed is high enough that only a fraction of back stick is required to lift it off.
Keep the climbout straight into the wind as long as possible then make a gentle turn back over the field.
As soon as a safe altitude is reached throttle back to cruise speed and trim the airplane for aileron and elevator.
Make a few sharp climbs and steep banks to check the elevator and aileron throws for sensitivity.
Throttle back and check the glide and controls at idle speed. Practice a few approaches while you have plenty of battery left.
On the first flight land with the elevator and aileron trims set for cruise so they can be nuetralized when the plane has landed.
When you are ready for landing return the throttle trim to the low position. Make a nice straight in approach using the rudder to control direction and power to control the glide slope. Landing the plane this way minimizes steep banks for direction corrections and less erratic up and down movements during approach. Landing with rudder eliminates one transistion of controls on landing. You are already on the rudder when you roll out. Practice landing this way and you will be landing on a dime in no time.
AFTER THE TEST FLIGHT
Adjust the ailerons and elevator to nuetralize the transmitter trim controls as required.
Adjust the controls for sensitivity as required.
Shutdown the plane and top-off another battery
pack and fly!
THIS IS THE END OF THE FLYING SECTION
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