Carl Goldberg GBGA0040 User Manual

Page 39

The Electra was designed for long, slow, relaxed flying

- not loops or similar aerobatic maneuvers. Save that

kind of lying for your next, higher performance sport

plane. Practicing precise control and glide planning on

the Electra is good preparation for the demands of

advanced aerobatic flying.

We recommend you use 3 channels, as this will allow

you to cut power whenever you wish to do so. On your

first few flights, after a couple of minutes, you may feel

you have "had enough" and want to land and relax. A

2-channel system without motor control will not give

you this option; you will have to keep flying until the

battery power runs down.

You can expect a good solid 4 or 5 minutes of powered

flight with a properly charged battery. In this amount of

time, Electra will gain several hundred feet of altitude

and will allow you time to get oriented and familiar with

the control "feel." When the battery power begins to

run out, climb will slow down and the model will begin

a slow descent. You should continue flying your same

flying pattern as the model slowly glides.

For your initial landings, you should not be concerned

about trying to land at a specific spot. Your prime con-

cern should be a controlled landing, always into the

wind, with wing level. With practice, you will be able to

plan your approaches to land just about where you

want.

The Electra must be hand launched. This is easy to do,

but must be done carefully to avoid damaging the

model. It is best to launch over some tall grass.

Facing INTO the wind, hold the transmitter in one

hand, the model in the other and raise it above your

head. The wings should be level and the nose point-

ing straight ahead-not slightly up. Imagine that you are

gliding it towards a spot about 50 feet ahead. DO NOT

throw the model UP. It's a natural tendency, but it will

make the model stall (fall) and dive to the ground.

After checking all controls, seeing that the Tx trim tabs

are centered, and making sure the Tx meter registers

in the safe zone, turn on the motor and hand launch

the model into the wind. Immediately take the Tx in

both hands and, remembering to operate the controls

smoothly, begin to direct the model in a gentle climb.

Add slight back stick pressure, if necessary, to keep

the model from descending. Soon, when it is about

100 feet away from you, it will start to climb. Be patient;

let it climb slowly. If the climb is too steep, the model

will stall and fall to the ground. Avoid over-controlling.

CLIMB OUT. 1. During the climb out, just try to keep

the model flying into the wind with the wings level until

you reach an altitude of at least 150 feet.

STARTING THE PATTERN 2. At 150-200 feet of alti-

tude, add just a touch of left or right stick pressure until

the model begins a very shallow turn in the direction

you want to go. 3. Try to maintain this shallow turn.

The wind will tend to blow your plane and the pattern

further downwind. Try to keep it flying upwind at all

times prior to your landing approach. It is more difficult

CLIMB OUT SHOWN HERE IS
EXAGGERATED. ACTUAL CLIMB
OUT IS QUITE SHALLOW.

DOWNWIND TURNS A LITTLE STEEPER

UPWIND TURNS SHALLOW

HAND LAUNCHING