Great Planes Corsair 40 Kit - GPMA0177 - Manual (Page 39)

2 I will not fly my model aircraft in the presence of
spectators until I become a qualified flier, unless assisted
by an experienced helper.
3. I will perform my initial turn after takeoff away from the
pit or spectator areas, and I will not thereafter fly over pit or
spectator areas, unless beyond my control.
4. I will operate my model using only radio control
frequencies currently allowed by the Federal
Communications Commission
The Great Planes Corsair 40 is a great flying sport
airplane that flies smoothly and predictably, yet is highly
maneuverable Compared to other sport planes, its flight
characteristics are quite docile and forgiving It does not,
however, have the self-recovery characteristics of a primary
R/C trainer, therefore, you must either have mastered the
basics of R/C flying or obtained the assistance of a
competent R/C pilot to help you with your first flights
BALANCE THE PROPELLER: Balance your propellers
carefully before flying An unbalanced prop is the single
most significant cause of damaging vibration Not only will
engine mounting screws and bolts vibrate out, possibly with
disastrous effect but vibration will also damage your radio
receiver and battery Vibration will cause your fuel to foam,
which will, in turn, cause your engine to run rough or quit
We use a Top Flite Precision Magnetic Prop Balancer
(#TOPQ5700) in the workshop and keep a Great Planes
Fingertip Balancer (#GPMQ5000) in our flight box.
TAKEOFF: If you have dual rates on your transmitter, set
the switches to "high rate" for takeoff, especially when
taking off in a crosswind Although this model has good low
speed characteristics, you should always build up as much
speed as your runway will permit before lifting off, as this
will give you a safety margin in case of a "flame-out" When
you first advance the throttle and the tail begins to lift, the
plane will start to turn left (a characteristic of all
"taildraggers") Be ready for this, and correct by applying
sufficient right rudder to hold it straight down the runway
The left-turning tendency will go away as soon as the tail is
up and the plane picks up speed Be sure to allow the tail
to come up Depending on the surface you are flying from,
you will need to apply very little to no up elevator until flying
speed is obtained Don't hold the tail on the ground with too
much up elevator, as the Corsair will become airborne
prematurely and will possibly stall When the plane has
sufficient flying speed, lift off by smoothly applying up
elevator (don't "jerk" it off to a steep climb'), and climb
out gradually
CAUTION (THIS APPLIES TO ALL R/C
AIRPLANES) If, while flying, you notice any unusual
sounds, such as a low-pitched "buzz," this may be an
indication of 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 will indicate which
surface fluttered), and make sure all pushrod
linkages are slop-free If it fluttered once, it probably
will flutter again under similar circumstances unless
you can eliminate the slop or flexing in the linkages
Here are some things which can result in flutter
excessive hinge gap, not mounting control horns
solidly, sloppy fit of clevis pin in horn elasticity
present in flexible plastic pushrods side-play of
pushrod in guide tube caused by tight bends, sloppy
fit of pushrod wire in servo arm, insufficient glue
used when gluing in the elevator joiner wire or
aileron torque rod, excessive flexing of aileron,
caused by using too soft balsa aileron, excessive
"play" or "backlash" in servo gears, and insecure
servo mounting
FLYING: We recommend that you take it easy with your
Corsair 40 for the first several flights, gradually "getting
acquainted" with this great sport model as your engine gets
fully broken-in Add and practice one maneuver at a time,
learning how she behaves in each For ultra-smooth flying
and normal maneuvers, we recommend using the "low rate"
settings as listed on page 32 "High rate" elevator may be
required for crisp snap rolls and spins Speed is the key to
good knife-edge performance.
LANDING: When it's time to land, fly a normal landing
pattern and approach Keep a few clicks of power on until
you are over the runway threshold For your first landings,
plan to land slightly faster than stall speed and on the main
wheels, as this is the easiest way to land your Corsair
Later, with a little technique, you will find you can make
slow, 3-point landings.
Have a ball! But always stay in control and fly in a
safe manner.
39