Great Planes Spirit ARF MonoKote - GPMA1045 - Manual (Page 14)

down and directly into the wind as shown in the photo. It is
very important that you launch the model with the wings
level and the nose pointing at a spot on the ground about 50
feet in front of you. Have a friend stand off to the side of you
and tell you whether the nose is pointing up or down. Show
your friend the picture above so he will know what to look
for. If the sailplane is launched with the nose up or launched
too hard it will climb a few feet, stall and fall nose first
straight down. With the nose pointed down slightly the
sailplane will accelerate down until it picks up enough flying
speed then level off and glide forward. The plane should be
launched with a gentle push forward. With a little practice
you will be able to launch it at just the right speed so it soars
straight ahead in a long and impressive glide path. Adjust
the trims on your transmitter to get the plane to fly straight
ahead in a smooth glide path.
Once you get the hang of launching it you can try turning the
plane during the trim flights by gently applying a “touch” of
right or left rudder. You can also try “flaring” the landings by
slowly applying a touch of up elevator (pull the stick back) as
the plane nears the ground. The SPIRIT ARF will continue
to fly just a few inches off the ground for a surprisingly long
distance. It is important you don’t “over-control” the model.
Make any control inputs slowly and smoothly rather than
moving the transmitter sticks abruptly.
A hi-start is the most popular way to launch your SPIRIT
ARF. It consists of 25' – 100' of rubber tubing and 200' – 400'
of string with a parachute or streamer at the end. One end
of the rubber is staked down directly upwind of the launch
point. One end of the string is attached to the other end of
the rubber and the end of the string with the parachute has
a loop or ring and is attached to the tow hook on the
sailplane.
Follow the directions that came with the hi-start and lay it out
directly into the wind. Place the stake at the far upwind
edge of the flying field so the parachute will blow back onto
the flying field.
Turn on your transmitter and then your receiver and hook
the parachute onto your plane’s tow hook. Pull the plane
back approximately twice as far as the rubber is long (i.e.,
100' of rubber = pull back 200') or whatever the hi-start
instructions state. A “fish scale” is handy for determining the
correct amount of pull. For your first flights pull the plane
back until there is approximately 8 lbs. of tension. More
tension can be used after you get acquainted with the
launching procedure.
Hold the plane above your head with the wings level and
the nose pointed slightly up and directly into the wind.
Give the plane a healthy push forward to get it flying and it
will climb up like a kite. You should not have to touch the
elevator during the launch but use the rudder stick to keep
it going straight up. As the rubber relaxes the plane will fly
off the hi-start and the parachute will bring the end of the
string back towards you.
Find a BIG, OPEN field for your first flights. The bigger the
better as you won’t have to worry about where you need to
land. Ground based objects (trees, poles, buildings, etc.)
seem to attract model airplanes like a magnet. Again, we
would like to recommend that you find an experienced
pilot to help you with these first flights.
Note: You need to remember that your radio control
responds as if you were sitting in the cockpit. When you
push the transmitter stick to the right, the rudder moves
to the plane’s right! This means that when the plane is
flying towards you it may seem like the rudder controls
are reversed (when you give “right” rudder the plane
turns to your left–which is the plane’s “right”). It is
sometimes easier to learn to fly the plane if you always face
your body in the direction the plane is flying and look over
your shoulder to watch the model.
Don’t worry about accomplishing very much on your first
flights. Use these flights to get the “feel” of the controls and
the SPIRIT ARF’s flying characteristics. Try to keep the
plane upwind and just perform some gentle “S-turns”
(always turning into the wind) until it is time to set up for
landing. Have a helper adjust the trims on your transmitter
(a little at a time) until the plane will fly straight and level with
the transmitter sticks in their neutral positions. It can be very
hard for a beginner to fly a plane straight towards him as he
would have to do if the plane were downwind and every
mistake takes the plane a little farther downwind. When it is
time to land, just continue performing the gentle “S-turns”
upwind and let the plane glide onto the ground. Don’t worry
about where the plane lands–just miss any trees, etc.
Practice flying directly into the wind (upwind of yourself)
without letting the plane get off course, and then turn and
come downwind until the plane is even with you and try it
again. When you are comfortable with flying directly into the
wind, start letting the plane go behind you (downwind) a little
before you start back upwind. Continue this until you can fly
directly towards you from downwind without getting
disoriented. At this point you can start to establish a “landing
pattern” and bring the sailplane in for a landing from
downwind. This enables the plane to be flown as slowly
(ground speed) as possible for accurate landings.
Thermal soaring is one of the most intriguing of all aspects
of flying and the SPIRIT ARF was designed to excel at
thermal soaring even in the hands of a novice. It can be hard
for the average person to understand how a plane can fly for
hours and gain altitude without a motor!
Thermals are a natural phenomenon that happen outside,
by the millions, every single day of the year. Thermals are
responsible for many things including forming several types
of clouds, creating breezes, and distributing plant seeds and
pollen. If you have ever seen a dust devil (which is nothing
Facts About Thermals
Thermal Flying
First Flights
Your First Hi-Start Launch
14