Great Planes RV-4 Park Flyer Kit - GPMA0010 - Manual (Page 36)

RADIO CONTROL
1. I will have completed a successful radio equipment ground
check before the first flight of a new or repaired model.
2. I will not fly my model aircraft in the presence of
spectators until I become a qualified flyer, unless assisted
by an experienced helper.
3. I will perform my initial turn after takeoff away from the pit,
spectator and parking areas and I will not thereafter perform
maneuvers, flights of any sort or landing approaches over a
pit, spectator or parking area.
4. I will operate my model using only radio control frequencies
currently allowed by the Federal Communications Commission.
Though the RV-4 Park Flyer is a “Park Flyer,” the best place to
fly any model is at an AMA chartered club field. Club fields are
set up for R/C flying, making your outing safer and more
enjoyable. We recommend that you join the 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 and
telephone number are in the front of this manual.
If there is no club or R/C flying field in your area, find a
suitable site that is clear of trees, telephone poles, buildings,
towers, busy streets and other obstacles. Since you are not
flying at a sanctioned AMA site, be aware that there may be
others like yourself who could be flying nearby. If both of your
models happen to be on the same frequency, interference will
likely cause one or both of the models to crash. An acceptable
minimum distance between flying sites is five miles, so keep
this in mind when searching for a flying site.
In addition to obstacles, it is important to be aware of people
who may wander into the area once you begin flying. At
AMA club flying sites it is a severe rule infraction to fly over
others, and this is a good practice if flying elsewhere. R/C
models tend to attract onlookers whose numbers can soon
multiply, forming small, uncontrolled crowds. Onlookers
pose two main problems: First is the danger of actually
crashing your model into a person, causing injury. Second is
the distraction of those who ask you questions while you are
trying to concentrate on flying. To minimize or avoid this
problem, have an assistant standing by who can spot
people who wander into your flying site (so you can avoid
flying over them) and who can perform “crowd control” if
people start to gather.
IMPORTANT: If you are an inexperienced modeler we
strongly urge you to seek the assistance of a competent,
experienced R/C pilot to check your model for airworthiness
AND to teach you how to fly. No matter how stable or
“forgiving” the RV-4 Park Flyer is, attempting to learn to fly
on your own is dangerous and may result in destruction of
your model or even injury to yourself and others. Therefore,
find an instructor and fly only under his or her guidance and
supervision until you have acquired the skills necessary for
safe and fully controlled operation of your model.
We recommend flying the RV-4 Park Flyer when the wind is
no greater than ten miles per hour. Less experienced flyers
should fly the RV-4 Park Flyer only in calm (less than one
mile per hour) conditions. Frequently, winds are calm in the
early morning and early evening. Often these are the most
enjoyable times to fly anyway!
Until you have the RV-4 Park Flyer properly trimmed for level
flight, we recommend having an assistant hand-launch the
model instead of taking off from the ground.
Turn on the transmitter and plug the battery into the speed
control. Turn on the receiver by following the instructions that
came with your speed control.
IMPORTANT: Confirm that the transmitter operates the
controls by moving the sticks and watching the surfaces
respond. Occasionally, electric models have been launched
with the transmitter turned off or the battery disconnected
from the speed control!
When ready to launch, the assistant should hold the bottom
of the fuselage behind the landing gear, then raise the
model high above his head and point it into the wind. With
the pilot
(that would be you!) standing behind the plane, fully
advance the throttle to start the motor. As soon as the motor
is at full power, the hand launcher should gently toss the
plane into the air at a level or slightly nose-up attitude. Be
certain the model is being launched into the wind and be
immediately ready to make corrections to keep the airplane
flying straight, level and into the wind.
When the model has gained adequate flying speed under its
own power, gently pull the elevator stick back until the
airplane starts a gradual climb. Many beginners tend to pull
too hard causing the model to stall, so be gentle on the
elevator and don’t panic. If you do pull too hard and you
notice the model losing speed, release the elevator stick
and allow the model to regain airspeed.
Continue a gradual climb and establish a gentle turn (away
from yourself) until the airplane reaches an altitude of 75 to
100 feet.
The main purpose of the first few flights is to learn how the
model behaves and to adjust the trims for level flight. After
Flight
Takeoff
FLYING
FIND A SAFE PLACE TO FLY
36