Top Flite TOPA0951 - Manual (Page 29)

29
❏
1. With the wing mounted to the fuselage, use a
box or something similar to prop up the bottom of the
fuselage so the horizontal stabilizer and wings are level.
Measure the high rate elevator throw fi rst…
❏
2. Holding a ruler to the trailing edge of the widest
part of the elevator (the root end), measure the up
and down throw and compare the measurements to
those provided:
NOTE : The throws are measured at the widest part
of all the surfaces.
These are the recommended control surface throws:
ELEV
A
TOR
HIGH RATE LOW RATE
Up and
Down
3/4"
[19 mm]
15°
Up and
Down
1/2"
[13mm]
10°
Up and
Down
5/8"
[16 mm]
17°
Up and
Down
Full Half
1/2"
[13 mm]
13°
1"
[25 mm]
26°
1/2"
[13 mm]
13°
Right
& Left
1-3/4"
[44 mm]
23°
Right
& Left
1-1/4"
[32 mm]
16° RUDDER
AILERONS
*
FLAPS
* 1/16" [1.5mm] (1 deg) of down elevator should be mixed
in with full flap deflection to control pitch-up when the
flaps are extended.
❏
3. If necessary, adjust the endpoints in your
transmitter and the location of the pushrod in the
servo arm and/or on the elevator horn to adjust the
throw—if possible, it is best to have the endpoints as
close to 100% as possible. This will provide the best
servo resolution and control feel during fl ight, so use
the computer programming only for fi ne-tuning.
❏
4. Measure and set the low rate elevator throws
and the high and low rate throws for the rest of the
control surfaces the same way.
IDENTIFY YOUR MODEL
No matter if you fl y at an AMA sanctioned R/C club
site or if you fl y 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 fl ying sites and AMA sanctioned
fl ying events. Fill out the identifi cation tag on page 33
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 fl ying, 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 fl ying
with batteries that are only partially charged.
BALANCE PROPELLERS
Carefully balance your propeller and spare propellers
before you fl y. An unbalanced prop can be the single
most signifi cant 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 fl ight box.
GROUND CHECK
If the engines are new, follow the engine
manufacturer’s instructions to break-in the engines.
After break-in, confi rm that the engines idle reliably,
transition smoothly and rapidly to full power and
maintain full power—indefi nitely. After you run the
engines on the model, inspect the model closely to
make sure all screws remained tight, the hinges are
secure, the props are secure and all pushrods and
connectors are secure.
FUEL MIXTURE ADJUSTMENTS
A fully cowled engine may run at a higher temperature
than an un-cowled engine. For this reason, the fuel
mixture should be richened so the engine runs at about
200 rpm below peak speed. By running the engine
slightly rich, you will help prevent dead-stick landings
caused by overheating.