Top Flite TOPA0155 - Manual (Page 64)

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2. With the wing attached to the fuselage, the
landing gear extended (if retracts are installed), all
parts of the model installed (ready to fly) and an
empty fuel tank, place the model upside-down on a
Great Planes CG Machine, or lift it upside-down at
the balance point marked on the top of the wing.
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3. If the tail drops, the model is “tail heavy” and the
battery pack and/or receiver must be shifted forward or
weight must be added to the nose to balance. If the
nose drops, the model is “nose heavy” and the battery
pack and/or receiver must be shifted aft or weight must
be added to the tail to balance. If possible, relocate the
battery pack and receiver to minimize or eliminate any
additional ballast required. If additional weight is
required, nose weight may be easily added by using a
“spinner weight” (GPMQ4645 for the 1 oz. weight, or
GPMQ4646 for the 2 oz. weight). If spinner weight is not
practical or is not enough, use Great Planes
(GPMQ4485) “stick-on” lead. A good place to add stick-
on nose weight is to the firewall or the engine mount.
Do not attach weight to the cowl—it is not intended to
support weight. Begin by placing incrementally
increasing amounts of weight on the bottom of the fuse
over the firewall until the model balances. Once the
amount of weight required has been determined,
permanently attach the weight. If required, tail weight
may be added by cutting open the bottom of the fuse
and gluing it permanently inside.
Note: Do not rely upon the adhesive on the back of
the lead weight to permanently hold it in place. Over
time, fuel and exhaust residue may soften the
adhesive and cause the weight to fall off. Use #2
sheet metal screws, RTV silicone or epoxy to
permanently hold the weight in place.
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4. IMPORTANT: If you found it necessary to add
any weight, recheck the C.G. after the weight has
been installed.
Balance the airplane laterally
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1. With the wing level, have an assistant help you
lift the model by the engine propeller shaft and the
bottom of the fuse under the TE of the fin. Do this
several times.
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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 the decal sheet
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. The
transmitter and receiver batteries should always be
charged the night before flying, and at other times as
recommended by the radio manufacturer.
NOTE: Checking the condition of the receiver
battery pack is highly recommended. All battery
packs, whether it’s a trusty pack you’ve taken out of
another model, or a new battery pack, it 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 a friend can
cycle the battery pack for you and note its capacity.
To get the correct C.G., several strips of lead weight
were required in the nose of this model (a total of 8-
1/2 oz.). This is not uncommon for warbirds (and all
the wonderful flight characteristics described in the
front of this manual were performed with this weight).
To minimize the amount of weight required, it is
desirable to position the weight as far forward as
possible. This can be done by making a
platform
from leftover basswood sticks and 1/8" [3.2mm]
plywood. Using 8-32 x 1-1/2" [38mm] bolts to mount
the engine would also be long enough to mount the
platform. The platform should be fuelproofed and the
lead should be permanently glued on with epoxy.
How to add noseweight
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