Great Planes Piper J-3 Cub 20 Kit - GPMA0158 - Manual (Page 43)

D 5 Put the pilot on the plywood shelf, replace the wing
and check the clearance between the pilot's head and the
aileron pushrods If they do not touch, glue the pilot to the
plywood shelf with CA If necessary, sand the base of the
pilot to allow more "head room "
Follow the battery charging procedures in your radio
instruction manual You should always charge your
transmitter and receiver batteries thoroughly the night
before you go flying, and at other times as recommended
by the radio manufacturer.
The best place to fly your R/C model is an AMA
(Academy of Model Aeronautics) chartered club field Ask
your hobby shop dealer if there is such a club in your area
and join Club fields are set up for R/C flying and that
makes your outing safer and more enjoyable The AMA
also can tell you the name of a club in your area We
recommend that you join AMA and a local club so you can
have a safe place to fly and have insurance to cover you in
case of a flying accident (The AMA address is listed near
the front of this instruction book)
If a club and its flying site are not available, you need to
find a large, grassy area at least 6 miles away from any
other R/C radio operation like R/C boats and R/C cars and
away from houses, buildings and streets A schoolyard may
look inviting but it is too close to people, power lines and
possible radio interference.
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.
If you are not thoroughly familiar with the operation of
R/C models, ask an experienced modeler to check to see
that you have the radio installed correctly and that all the
control surfaces do what they are supposed to The engine
operation also must be checked and the engine "broken-in"
on the ground by running the engine for at least two tanks
of fuel Follow the engine manufacturer's recommendations
for break-in Check to make sure all screws remain tight,
that the hinges are secure and that the prop is on tight.
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
Wherever you do fly, you need to check the operation
of the radio before every time you fly This means 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 someone
help you Have them stand by your model and, while you
work the controls, tell you what the various control surfaces
are doing
Repeat this test with the engine running at various
speeds with an assistant holding the model If the control
surfaces are not always acting correctly, do not fly! Find
and correct the problem first
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