Top Flite Phasoar 035 - Manual (Page 17)

regulation football field should provide you with
plenty of room, especially when attempting your
first few landings!
As we mentioned in the introduction, there is
simply no substitute for an experienced R/C pilot
to check-out, t r i m and test-fly your model! This
almost always is a guarantee of success. Remember,
if you have no experience you NEED an instructor!
PRIOR TO POWERED FLIGHT
First, test-glide your model at least a couple of
times.
With the "throttle" stick and also the arming
switch in their OFF positions, turn the transmitter
ON. Now turn the model's airborne radio ON. Test
the controls w i t h the transmitter, once again, to
be absolutely sure the controls are moving in the
proper direction!
Stand facing into the wind, if any (it's best if
there is none), hold the model h i g h above your head
in a LEVEL position, with the transmitter in your
other hand. Trot or run forward to build up
" f l i g h t speed." When i t feels right, briskly throw
the model directly forward (level) at an imaginary
point about 100' in front of you. In other words.
DO NOT pitch the model into the a i r in a nose up
condition! The model should g l i d e smartly toward
that imaginary point without any tendency to veer
left or right. If i t is turning, correct with
SMALL amounts of transmitter input to the opposite
side of the turn. If the model wants to pitch up,
correct quickly with SMALL amounts of DOWN elevator
input and if the model pitches down, correct
quickly with SMALL amounts of UP elevator input.
Just prior to touch-down, a SMALL amount of UP
elevator input can be used to "flare-out" to a
smooth landing. Continue this process until you
can consistently achieve the required flat, smooth
glide. Take your time here to get comfortable w i t h
this phase of your model's regime because
ultimately the glide w i l l constitute the bulk of
its flying time.
POWERED FLIGHT
This is it! The pay-off for the work done thus
far! Just as you did before in the test-gliding
phase, activate the required switches in this
order:
1. Transmitter switch ON w i t h throttle stick
down in the OFF position.
2. Make sure arming switch is OFF.
3. Turn airborne radio system ON.
4. NOW turn arming switch ON.
Again, test the FLIGHT CONTROLS of your model with
transmitter input to each. Holding the model away
from you (and others) move the t h r o t t l e stick up
briefly to test the motor and then turn it off.
Just as you did in the test-gliding phase, hold the
model high over your head, level or nose s l i g h t l y
down, pointing to that imaginary point 100' ahead
of you and directly into the wind. With the
transmitter in your other hand, move the throttle
stick up to the ON position and trot or run
forward. When i t feels r i g h t , smoothly throw the
model forward, wings level, toward that imaginary
point. Immediately take the transmitter in both
hands for control.
Typically, the PHASOAR w i l l quickly get into "step"
and start an aggressive climb that w i l l only need
momentary SMALL inputs of DOWN elevator to control.
Keep the model climbing out, into the wind and away
from you until it is about 400' away. At this
point, the model w i l l be quite high and you can
start a slow 180 degree turn back toward you, s t i l l
allowing the model to c l i m b out. Before i t gets
back to you, do another 180 degree turn. Repeat
this process u n t i l comfortable altitude is reached
(with our prototypes, uncomfortable altitude...too
high...was reached in less than 55 seconds). Move
the throttle stick to the down or OFF position and
let the model transition into g l i d e mode. This
first f l i g h t is for experience purposes only and
not dedicated thermal hunting so don't be concerned
about looking for l i f t right now. unless you're
totally comfortable doing so.
With the PHASOAR now in un-powered glide,
f a m i l i a r i z e yourself w i t h each of the controls.
REMEMBER: T h i s design is a powered sailplane, not
a pattern ship. Save the aerobatics for a
different design! Check for stall characteristics,
both upwind and downwind, by simply establishing a
heading and slowly pulling back on the elevator
stick. What should happen is nothing more exciting
than a nose-high attitude, followed by a nose-down
pitch w i t h almost immediate recovery. If the model
wants to f a l l off briskly to one side or the other
(a "tip stall"), you are going to want to impart a
l i t t l e "washout" to each outboard wing panel when
you get home. Do t h i s by twisting the w i n g t i p to
raise the t r a i l i n g edge s l i g h t l y (1/16 to 1/8"),
and then reshrink the MonoKote to maintain the new
position.
As your model gets down to 100-200' of altitude,
turn i t into the wind and move the throttle stick
up to the ON position and power your way back up to
comfortable altitude and again shut down the motor.
LANDING
Land the PHASOAR by letting it glide smoothly
forward (very l i t t l e , i f any, elevator inputs) in
a pre-determined and large rectangular pattern
which terminates w i t h the model pointing directly
into the wind, passing safely in front of you at an
altitude of 8' to 10.' At this point, the model is
heading away from you w i t h the bulk of the field
ahead of it. Keep the wings level and s l i g h t l y
"flare" the model (apply a touch of UP elevator)
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