Great Planes F-16 Falcon EDF ARF - GPMA1801 - Manual (Page 22)

22
FLYING
Caution: The F-16 is a great-fl ying model that fl ies smoothly
and predictably, but it is not a plane that should be fl own by
beginners or pilots with little experience. The F-16 possesses
no self-correcting tendencies whatsoever, and therefore must
be fl own only by experienced pilots who are able to decisively
provide the correct control inputs.
The F-16 is a fast fl ying jet and can cover a lot of sky in a very
short amount of time. The F-16 will become very “small” in the
sky as it covers distance quickly and you must be prepared
for this. Good eyesight, adequate fl ying skills, and 100% of
your attention are required when fl ying this model. Please
heed the following suggestions to increase your chance of
success, especially with your fi rst few fl ights.
1. Do not fl y the F-16 on a cloudy day. Poor lighting and a
gray background make it even more diffi cult to see. No
matter what colors or markings are on the F-16 it just
becomes a black dot with no orientation cues.
2. Do not fl y when facing the sun. Wait for ideal light conditions
when the sun is at your back.
3. Do not try to fl y the F-16 in tight fl ying fi elds. While it is
always possible (but not advisable) to fl y above obstructions,
the F-16 requires at least two or three times the approach
and landing space of regular sport models.
4. Do not fl y the F-16 if, for some reason, any of your senses
may have been compromised (from lack of sleep, hunger,
dehydration, alcohol, etc.). Your vision and the ability to
concentrate and think clearly must be sharp.
Ground Check and Range Check
Always perform an operational ground check of your radio
before the fi rst fl ight of the day following the manufacturer’s
instructions that came with your radio. This should be done
once with the motor off and once with the motor running at
various speeds. If the control surfaces do not respond correctly,
do not fl y! Find and correct the problem fi rst. Look for loose
servo connections or broken wires, corroded wires on old
servo connectors, or poor receiver antenna routing.
Takeoff
First, it’s a good idea to use a fl ight timer to alert you when
it’s time to land—you always want reserve battery power
because—especially on the fi rst fl ight—more than one landing
attempt may be necessary. Throughout testing we set our
timer to four minutes (of motor run time). This should provide
an additional minute of run time for landing approaches. For
your fi rst fl ight it might even be a good idea to set your timer
to three minutes.
In order of preference (with the bungee-launch being the
most preferable), the F-16 may be bungee-launched with the
included bungee system, hand-launched by an assistant or
hand-launched by the pilot. It is perfectly acceptable to hand-
launch the F-16, but it must be thrown just about as hard as
possible to acquire suffi cient velocity. However, sometimes
the harder one throws an object, the less control they may
have, possibly causing a bad launch. This is amplifi ed by the
fact that although the grip tape improves handling of the plane
during hand-launch, the plane will still feel somewhat awkward
when tossing. Additionally, while it is possible for the pilot to
hand-launch the F-16, for obvious reasons it is preferable to
have an assistant launch it for you (this way, your hands will
already be on the transmitter). We have performed several
hand-launches, so if this is your preference here’s the best way:
Hand-Launch
Have your assistant (or your self) hold the model by the bottom
of the fuselage just behind the leading edge of the wing at
the grip tape. As you should always do before every fl ight,
double-check that the controls are responding properly
and in the correct direction
, then arm the motor and run it
up for a second to make sure it is making full power. Make sure
your launch is directly into any prevailing wind. Inform your
assistant of your intentions and make sure he acknowledges,
then apply full throttle.
Under control , your assistant should
run for several steps, then throw the plane into the air at about
a forty degree angle, wings level with the horizon, doing his
best
not to release it into a roll.
Expect the F-16 to briefl y dive before it gains enough airspeed
to establish a climb. At this point you should be able to add
elevator to get the nose up. Always be ready on the ailerons
to correct any unwanted roll and keep the wing level—this all
will happen within a few seconds.
At this point you’re in the clear and the model will climb as it
rapidly continues to gain speed.
This model belongs to:
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