Great Planes Cosmic Wind EP ARF - GPMA1810 - Manual (Page 16)

16
2-1/16" [52mm]
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2. With the wing attached to the fuselage, and all parts of
the model installed (ready to fl y), lift it at the balance point
you marked.
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3. If the tail drops, the model is “tail heavy” and the battery
pack must be shifted forward or weight must be added to
the nose to balance. If the nose drops, the model is “nose
heavy” and the battery pack must be shifted aft or weight
must be added to the tail to balance. If additional weight is
required, use Great Planes (GPMQ4485) “stick-on” lead. A
good place to add stick-on nose weight is next to the motor,
inside the fuselage (don’t attach weight to the battery hatch
cover—it is not intended to support weight). Begin by placing
incrementally increasing amounts of weight on the fuse until
the model balances. Once you have determined the amount
of weight required, it can be permanently attached.
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4. IMPORTANT: If you found it necessary to add any weight,
recheck the C.G. after the weight has been installed.
Balance the Model Laterally
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1. With the wing level, have an assistant help you lift the
model by the engine propeller shaft and the bottom of the
fuse under the TE of the fi n. Do this several times.
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2. If one wing always drops when you lift the model, it means
that side is heavy. Balance the airplane by adding weight to the
other wing tip.
An airplane that has been laterally balanced
will track better in loops and other maneuvers.
PREFLIGHT
Identify Your Model
No matter if you fl y at an AMA sanctioned R/C club site or if
you fl y somewhere on your own, you should always have your
name, address, telephone number and AMA number on or
inside your model. It is
required at all AMA R/C club fl ying sites
and AMA sanctioned fl ying events. Fill out the identifi cation
tag on page 19 and place it on or inside your model.
Charge the Batteries
Follow the battery charging instructions that came with your
radio control system to charge the batteries. You should always
charge your transmitter batteries the night before you go fl ying,
and at other times as recommended by the radio manufacturer.
CAUTION: Unless the instructions that came with your
radio system state differently, the initial charge on new
transmitter and receiver batteries should be done for 15
hours
using the slow-charger that came with the radio
system . This will “condition” the batteries so that the next
charge may be done using the fast-charger of your choice.
If the initial charge is done with a fast-charger the batteries
may not reach their full capacity and you may be fl ying with
batteries that are only partially charged.
Balance the Propellers
Carefully balance your propeller and spare propellers before
you fl y. An unbalanced prop can be the single most signifi cant
cause of vibration that can damage your model. Not only
will motor mounting screws and bolts loosen, possibly with
disastrous effect, but vibration may also damage your radio
receiver and battery.
We use a Top Flite Precision Magnetic Prop Balancer
(TOPQ5700) in the workshop and keep a Great Planes
Fingertip Prop Balancer (GPMQ5000) in our fl ight box.
Range Check
Ground check the operational range of your radio before the
fi rst fl ight of the day. With the transmitter antenna collapsed
and the receiver and transmitter on, you should be able to walk
at least 100 feet away from the model and still have control.
Have an assistant stand by your model and, while you work the
controls, tell you what the control surfaces are doing. Repeat
this test
with the motor running at various speeds with an
assistant holding the model, using hand signals to show you
what is happening. 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, poor solder joints in your battery
pack or a defective cell, or a damaged receiver crystal from
a previous crash. The problem may be the location of the