Great Planes Yak-54 1.60 ARF - GPMA1411 - Manual (Page 30)

[28 g] weight, or GPMQ4646 for the 2 oz. [57 g] weight). If
spinner weight is not practical or is not enough, use Great
Planes (GPMQ4485) “stick-on” lead. A good place to add
stick-on nose weight is to the firewall (don’t attach weight to
the cowl–it is not intended to support weight). Begin by
placing incrementally increasing amounts of weight on the
bottom of the fuse over the firewall until the model balances.
Once you have determined the amount of weight required, it
can be permanently attached. If required, tail weight may be
added by cutting open the bottom of the fuse and gluing it
permanently inside.
Note: Do not rely upon the adhesive on the back of the lead
weight to permanently hold it in place. Over time, fuel and
exhaust residue may soften the adhesive and cause the
weight to fall off. Use #2 sheet metal screws, RTV silicone or
epoxy to permanently hold the weight in place.
❏
4. IMPORTANT: If you found it necessary to add any
weight, recheck the C.G. after the weight has been installed.
❏
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 fin. Do this several times.
❏
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.
No matter if you fly at an AMA sanctioned R/C club site or if you
fly 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 flying sites and AMA
sanctioned flying events. Fill out the identification tag on page 35
and place it on or inside your model.
Follow the battery charging instructions that came with your
radio control system to charge the batteries. You should
always charge your transmitter and receiver batteries the
night before you go flying, and at other times as
recommended by the radio manufacturer.
Carefully balance your propeller and spare propellers before
you fly. An unbalanced prop can be the single most
significant cause of vibration that can damage your model.
Not only will engine mounting screws and bolts loosen,
possibly with disastrous effect, but vibration may also
damage your radio receiver and battery. Vibration can also
cause your fuel to foam, which will, in turn, cause your
engine to run hot or quit.
We use a Top Flite Precision Magnetic Prop Balancer ™
(TOPQ5700) in the workshop and keep a Great Planes
Fingertip Prop Balancer (GPMQ5000) in our flight box.
If the engine is new, follow the engine manufacturer’s
instructions to break-in the engine. After break-in, confirm
that the engine idles reliably, transitions smoothly and
rapidly to full power and maintains full power–indefinitely.
After you run the engine on the model, inspect the model
closely to make sure all screws remained tight, the hinges
are secure, the prop is secure and all pushrods and
connectors are secure.
Ground check the operational range of your radio before the
first flight 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 engine running at various
Range Check
Ground Check
Balance the Propellers
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
flying with batteries that are only partially charged.
Charge the Batteries
Identify Your Model
PREFLIGHT
Balance the Model Laterally
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