Carl Goldberg GPMA0955 EAGLE 2 - Manual (Page 56)

55
Check also to see that your nose wheel turns to the right when
you give right rudder. Your throttle should open to permit full
power when the stick or tab is moved forward or up. Make sure
that everything is neatly and firmly in place—engine fastened
down, servos snugged down, receiver and battery wrapped in
foam rubber, tank properly supported, etc. Prop and spinner must
be tight. Nothing should be loose, or unfinished, or unchecked.
Receiver antenna must be extended, not coiled up inside the
model.
With everything ready, the engine should be started and broken
in for at least a tank or two at no more than moderate speed.
While the engine is running, the control surfaces should not jitter
or move until you command them. The throttle also should
respond to your command.
PRACTICE STEERING THE MODEL ON THE GROUND
For the next couple of hours, practice taxiing the model around at
low speed. This is a very helpful step in making you feel more at
ease in controlling the model. Do not rush it. Use a parking lot
rather than a street where you are likely to run into a curb and
damage your model. Practice taxiing in light breezes or when the
air is calm; strong or gusty winds can catch a wing and flip your
plane over.
It is very important in flying to make all your control movements
slow and measured. Rapid movements tend to throw the model
out of control. Apply minimum throttle so that it just keeps the
model moving at a walking pace. With rudder stick and rudder
trim in neutral position, the model should move straight ahead, if
it constantly turns left or right, the nose wheel is not pointing
straight ahead, and should be adjusted until i1 is correct. Adjust
the nose wheel only, loosening the steering arm to do so.
Do a lot of practicing with the mode! coming towards you, as it
often will in the sky. When the plane is pointing at you, the steer-
ing will appear "reversed." When you give right rudder, the plane
turns to your left—but the model actually is turning to its right as
you commanded. With practice, you will soon overcome this.
When the model comes towards you, simply push the stick left or
right towards whichever way the ship is turning. Another helpful
technique is shown in sketch A.
"Head-on" disorientallon is a nuisance on the ground, but danger-
ous in the air where things can happen pretty fast. The more
familiar you become with the behavior of the model as you con-
trol it on the ground, the better prepared you will be for flying.
After taxi runs are completed, thoroughly examine the model, and
tighten loose screws, etc. First flights should be made on a day
that is not very windy or gusty. There should be very few people
or other distractions around. You will need to concentrate. Your
success doesn't depend on following the instructions here to per-
fection, but you should have a flight sequence in mind. Think
ahead of the model—don't chase it around the sky always one
thought and one control command behind it. Your first flights
should last no more than 2 or 3 minutes.
TURNS
Try to make all turns gentle, not tilting (banking) the wings very
much. If you increase the bank (making the turn steeper) there
will be a corresponding weight increase and reduction of lift.
Therefore, when you bank your plane it will start to descend. To
maintain altitude in a turn you will have to add enough back stick
(up elevator) to hold the nose "up" through the turn.