Great Planes Piper J-3 ElectriCub Park Flyer ARF - GPMA1153 - Manual (Page 15)

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 18 of this manual 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.
Note: All battery packs, whether it’s a trusty pack you’ve just
taken out of another model, or a new battery pack you just
purchased, should be cycled, noting the discharge capacity.
Oftentimes, a weak battery pack can be identified (and a
valuable model saved!) by comparing its actual capacity to
its rated capacity.
Refer to the instructions and
recommendations that come with your cycler. If you don’t
own a battery cycler, perhaps you can have a friend cycle
your pack and note the capacity for you.
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. For electric
motors, proper balance is even more critical than glow
motors. Not only will pushrod connector screws loosen,
possibly with disastrous effect, but vibration may also
damage your radio receiver and speed control.
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 motor is new, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to
break-in the motor. After you run the motor 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' 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 motor 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.
Mount the wing to the fuselage with rubber bands included
with the Mini Cub ARF. Install them from front to back,
crisscrossing the last two. Never use torn or cracked rubber
bands. After removing the rubber bands from your model,
store them in a container with talcum powder or clay-type
kitty litter to keep them fresh for the next flying session. Use
eight (8) #32 Great Planes, Hobbico or similar rubber bands
as replacements.
If the rubber bands you will be using are different from those
recommended, consult an experienced modeler to make
certain they are strong enough, and that you have used
enough of them. If uncertain, force the front of the wing off
of the wing saddle. There should be considerable
resistance! If the wing can be forced from the fuselage
without having to strain your hands, then there are probably
not enough rubber bands.
Mount the Wing
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
15