Top Flite TOPA0310 - Manual (Page 54)

PREFLIGHT
Identify your Model
Whether you fly at an AMA sanctioned R/C club site
or 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(tm) (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
setup. Follow the engine manufacturer’s instructions
to break-in your engine. After you run the engine on
the model, perform a close inspection 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 the 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.
❏
1. Fuelproof all areas exposed to fuel or exhaust
residue, such as the firewall/engine compartment
and the fuel tank compartment.
❏ 2. Check the CG according to the measurements
provided in the manual.
❏ 3. Secure the battery and receiver with a strip of
balsa or plywood or other secure mounting method.
Simply stuffing them into place with foam rubber is
not sufficient.
❏ 4. Extend your receiver antenna and make sure it
has a strain relief inside the fuselage to keep tension
off the solder joint inside the receiver.
❏ 5. Balance your model laterally as explained in
the instructions.
❏ 6. Secure critical fasteners with thread-locking
compound (the screws that hold the carburetor arm,
set screws on wheel collars, screw-lock pushrod
connectors, etc.).
❏
7. Add a drop of oil to the axles so the wheels will
turn freely.
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 should perform after your model is
built. 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!).
- 54 -