Great Planes PT-60 Kit - GPMA0119 - Manual (Page 44)

The most common mistake when learning to fly is "over
control" Think of pressure instead of large movements of
the control sticks Remember, all PTs will recover from
almost any over control situation within 50-100 feet if you
simply let go of the sticks.
Add and practice one maneuver at a time, learning how
your PT-60 behaves in each one For ultra-smooth flying
and normal maneuvers, we recommend using the "low rate"
settings as listed on page 40 High rate control throws will
give your PT-60 enough control for loops, barrel rolls, and
many other basic aerobatic maneuvers.
After you have several flights on your PT-60, it's time to
reward yourself with your first aerobatic maneuver — a
loop Climb to a safe altitude and turn into the wind Apply
full throttle, level the wings, then slowly pull back on the
elevator stick to about 1/2 to 3/4 up elevator (depending on
your throws) and hold this control input After you go over
the top and start down the back side of the loop, pull the
throttle back to about half This will keep the stresses on
the airplane low and the airspeed relatively constant Keep
holding up elevator until the plane is level then slowly
release the sticks Maneuver complete' It's really that easy!
CAUTION (THIS APPLIES TO ALL R/C AIRPLANES)- If,
while flying, you notice any unusual sounds, such as a
low-pitched "buzz", this may be an indication of control
surface "flutter" Because flutter can quickly destroy
components of your airplane, any time you detect flutter
you must immediately cut the throttle and land the
airplane' Check all servo grommets for deterioration (this
will indicate which surface fluttered), and make sure all
pushrod linkages are slop-free If it fluttered once it will
probably flutter again under similar circumstances unless
you can eliminate the slop or flexing in the linkages
Here are some things which can result in flutter
Excessive hinge gap, Not mounting control horns solidly,
Sloppy fit of clevis pin in horn, Elasticity present in
flexible plastic pushrods, Side-play of pushrod in guide
tube caused by tight bends, Sloppy fit of Z-bend in servo
arm, Insufficient glue used when gluing in the elevator
joiner wire or aileron torque rod, Excessive flexing of
aileron, caused by using too soft balsa aileron,
Excessive "play" or "backlash" in servo gears, and
Insecure servo mounting
APPROACH TOO STEEP
Apply up elevator.
TOO MUCH FLARE
Danger of
stalling!
Release elevator.
GOOD LANDING FLARE
Hold this angle
until touchdown.
When it's time to land, fly a normal landing pattern and
approach as follows Reduce the power to about 1/4 and fly
a downwind leg far enough out from the runway to allow you
to make a gentle 180 degree turn As you make the turn into
the wind for your final approach, pull the throttle back to idle
The PT-60 has a lot of lift so you will need a slow reliable
idle in order to achieve a nice, slow landing Allow the plane
to keep descending on a gradual glide slope until you are
about 3 feet off the runway Gradually apply a little up
elevator to flare for landing You should apply just enough
up elevator to hold the plane just off the runway while the
excess speed bleeds off The PT-60 should settle onto the
runway for a slow, slightly nose-high landing.
Good luck and have fun flying your PT-60, but
always stay in control and fly in a safe manner.
...so you'll know what they are talking about at the
flying field.
Adverse Yaw - The tendency of an airplane to yaw in the
opposite direction of the roll For instance, when right
aileron is applied, the airplane yaws to the left, thus
opposing the turn Adverse yaw is common in trainer
airplanes having flat bottom wings, and is most noticeable
at slow speeds and high angles of attack such as during
takeoffs and when stretching a landing approach Caused
by the unequal drag of the upward and d o w n w a r d
deflecting ailerons, this undesirable trait can be minimized
by setting up the ailerons with "Differential Throw," or by
"coordinating the turns, using aileron and rudder control
simultaneously (See "Differential Throw ).
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