Great Planes F-15 Eagle 40 Kit - GPMA0438 - Manual (Page 52)

practice one maneuver at a time, learning how she
behaves in each one High speed passes and
"victory rolls" are certainly most impressive, but
always remember to keep safety in mind Do not
exceed the recommended throws for the elevator,
as this will only result in an increased possibility of
tip stalls when full elevator is applied Snap rolls
and spins are not as natural to this airplane as with
those designed for aerobatics They may require
some experimentation with throws, balance and
technique. flight Once the plane has entered this "floating"
stage it is still very controllable and can be slowed
down for a very gentle landing The trick to making
smooth slow landings is to slow the plane earlier
than normal and gently allow the plane to enter its
floating mode Then use the throttle to regulate
the glide path It will take a little practice, but it
sure is fun to learn.
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 will probably flutter again under similar
circumstances unless you can eliminate the
slop or flexing in the linkages Here are several
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 Z-bend in servo arm, Insufficient
glue used when gluing the torque rods into the
control surfaces Excessive flexing of aileron,
caused by using too soft balsa aileron;
Excessive "play" or "backlash" in servo gears;
and Insecure servo mounting.
IMPORTANT NOTE CONCERNING
ANY PLANE UTILIZING HARDWOOD
DOWELS TO HOLD THE WING ON
After each of the first few flights and periodically
thereafter, remove the wing and inspect the
wing dowel If the dowel is a loose fit in the
former, the wing can vibrate and the former will
actually burn through the dowel in just a few
flights. This vibrating can often be heard as an
unusual hum If a dowel shows signs of wear
or burn marks, repair it before flying the plane
again Small amounts of wear can be filled in
with epoxy, but dowels with excessive wear
should be replaced The problem can usually
be prevented by applying the correct thickness
of foam tape on the wing saddle to keep the
dowel pressed up against the top of its hole
Have a ball! But always stay in
control and fly in a safe manner.
GOOD LUCK AND GREAT FLYING!
LANDING: When it's time to land, do a couple of
slow fly-bys at a safe altitude and get familiar with
the plane's slow flying characteristics. The
aerodynamic design of the F-15 gives it a flying
quality not often found in R/C models You will
notice that as the nose comes up, the fuselage
starts lifting As this happens, the plane will tend
to balloon This is the same characteristic that
helps give the F-15 its maneuverability in normal
SEE THE FULL LINE OF GREAT PLANES
AIRPLANES AT YOUR HOBBY DEALER.
WE HOPE YOU WILL SELECT ANOTHER
"GREAT PLANE" AS YOUR NEXT
PROJECT. THANK YOU!
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