E-flite Ascent 450 Brushless PNP - Manual (Page 19)

19 E-flite Ascent PNP Assembly Manual
Glide Testing Your Ascent PNP
We strongly recommend that before you fly your new Ascent,
you first perform a test glide. Pick a flat spot that has soft, tall
grass and is free from obstructions. You first want to check out the
Ascent’s performance but also check your performance as a pilot.
It also allows you to make corrections to any building or control
defects that may have been overlooked. The test glide should be
done with an assistant on a calm day.
Hint: A good time during the day is very early in the
morning or at dusk when the wind is calm. You want to
be able to concentrate on what the model is doing, and
have time to think about what you're doing. We will
assume you have an assistant during the following steps.
 1. Range check your radio system and check the control
throws. Make sure the control surfaces move in the
proper direction.
 2. Have the assistant hold the Ascent under the wing
near the CG and run forward until they can sense the
wing developing lift. Don't release the glider yet. See if
the model wants to lift. If not, add a bit of up elevator
trim and try again.
 3. This step may take some practice on the part of your
assistant. What you want them to do now is run forward,
but a bit faster, with the nose of the plane pointed at the
horizon with the wings level (not nose down or nose up).
Then thrust the Ascent forward in a line straight toward
the horizon and release it.
 4. When the assistant releases the model, watch it
carefully. A properly trimmed aircraft will fly straight,
gliding to a smooth landing about 50 feet away. If the
Ascent pitches nose down, the CG is too far back and
you have a nose-heavy condition. Remove some weight
from the nose. If the Ascent pitches nose up sharply, and
stalls, you have a tail-heavy condition (the CG is too far
forward), and you need to remove weight from the tail or
move the battery and receiver further forward.
 5. Turns to the left or right after launch can be adjusted
through the use of right or left rudder trim.
Important: Make any trim adjustments in small
increments. Large changes can result in abrupt turns,
causing tip stalls and loss of control.
 6. If you have to make large trim adjustments on your
transmitter, you may have other problems, such as warps.
Check the wings, elevator, and rudder to make sure there
are no warps in the airframe. Make sure the wings are
aligned and mounted properly on the fuselage. When
you have the Ascent trimmed and the CG adjusted so
it glides properly in a "hands off" manner, return your
transmitter trim switches to their neutral position, then
make the appropriate mechanical linkage corrections to
return the control surfaces to their test glide positions.
 7. After you have made the necessary corrections, glide
test the model again to make sure it is trimmed properly
with the transmitter trims in neutral.
 8. You are now ready to launch under power. Hold the
fuselage under the wing with the model powered up.
Apply half throttle and gently toss the model into the
wind at a slight nose up attitude. The model will fly out
strongly and you will be able to climb to altitude in a
very short time. Moving the throttle stick to idle (or cutoff)
you will find the prop will stop spinning and fold against
the fuselage. You are now ready to hunt for thermals and
enjoy the calm air.