Great Planes Super Sportster 40 MkII ARF - GPMA1042 - Manual (Page 22)

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1. Fuelproof all areas of bare wood that may be exposed
to fuel or exhaust residue.
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2. Check the C.G. according to the measurements provided
in the manual.
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3. Be certain the battery and receiver are securely mounted.
Simply stuffing them into place with foam rubber is not
sufficient.
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4. Extend the receiver antenna and make sure it has a
strain relief inside the fuselage to keep tension off the solder
joint inside the receiver.
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5. Balance the model laterally as explained in the instructions.
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6. Use threadlocking compound to secure fasteners such
as wheel collars, carburetor arm screw, screw lock connector
on the throttle pushrod, etc.
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7. Add a drop of oil to the axles so the wheels will turn freely.
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8. Make sure all hinges are securely glued in place.
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9. “Harden” holes for wood screws with thin CA where
appropriate (servo mounting screws, landing gear straps, etc.).
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10. Confirm that all controls operate in the correct direction
and the throws are set up according to the manual.
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11. Make sure there are silicone retainers on all the clevises
and that all servo arms are secured to the servos with the screws.
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12. Secure the connection between the battery pack and
the on/off switch with tape, heat shrink tubing or special
clips suitable for that purpose.
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13. Make sure servo wires do not interfere with other systems
(servo arms, pushrods, etc.).
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14. Make sure the fuel lines are connected and are not kinked.
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15. Balance the propeller (and spare propellers).
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16. Tighten the propeller nut and spinner.
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17. Place your name, address, AMA number and telephone
number on or inside the model.
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18. Cycle the receiver battery pack (if necessary) and make
sure it is fully charged.
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19. If you wish to photograph the model, do so before the
first flight.
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20. Range check the radio when you get to the flying field.
The Super Sportster 40 MK II ARF is a great-flying model
that flies smoothly and predictably. It does not, however,
possess the self-recovery characteristics of a primary R/C
trainer and should be flown only by experienced R/C pilots.
If you’re not yet confident in your flight skills with a low-wing
model, have an experienced modeler by your side who can
provide assistance or take over the controls if necessary.
Tell him to remind you to throttle back once the plane gets
to a comfortable altitude. While full throttle is usually
desirable for takeoff, throttling back a bit for the first flight
isn’t a bad idea to make things happen slower, giving you
more time to react.
Before taking off, see how the model handles on the ground
by doing a few practice runs at low speeds on the runway.
Hold “up” elevator to push the tail down and keep the tail
wheel on the ground. If the rudder is centered but the model
does not roll straight down the runway, adjust the steering
by using pliers to bend the tail gear wire as necessary (this
is less critical on grass fields). After making ground handling
adjustments and getting used to how the model handles,
return to the pits, shut off the engine and top off the fuel.
Check all fasteners and control linkages to be certain they
are secure.
When ready, place the model on the runway facing into the
wind. Hold a bit of up elevator to keep the tail on the ground
to maintain tail wheel steering, then gradually advance the
throttle. As the model gains speed decrease up elevator,
allowing the tail to come off the ground. Be ready to apply
right rudder to counteract engine torque. Gain as much
speed as the runway and flying site will practically allow
before applying up elevator and lifting the model into the air.
Be smooth on the elevator stick, allowing the model to
establish a gentle climb to a safe altitude before turning into
the traffic pattern established at the field you are using.
Takeoff
CAUTION (THIS APPLIES TO ALL R/C AIRPLANES): If,
while flying, you notice any unusual sounds, such as a
low-pitched “buzz,” this may indicate control surface
flutter. Because flutter can quickly destroy components of
your airplane, any time you detect flutter you must
immediately cut the throttle and land the airplane! Check
all servo grommets for deterioration (this may indicate
which surface fluttered), and make sure all pushrod
linkages are secure and free of play. If the control surface
fluttered once, it probably will flutter again under similar
circumstances unless you can eliminate the free-play or
flexing in the linkages. Here are some things which can
cause flutter: Excessive hinge gap; Not mounting control
horns solidly; Poor fit of clevis pin in horn; Side-play of
pushrod in guide tube caused by tight bends; Poor fit of
Z-bend in servo arm; Insufficient glue used when gluing in
the elevator joiner wire; Excessive
play or backlash in
servo gears; and Insecure servo mounting.
FLYING
CHECK LIST
During the last few moments of preparation your mind
may be elsewhere anticipating the excitement of the first
flight. Because of this, you may be more likely to overlook
certain checks and procedures that should be performed
before the model is flown. To help avoid this, a check list
is provided to make sure these important areas are not
overlooked. Many are covered in the instruction manual,
so where appropriate, refer to the manual for complete
instructions. Be sure to check the items off they are
completed (that’s why it’s called a
check list!).
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