Top Flite TOPA0140 - Manual (Page 58)

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 sticker included with this kit
and place it on or inside your model.
CHARGE YOUR BATTERIES
Follow the battery charging procedures in your
radio instruction manual. 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.
BALANCE YOUR PROPELLERS
Carefully balance your propellers before you fly.
An unbalanced prop is 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.
FIND A SAFE PLACE TO FLY
The best place to fly your model is an AMA
chartered R/C club flying field. Contact the AMA
(their address is on page 2) or your hobby shop
dealer for the club in your area and join it. Club
fields are intended for R/C flying, making your
outing safer and more enjoyable. The AMA also
provides insurance in case of a flying accident. If
an R/C flying field is not available, find a large,
grassy area at least six miles from buildings,
streets and other R/C activities. A schoolyard is
usually not an acceptable area because of people,
power lines and possible radio interference.
GROUND CHECK YOUR MODEL
If you are not thoroughly familiar with the operation
of R/C models, ask an experienced modeler to
inspect your radio installation and control surface
set-up. Follow the engine manufacturer’s
instructions to break-in your engine. After you
run the engine on your model, inspect your model
closely to make sure all screws remain tight and
your pushrods and connectors are secure.
RANGE CHECK YOUR RADIO
Ground check the 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 in your battery pack, or a damaged
receiver crystal from a previous crash.
CHECK LIST
❏
1. Fuelproof all areas exposed to fuel or
exhaust residue such as the firewall/engine
compartment, fuel tank compartment, wing
saddle area, trailing edge of the wing and the
flap area and wheel wells (if your model has
flaps and retracts), etc.
During the last few moments of preparation your
mind may be elsewhere anticipating the
excitement of your first flight. Because of this, you
may be more likely to overlook certain checks and
procedures you save until your model is almost
done. To help you avoid this, we’ve provided a
checklist to make sure you don’t overlook these
important areas. Many are covered in the
instruction manual so, where appropriate, refer to
the manual for complete instructions. Be sure to
check the items off as you complete them (that’s
why we call it a check list!).
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