Top Flite TOPA0906 - Manual (Page 33)

33
o 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
o 1. With the wing level, have an assistant help you
lift the model by the engine propeller shaft and the
bottom of the fuselage under the TE of the fin. Do this
several times.
o 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 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.
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 and receiver
batteries the night before you go flying, 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
flying with batteries that are only partially charged.
BALANCE PROPELLERS
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.
GROUND CHECK
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.
RANGE CHECK
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 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 fly! Find and correct the problem first. 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.
ENGINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Failure to follow these safety precautions may
result in severe injury to yourself and others.
Keep all engine fuel in a safe place, away from high
heat, sparks or flames, as fuel is very flammable. Do
not smoke near the engine or fuel; and remember
that engine exhaust gives off a great deal of deadly
carbon monoxide. Therefore,
do not run the engine
in a closed room or garage.
Get help from an experienced pilot when learning to
operate engines.
Use safety glasses when starting or running engines.
Do not run the engine in an area of loose gravel or
sand; the propeller may throw such material in your
face or eyes.
Keep your face and body as well as all spectators
away from the plane of rotation of the propeller as
you start and run the engine.
Keep these items away from the prop: loose clothing,
shirt sleeves, ties, scarfs, long hair or loose objects
such as pencils or screwdrivers that may fall out of
shirt or jacket pockets into the prop.
Use a "chicken stick" or electric starter to start the
engine. Do not use your fingers to flip the propeller.
Make certain the glow plug clip or connector is secure
so that it will not pop off or otherwise get into the
running propeller.